What are at-home treatments for back pain?

And so what we're trying to figure out when we evaluate someone is, what are you to do to get this to reduce? And that's part of the evaluation.

And then you're prescribed a home exercise program. [MUSIC PLAYING]

Well, one of the first things I would start with is ice. Ice is very important because it's an anti-inflammatory.

It's an analgesic. And it's also antispasmodic. So it helps with the spasms. Heat will help with the spasms, but it

doesn't have the effect to help with the pain and the inflammation. And that is part of the cycle when you have an injury to an area, that there

is pain and inflammation. So we want to address all that. So first of all, I would start with a covered cold pack. And I say covered inside of a pillowcase

because a lot of people end up with getting frostbite, because they can't feel the ice over time. And then the big thing is that's part of the symptoms

that you're managing, but you really want to get into, what is the root cause of why you have back pain? You have that mechanical back pain, which is what we treat--

something non-mechanical would be like a tumor or something, which obviously is very rare. And that's not what we're addressing. We're addressing when somebody has limited motion, stiffness,

they can't move, they feel pain radiating down their leg. That is a mechanical low back pain. And so what we're trying to figure out

when we evaluate someone is, what are you to do to get this to reduce? And that's part of the evaluation. And then you're prescribed a home exercise program.

People who have generalized centralized low back pain, very specifically, the back does three things. It flexes, which is bending over, pulling knees to chest.

And then it rotates, like if you turn when you're driving the car or you play tennis or golf. And then it extends, is what happens

when you go from sit to stand, which is a lot of people talk about the biggest complaint of pain is I have, I'm OK. I'm sitting at my desk, I'm at work,

or I'm sitting at home relaxing, watching a movie. And then I go to get up and my back is locked up.

That is a classic problem where you don't have enough extension, which is the bending backwards in your spine. And one of the things that I would say to do most at home

is stand up if you're at the computer or sitting down. Get up at least every 40 minutes and put your hands on your hips

and bend backwards a few times. That's the extension component of your back. To keep your spine healthy, if I had

to make it as quickly as possible, you know, like the basics of brushing your teeth, I would say bring your knees to your chest.

Do lying spinal twists. And then get on your belly and do what's a press up, or some people know in yoga as the cobra,

except the cobra has the hands a little bit further back. I like to have them a little bit further up so we get full extension in your whole back

and keep that spine as healthy as possible. [AUDIO LOGO]