Back on track

Approximately 80 per cent of the population experience back pain at some point in their lives, experts say. With a little help, most low back strain and sprain injuries resolve themselves within a week or so.

Alberta's chiropractors offer these five smart tips to help you regain your back health and mobility:

Ice not heat

Use ice, not heat, to soothe the painful area. Where there is pain, there is inflammation. Ice your back for a maximum of ten minutes every hour for the first 24-48 hours.

Keep moving

Stay as active as possible. Change positions often and try not to sit, stand or lie in the same position for prolonged periods.

Stretch

Do gentle stretching to the point where you feel some relief; don't stretch to the point where the pain is aggravated.

Lower your heels

Set those high heels aside until you have recovered. High heels put excess strain on the lower back muscles making them work harder to keep you from falling forward.

Short-term support

A back brace or protective belt can be helpful in the short term during the acute phase of an injury, but should be avoided in the long term. Long term use of back braces can promote muscle weakness.

If your symptoms persist, talk to a chiropractor. Their expertise is in back, muscle, and joint disorders and they are specifically trained to diagnose and effectively treat them.

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