Ouch!

[gridlore]

I'm loving my new job, but have encountered a slight problem.

My back hurts. Not "oh God, I'm gonna need a truss" hurt; but "Hey, I'm using these muscles for the first time in a long time!" hurt.

Part of my job involves lifting heavy objects above shoulder height. I know this will improve as I get in shape, but for right now I'm living on hot-showers, deep-heating rubs, and Magnesium Salicylate.

Anybody have home remedies for back pain? Or suggestions for stretching or exercises to ease the pain and speed muscle development?

Comments

[benkenobigal.livejournal.com]

Home remedies for back pain:
1) If you have a chronic back problem, keep yourself warm and eat hot items.
2) Include garlic in your daily diet.
3) Boil ten Indian Basil leaves in one cup of water until the syrup is reduced to half a cup. Add salt to it after cooling. Take this mixture daily. For severe backache, take it twice a day.
4) You could take a mixture of five black pepper corns, five cloves and one-gram dry ginger powder in your tea at least twice a day.
5) Take half a gram of cinnamon powder with one-teaspoon honey at least twice a day for best results.
6) Gently massage the aching area with eucalyptus oil.
7) Ice can reduce the inflammation of back pain and after a few days switch to heat.
8) Include in diet tomato, carrot, cabbage, cucumber, lettuce, and at least two lightly cooked vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, carrot, fruits.
9) While sleeping, sleep on a firm mattress. Avoid sleeping face down.

Exercises:
1) Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. While trying to keep your lower back flat, slowly let both knees fall together to the side on the floor. Hold for ten seconds, then go back to start position with knees up. Repeat other side. Repeat exercise ten times.

2) Stand straight with hands clasped above your head. Slowly reach your hands to the right and hold for ten seconds, then straight up and pause, then go to the left and hold for ten seconds, then straight up again and pause. Repeat the stretch ten times.

3) Starting position: Lay on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor and hands behind your head. Raise both knees upward as far as you can, using the strength of your stomach muscles. Hold for five seconds. Go back to starting position. Repeat exercise ten times. DO NOT JERK YOUR HEAD OR NECK FORWARD.

[lisa-marli.livejournal.com]

SalonPas is your friend, it keeps the medicine in the right place, right over the aching part. You can use it with the magnesium salicylate you are taking on the inside. I get the crankiest shoulders, and it always helps.

Also do make sure that you wear the proper back support. Those wide belt things are worn by a lot of people lifting heaving things for a reason. It helps to support those stoopid back muscles, even after they are in shape.

And remember, we have a hot tub. Reservations are accepted.

[mdlbear]

Aspirin. Plain, ordinary aspirin.

Hot baths.

The exercise that works best for me: Lie on your stomach. Push up until your arms are straight, while keeping your pelvis flat on the floor. You can get a similar effect standing up by bending backwards over a counter, tabletop, or anything else at about the right height.

Get a back brace or whatever they call those wide padded belts -- usually with suspenders. You see a lot of people in Home Depot wearing them.

[jarlsberg71.livejournal.com]

Do you have a sarcophagus from Stargate SG1? they work well, and you won't need your glasses. Just go easy and don't over do it.

[(Anonymous)]

Tiger balm. But make sure its the non-staining kind.