The First 24 Hours of Back Spasm

Your back just "went out", you are suddenly in serious pain, and your plans for the day just went out the window. You are in the hot stage and you don’t know if you've got a problem with skeletal alignment, tendons, or a muscle spasm. Only one thing is clear: you need to do something about the pain, right now. What’s the best way to handle the situation?

Get Comfortable
When resting, get in as comfortable a position as you can manage. Oftentimes, people are most comfortable lying on their back supported by pillows beneath their knees (with their knees at about a 90 degree angle and feet on the floor). Your nervous system is likely to be in an excited state, and the more you can do to chill out, the better. Notice that I say get comfortable "when resting", and not "always rest"; more on that later…

Ice
Get a large, soft, ice pack, and use it for up to 15 minutes at a time. This one’s my fav. Always cover the surface of ice pack with a layer of cloth, so you don’t damage your skin. (The area will be numb and you won’t know you’ve freezer-burned your skin until it’s too late.) Needless to say, this is the kind of thing you want to have ready to go when you need it, so plan ahead, buy now, and stick one in the freezer. And in a pinch, a bag of frozen peas can work wonders. Stay away from heat packs and hot tubs when you are having pain while resting - they’ll make you feel better temporarily, but much worse in the long haul. Heat will just increase your inflammation and keep the issue from healing.

Pain Meds
I’m not a doctor, and don’t recommend using pain meds every day, for months on end, but this is no time for being stoic. While pain meds aren’t safe for repeated, everyday usage, they do have their uses, and right about now may be a good time. One word of caution, however… use the pain meds at this time to get through this bout of back pain more comfortably. But don’t use them to enable you to do something you weren’t able to do before taking them, like a long drive, lifting anything heavy, or finishing that last row of weeding in the garden.

Take It Easy On Yourself
If you are having a major back spasm, don’t add insult to injury by lifting anything, even small to medium sized objects if you can help it. Ask a very nice person to help you out for the time being.

Movement
After 24 hours have passed, get moving! Studies show that injured areas that get a small amount of blood flow, i.e., movement, heal and retain normal movement much faster. So, even though it may seem counterintuitive, do about ten minutes of brisk walking on a even, soft surface, like carpet, every day during a back spasm. (But start on day two, and just rest on day one.) A secondary goal is to override tension holding patterns which can turn into long term problems. When walking, "find your height" first, (often when in back spasm you may have trouble straightening up and walking normally). After finding your height, then focus on swinging your arms. It’s great to have someone watching you and giving you feedback.

Want to learn more? Check out my previous newsletter: Long term care for avoiding back pain.

New Hours
Starting in June 2010, Andrea Turner Massage Therapy will be on a new schedule. The changes will allow me a better-work life balance, and also enable me to see more clients per week. The gist of the change: I’ll be open on Thursdays and Fridays, and closed on Sundays and Mondays. If you’ve made appointments in advance for Sundays or Mondays, I’ll be honoring those appointment times, as is. I’ll be transitioning the schedule over to the new days, and open times may vary between now and June. But as always, if the day or appointment time is available in my online scheduler, then I’m committed to being there for your massage!

My new hours, starting in June 2010
Open 5 days a week, by appointment only.
Tuesday through Friday 1pm-9pm
Saturday 11am - 6pm