I Hurt My Back. Now what?
and what to do since it likely isn't an emergency
You bend over to pick something up, and POP.
The warm feeling spreads over your back and maybe your leg. Mostly you hope you haven’t pooped on yourself (this would be bad).
Back pain can be scary, debilitating, and worst of all unrelenting. Especially when it’s new. The first question people often ask themselves is:
“Is this serious?”
I evaluate many clients that have gone to the emergency room for their back pain. This is very often:
NOT necessary.
Often NOT useful.
This post will tell you when it is an emergency, and I’ve included an actual program for paid subs that you can use to manage your pain in the short term.
Upgrade your subscription to grab that PLUS get your free mobility program. A great 1st step in trying to prevent this from happening in the first place
When is back pain considered an emergency?
You should go to the Emergency Room if you have SEVERE back pain PLUS:
Vomiting, nausea, and fever. Basically your back hurts PLUS you have flu-like symptoms
Trauma associated with a car accident or falling down the stairs. The concern is something is broken. This could be more head/neck related too.
Bowl or bladder problems and loss of feeling and/or strength and power in your legs. Your spinal injury is affecting your FUNCTION. Go get an MRI because a surgeon needs to cut something out.
A history of cancer and more pain at night. Technically this one doesn’t require the ER, just go see your oncologist.
Why doesn’t the emergency room care about my back pain?
It isn’t that they don’t care, they just aren’t trained to manage you if it is not an emergency.
It’s in the name. E-M-E-R-G-E-N-C-Y room.
Back pain, which can be painful, without the red flags listed above, IS NOT an emergency. So the best they can do is give you some meds and send you on your way.
It’s not you, it’s them. And it’s designed to be that way. They have to go and save people with life threatening emergencies, not be bothered by your run o’ the mill sciatica.
Summary
Back pain sucks, and can be painful, but try not to waste your time going to the ER unless you have pain PLUS the items I listed above. Obviously it’s your back and life, so go if want. Try not to be mad if/when they send you home without any resolution of your problem.
The best treatment for severe low back pain?
Time
The second best treatments?
Movement and rest
Here’s my favorite moves to help reduce your back pain in these early stages: