Hurt my back?!
Question: Today I was doing a lot of cleaning. I cleaned out my car after I made a move, so i was upside down vacuuming and in all kinds of positions and then I was organizing and cleaning my house. When I went to pick up the very last bin I had cleaned my back tightened and I couldn't lift it. Now my back is strained and hurts when i try to move sideways and down if that makes sense. Think of someone holding weights to their sides and then bending in that direction. Apparently there are a lot of everyday activities that work those muscles...are there any exercises that can be done to loosen this pain? Im not even 21 yet, Im not old enough to hurt my back!!! haha
Answers: Today I was doing a lot of cleaning. I cleaned out my car after I made a move, so i was upside down vacuuming and in all kinds of positions and then I was organizing and cleaning my house. When I went to pick up the very last bin I had cleaned my back tightened and I couldn't lift it. Now my back is strained and hurts when i try to move sideways and down if that makes sense. Think of someone holding weights to their sides and then bending in that direction. Apparently there are a lot of everyday activities that work those muscles...are there any exercises that can be done to loosen this pain? Im not even 21 yet, Im not old enough to hurt my back!!! haha
you probably just strained the muscles by overworking them (can happen to anyone regardless of age).
the best thing for this is rest. you can try using a heating pad to help loosen the muscles up and encourge blood flow to that area. don't use ice b/c it will tighten the muscles more, causing pain. you can also try using icyhot or something similar to help reduce the muscle tightness (make sure to wash your hands well after applying this-if you get in on your face near your eyes,nose,or mouth it can cause a nasty reaction).
you can also use (if not allergic) ibuprofen. it has an anti-inflammatory in it to help reduce tightness and muscle pain. take 200-400mg every 6 hours as needed but no more than 1200mg in 24 hours.
a hot bath will be soothing as well
no more heavy lifting until the pain has stopped and you're able to move again.
if you don't feel better after using the heat and ibuprofen then i would suggest seeing a doctor as you might need a muscle relaxer to help your back heal.
hope you feel better soon!!