Recently I’ve seen an increased number of patients with low back pain after returning to work after the New Year holiday period. All these people are keen to be working and their back pain is a concern for their ability to work as much the acute pain.
To these people I reiterate: it’s not fully healed just because it’s no longer sore!!!
Let’s look at a fresh low back injury and getting it to heal asap.
We all begrudge the inconvenience of a painful dysfunctional body. Please understand a sudden pain from a low back strain/ sprain involves many similar structural elements to that of a sprained ankle. Ligaments, tendons, muscles, bony joints, nerves, blood vessels. The shape may be different but the tissues are not dissimilar. So: step one ICE, ICE BABY. Yes ICE, just like an ankle injury. ICE that low back. Twenty minutes ice on, forty minutes ice off.
So, just like a broken arm the healing isn’t finished just because the pain is gone. Most broken arms hurt for a week or so. Most plaster casts protecting the fractured limb remain on for six weeks. This is because for five weeks minimum after the pain has gone critical healing is still taking place. So with a low back injury when you feel better after the first few adjustments, remember it’s not fully healed just because the pain is gone.