How to Treat a Low Back Muscle Strain at Home 

Carolyn, I'm so glad you found my video and that it's helping you recover safely and gently! All the best.

does it rlly help???

You're welcome, Andrea. Thank you for your kind comment. All the best to you!

You are very welcome and I am glad the video has alleviated your pain and helped you get back to your life! All the best!

Glad you like the video! Thank you!

soraj shah, thank you for sharing your experience and your success with these exercises! I am so glad the information and exercises in my video has decreased your pain and helped you move again!! Thank you for your blessings and I wish you all the very best!

I’m dealing with just about the same thing but I work as a custodian…so my shifts have been hell I’m resting today and hopefully these exercises will work

@@yeahitsbri4211yea all her advice and couple of other videos were helpful. Good luck and take it easy. This is taking a while to completely heal and it sucks.

I just had this happen to me too I realized the exact same thing! I just hope I didn't slip a disc or anything more serious!! How did yours heal???

Regards to India! Manu Thakur, I am glad the exercises are helping you recover from your strain. All the best!

Same thing happened to me. Deadlifts are so good but you have to pay attention

Hahaha same ...just rest and when the pain subsides then start to stretch again

You're welcome 😊. Glad you're feeling good!

Wonderful! So glad the exercises have helped you!

karb2w, an acute injury needs about 24-72 hours of RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation) to address inflammation and calm the nervous system before beginning any exercise program. Please see my video on acute injury here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HgGUqJ1E-MM.html. Once your pain begins to decrease and signs of inflammation subside (swelling, redness and warmth), then go ahead and try these exercises very gently. If pain remains severe or you experience any sharp, shooting, stabbing pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, or difficulty urinating, see your doctor right away.

@@MovementFunction how to you evaluate your back? I feel on ice yesterday and today I bent over and bam pain so bad I almost passed out the only excuse that helped was letting my back sink down on all four any other thing I can do to help this pain, I can't get up without help and that made the pain even more painful until I was standing omg this is horrible

@@Nicole-dj3jf Since you fell on ice, I suggest seeing your doctor or going to an urgent care center (not necessarily the Emergency Department) to have a timely and thorough evaluation of your back. And then together with the doctor, determine the next best steps for further evaluation and treatment with a physical therapist or other provider. All the best!

Take your time with recovery. It's difficult when sneezing and coughing cause re-injury and irritation. I hope you'll be able to start moving again very soon! All the best

Sabine, the first three exercises are likely to be helpful after fusion surgery, however, I strongly suggest that you see a physical therapist for evaluation and treatment of your condition to address your specific needs. It is appropriate following surgery to have PT for optimal recovery, although not all surgeons prescribe PT. You may not need a full round of therapy but even a single session or a few sessions would likely be very helpful for you. All the best!

@@MovementFunction Thank you so much. I will make an appointment. In meantime, I keep on doing all other very helpful excercises

I suggest seeing a physical therapist for individualized evaluation and treatment plan to determine the best exercises for you.

Mitchell, these questions are all understandable and really are best to ask your current physiotherapist since he/she knows you and your condition well. Everyone heals differently and in their own time, so I really can't say how long it will take or give you specific advice. Don't worry about having a 'chronic' injury after 12 weeks, that's just a medical label and is really meaningless. Many people heal very well after 12 weeks and go on to live a normal life with no residual pain. Light activity is better than rest after the acute period of a muscle strain has passed, so in addition to the stretches you're doing in physio, you might try short, light walks a couple times a day, both for physical activity to keep you going and for mental relaxation since you're home from work. You mentioned feeling anxious - you might also benefit from breathing exercises, like this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-04Z4t9udlmo.html. As for nutrition, drink plenty of water and eat a variety of vegetables and fruit with healthy proteins and fat to get adequate vitamins and minerals. All the best!

silverhelms, I saw your other comment on the disc bulge video, which is what I would have recommended. Healing can take anywhere from a couple weeks to over 6 weeks, so hang in there and keep moving forward without pushing too hard. Bending forward and lifting are typically the last two things to recover. I recommend not lifting any loads heavier than about 5 pounds for at least 6 weeks to allow healing time on muscles, ligaments and discs. Sounds like you're doing well with these exercises, some core exercises and the exercises in my disc bulge video. The last thing is just giving it the time it needs to heal. All the best!

L W, my pillow is a Plemo brand memory foam pillow. Amazon has it but shows it's not currently available. Probably discontinued. Mine is very old :). There are many updated versions available though. Search for ergonomic contour pillow. I highly recommend it. I love mine and it has lasted years.

Thank you so much!

PandaKuchen, I suggest waiting until your pain is 100% gone. When you go back to the gym, start with lighter resistance and more reps than usual to help your back heal and the rest of your body recover from the rest period.

Yes, movement will help. The exercises in this video might help, but I have posted several other low back pain videos with exercises that might be better for you. You can try them all out, listen to your body and see what feels best for you. Here is the playlist with my low back pain videos: bit.ly/LowBackPainRelief. You will likely benefit most by having an individualized evaluation by a physical therapist to determine which movements are best for you.

Hi Magdaléna. One way to determine whether training is aggravating your back is to stop training completely for a couple weeks. If the gentle exercises in this video are tolerable, continue doing them. Walking short distances can also be helpful. If you continue to have pain after resting from training a couple weeks, I suggest returning to see your doctor for further evaluation. If you feel better after a couple weeks of rest, try going back to light training very gradually with rest days between sessions. All the best!

@@MovementFunction thank you very much for your help!🥺

@@thebestofpodcasts2how are you doing now? Did you find out what the injury was and how long did it take you yo heal?

@@JLaw2756 hi! I'm doing so much better now, thanks! However, it was a loong and painful journey. We've eventually found out that it was Herniated dics + few others minor complications. I couldn't train with weights for 4 months. But now I'm doing actually much much better! I've gradually got back to train with heavier weights, I'm still very cautious with my lower back tho. Sometimes it's a bit sore, but nowhere near to the I had.

@@thebestofpodcasts2 Thats good to hear. Any general advice you can give? Im almost 10 weeks into my injury slowly improving but just want reassurance.

Tactinho, to avoid reinjury, I recommend waiting at least one full week after your pain has resolved before resuming weightlifting. Start lighter than you left off and take a couple weeks to build back up.

Lex RT1, glad it's helping you. After the initial period of inflammation has resolved, usually about 3 days, then it's fine to apply a heating pad for improved blood flow and muscle relaxation. You just want to avoid applying a heating pad on tissue that is already inflamed.

@@MovementFunction Awesome.. Thanks again

Definitely see your doctor right away and report the incident exactly as it happened. Your health is worth it. period.

Neelam, there are many potential causes of back pain and I really can't say what might have caused your pain. Overtraining could certainly be a factor, especially if rest and massage alleviated your pain. It could also be a muscle imbalance issue between weak muscles and tight muscles. Stretching is important, especially back, hamstrings, gluteals, hip flexors, quads, and calves. Core strength is also very important and often underperformed. Core strengthening should include abdominals and glutes with dynamic exercises (not just sit ups). Check out some of my other videos for ideas on core strength (exercise ball, thoracic spine/mid-back, and lower body, etc.).

Good question, I put heat on mine, wondering if it’s too late to put cold on

Celly, minimum of three days. Okay to start when swelling, redness, and warmth are gone and pain has changed from sharp and stabbing to dull and achy. Might take a week or longer. Start very slowly with small amount of movement.

Thank you. I was wondering that too. It's day 4 for me.

Lemonbade, you are correct and this is not a stretching video. These exercises are gentle movements to improve blood flow and to help the tissues heal (as you say - recover and knit back together) without excessive tightness. In the introduction, I recommended rest and ice if the injury is acute (within 72 hours). After 72 hours, the best treatment to help recovery is gentle movement, not bed rest. Throughout the video, my instructions are to keep the movements slow and gentle, not stretching to end range or pulling excessively on the muscles. Hope this helps clarify things.

Ruth, I suggest seeing your primary care doctor for further evaluation. You may also try to see a physical therapist for evaluation. Contact a physical therapy clinic in your area to check how soon you can be seen and if a referral or prescription is needed.

Josef, great question. The answer depends in part on how acute the injury is. For an acute injury with tissue damage, best to stop before any pain starts. This video is geared toward an acute muscle strain so I recommend stopping at the first hint of pain or before that if possible. On the other end of the spectrum, going until pain shoots down the leg is definitely pushing too far no matter what as that indicates nerve irritation.

Ice is the best within the first 72 hours but I’m not sure about after that. But ice for about 20 min then stop for and hour then do it again.

Since your injury is no longer acute (first 72 hours), you can use both ice and heat. Use ice if there is swelling, warmth, redness or throbbing pain. Use heat when you feel stiff, achy, or sore. Use heat to warm up before activity and use ice for recovery after activity. You can also apply ice/heat back to back for improved blood flow. 10 minutes of ice or heat is enough, no longer than 20 minutes. Wait at least one hour and then apply again as needed.

Anya, I would be happy to talk with you privately. I am not a post-natal, women's health specialist, but I can talk with you further... Please send me a private email via the contact button on my website: movementfunctionmaui.com/contact-1

This video may help your back pain and also check out my other videos for lower and upper back pain on my channel. I've posted many videos with information for managing back pain.

These exercises may be helpful for you. You might also check out the other videos in my low back playlist. You might also benefit from seeing a physical therapist in person for individualized evaluation and treatment to be sure that your specific condition is addressed.

Rahul Behl, I am available for consultation via teleconferencing, depending on your location. Please send me a private message via the contact form on my website, including where you live, if you are interested. www.movementfunctionpt.com

Lourdes, start with the other exercises to the best of your ability and then progress to all fours when you're able. You can also try the cat/cow sitting up with tall posture, although most people tolerate it much better in all fours.

Ali, the best way to resolve pain and return to sports is to be consistent in your physio and not go back to soccer until your have restored your baseline strength and flexibility so that you can tolerate the demands of the sport without reinjuring your back. You can do that through progressive exercise in physio with daily performance of the exercises.

Same problem bro 😞 How is your pain now is it gone ?

@@jippu5477 Still very stiff mate,how about you?

@@alizaki4714 any update ?

There can be many causes of low back pain and this video specifically includes exercises to address a muscle strain. I cannot say for sure if these exercises will be good for you or not. All the best to you.

@@MovementFunction yeah I have one side of muscle pain whenever I touch to my lower back muscle it's very pain means left side lower back . some time I try to strech my body it's not happening because of muscle pain .

@@tybfma223mishraabhishek9 Try these exercises very gently and see how you feel. If the injury is new, you might need a few days of rest with a cold pack before your tissues are ready to start these gentle exercises.

I suggest seeing your doctor to make sure there is no serious injury. Apply a cold pack for 15 minutes every 2 hours during the day.

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Sorry, its just i can relate

Meee toooo I tried to do these and it was just a sharp pain 😂

I know it’s horrible 🤣

Same bro🤣

It is best to see a physician or physiotherapist directly, if possible in your area, to evaluate you and determine the best treatment plan to help your get back to normal.

Yes, this will help the mid back as well. If the strain is mild and not acute, you might also benefit from my other videos focused on the mid back. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lW4kPAxDvsM.html and ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-23juUW8sXTc.html.

Thank you! I've been doing these exercises for about a week now and I can tell its helps dramatically!

These exercises are likely a good place to start to help your back heal. You would also benefit from seeing a physiotherapist for evaluation and treatment to help you fully recover after delivering your baby. All the best!

Smayat, I cannot say whether this program is best or safe for you. I suggest seeing your doctor first and then determine the best treatment.

Camk, yes, these are gentle enough to do every day but see how your body feels and adjust the frequency as it fits you.

Don't push it. Just start with neutral to cow. Gradually over time, try to ease into cat. If you still can't after a week or so, best to see a physical therapist for individualized evaluation and to find the best treatment and exercises for you.

@@MovementFunction i lifted a lawn mower off a truck, but it was far away from my body making it more arduous. Then i played tennis the follwing two days cause the pain was bearable, then comes monday after initial pain and tennis, i was broken. And im an athlete so moral is, when it comes to lower back pain, and probly neck pain, those are the two worst places in the whole body for pain. TAKE IT SERIOUSLY and dont play tennis just cause its not that bad. Do you think cyclobenzaprine is ok i still have a bunch left over from a couple years ago from some other injury way less severe. * Note its crazy how a tiny muscle strain in lower back can completely immobilize an adult for a week.

@@MovementFunction been doing 5 min abdominal workout 1-2x daily and holy smokes its helped me recover in 1-2 days. Still some pain but i can tell it hit the fast forward button on recovery. As a tennis player the back gets twisted from the fast agressive strokes. I do arm and leg weights but never core. Now im going to do nearly the opposite. Strong core seems to help the lower back. Thank for your tips!!

😂😂

That is good :) smoking is dangerous :)

Best to let is rest while cold therapy for a few more days. Then gradually begin to move again and try these again in about a week.

@@MovementFunction thank you!

N my lower back hurts