Sometimes when you’ve ‘put your back out’ or your neck, it may be a few days before you can get an appointment with our osteopaths or tolerate a treatment so the following tips may be a useful in getting you through the acute phase of your injury.

Whenever your spine is injured, muscles will spasm in response and this can often be the most painful and disabling element of the problem. Muscle spasms with neck pain can often be the cause of associated headaches. Many of these tips are aimed at settling these muscle spasms.

1.      Try to keep moving; alternate between standing, sitting and if necessary, lying down. Spending long periods of time in the same position is likely to aggravate your back or neck and spending extended lengths of time in bed can actually hinder your recovery in the long run. Gentle movement will ease muscle spasm so try a short walk if you can tolerate it or maybe some gentle stretching & movement in the local pool or spa.

2.      Use a cushion or some sort of support in the small of your back when sitting or driving and be sure to take regular breaks to walk about & gently stretch.

3.      You can apply similar support in standing and walking using either your hands or by slinging a towel behind your back and holding on to either end with your hands.

4.      If you’ve previously been given stretches or exercises for these acute episodes of back or neck pain, reverting to these can be helpful. Just remember to take it easy & don’t force stretches, always ease into & out of them. Stiff muscles can respond to rapid or excessive movement by cramping up & spasming even more.

5.      Applying heat or ice may also help ease your pain, if you’re not sure which is best for you, try both to find out what works for you.

6.      Consulting your pharmacist for advice on anti-inflammatory or analgesic (pain relief) medication may also be useful when you’re in acute pain; just always be sure to safety and dosage directions.

Once your acute pain has settled there are a few other things you can be doing to help regain your mobility & function and reduce the likelihood of recurrence.

7.      If you’re carrying extra weight, try to lose a bit to reduce the load on your spine and the muscles supporting it. Exercise regularly; walking, cycling or swimming can be an enjoyable way of exercising without putting too much strain on your back.

8.      Stretching regularly can reduce stiffness & increase mobility; helping you regain function & getting you back into the swing of life faster.

9.      Talk to our osteopaths about your workplace ergonomics; learn how your desk or workstation can be modified to reduce the impact on your neck & shoulders or learn about the right lifting technique to reduce the load on your low back. Minor changes to your daily work activities can have a major impact on the frequency & intensity of your back & neck pain episodes.

10.     Consider whether your mattress & pillow are providing you the support you need at night, after all we spend around a third of our lives in bed. Again our osteopaths can advise you on how likely it is that your sleeping posture is contributing to your problems and what can be done about it.