If you’ve ever thrown out your back, you likely felt a quick onset of lower back pain.
Your pain may be different or worse if you experience chronic lower back pain.
Many times, this pain occurs after hard work, such as shoveling or lifting heavy objects.
Or it could be due to an injury.
Throwing out your back can keep you from your regular activities for several days.
Some people even wonder if they need to seek emergency attention.
Fortunately for most people, throwing your back out is usually a temporary situation.
There are also ways to speed recovery and help prevent it from happening again.
Related post: How can a chiropractor fix low back pain?
In the article below, we will talk about the most common ways people throw their backs out and how to keep it from happening again.
How People Throw Out Their Backs
Throwing out your back means you’ve strained the muscles in your lower back.
Lifting heavy objects or bending forward in awkward positions are common ways to throw out your back.
The pain that’s produced after throwing out your back usually stays right around your lower back.
Some of the most common activities that cause throwing out your back include:
- twisting the back similar to hitting a golf ball
- Lifting something heavy
- Stretching your back too much
- Using poor posture and body mechanics when lifting
Doing any of the activities above can cause injuries to a number of the structures supporting your back, like your ligaments, muscles, blood vessels, and connective tissues.
Even the most minor damage, like small tears in your protective vertebral discs, can lead to inflammation and pain.
Who Throws Out Their Back?
Anyone can throw out their back.
Acute back pain can happen to anyone, but it becomes increasingly more common with age.
People with physically demanding jobs are obviously more prone to injury. Still, office workers who sit for long periods aren’t entirely safe.
Sitting with inadequate back support can easily cause you to throw out your back.
A sedentary lifestyle and poor physical fitness is another risk factor.
People who don’t get much physical activity have higher odds of lower back issues.
But, so do the weekend warriors.
The weekend warriors are people who are usually sedentary Monday through Friday, but on the weekends, they go play golf for a few hours, play pick up basketball, or softball or soccer.
With weekend warriors, the pain is triggered by a brief bout of intense exercise following a long period of little movement.
Diagnosing Your Injury
Most people know right away if they have thrown out their back.
Sometimes a proper diagnosis from a doctor is still necessary.
Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms, what you were doing when you noticed them, and what makes them worse or better.
They’ll consider all of your symptoms when they make their diagnosis and recommend treatments.
Most diagnoses are straightforward.
However, if your pain is severe or causing severe symptoms, your doctor will usually recommend further tests.
Imaging studies can sometimes reveal underlying injuries or other causes of back pain, such as a tumor.
Your doctor may recommend imaging tests like an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI.
If your back pain doesn’t get better after two weeks, or it gets worse, you may need additional appointments with your doctor for further testing.
How To Keep Yourself From Throwing Out Your Back
The best way to keep yourself fro throwing out your back is by having a strong back and core muscles.
Weight lifting and core exercises are great ways to strengthen your back.
Activities that can help you maintain a healthy back while also promoting flexibility include Pilates, yoga, and tai chi.
You can also wear protective equipment to reduce the likelihood of a back injury.
You can wear things like a weightlifting belt or back brace that provides extra support.
For extra help, consult a certified personal trainer, physical therapist, or chiropractor for posture tips and safe exercises.
Be sure to always practice good posture when lifting heavy objects to prevent back injuries.
Always:
- Keep your elbows and arms as close to your body as possible
- Bend at your knees and lift with your legs
- Never twist your back when you lift
- Never jerk your body when you lift
- Take breaks when the object gets too heavy to continue lifting
You should always use good judgment when lifting heavy items.
If you’re wondering if the load is too heavy for you, it probably is.
Get someone else to help you or try to use equipment like carts or specialized carriers.
See A Chiropractor For Your Back Pain
Thanks to chiropractic treatment, getting lasting pain relief after throwing out your back is possible.
A trained chiropractor understands the spine, its disorders, and the practical techniques to treat them.
The procedures chiropractors use during this treatment is entirely safe and effective.
Chiropractors utilize a non-invasive, all-natural approach while treating neck, back, spine, and other joint-related disorders.
Chiropractors believe that our bodies can heal themselves.
They operate on the belief that no medication or surgical treatment is required to treat back pain.
If you’ve recently thrown out your back and you’d like to speak to a chiropractor about it, contact Advanced Injury Care.
Their team of chiropractors will perform a physical exam and go over your medical history to develop a treatment plan customized for you.
Click the button below to contact Advanced Injury Care.
Table of Contents
- How People Throw Out Their Backs
- Who Throws Out Their Back?
- Diagnosing Your Injury
- How To Keep Yourself From Throwing Out Your Back
- See A Chiropractor For Your Back Pain
