Lower back pain is one of the most common painful conditions in the Danish population; according to the Danish Health Authority, 35–50% of adults report having had temporary—or persistent—lower back pain within the past year, while about 20% have experienced symptoms within the last 14 days. That’s a lot of people!
Fortunately, lower back pain is usually harmless and uncomplicated, and there are many things you can do both to prevent it and to relieve the pain.
To help prevent lower back pain you can:
- Move! This is the most important thing. Aim to be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day.
- Do exercises a couple of times a week that aim to stabilize your core—your deep muscles that support your torso.
- Avoid long periods of sitting. Try to stand up at least once or twice an hour.
- Change your sitting positions if you sit a lot.
- Bend your knees when lifting heavy objects (this also applies when lifting your child).
- Ensure your body does not become deficient in magnesium, as this can cause muscle pain. You can get magnesium from food, supplements, or applied topically to the skin—for example with Relax magnesium serum.
To relieve pain when you have lower back pain you can:
- Reduce your activities if needed and take it easy for a few days, but keep moving. Regular physical activity is known to shorten the course for most people.
- Consider using over-the-counter pain relief, such as paracetamol or NSAID preparations.
- Within the first 24 hours you can soothe the area with cold packs, for example a bag of peas wrapped in a clean cloth, for 10–15 minutes at a time.
- After 24 hours you can soothe the area with heat. The moisturizing heat booster, Heat, is great to use in this period. Simply roll it onto the affected area, where it provides a warming effect that can feel relieving. You can now buy them in a pack at a better price.
- If severe pain continues, or if you cannot resume daily activities after a few days, you should see a doctor.