Bed Rest? I Don’t Think So!

Back Pain, Bed Rest and Exercise

It is generally a good idea to rest a few days after a back injury occurs, so that you can get a better idea of how serious it is, and lessen the likelihood of injuring it further. If you don’t experience pain, you can chalk it up to being an injury that isn’t serious. Although, if you experience the same amount or an increase in pain, then a doctor or Minneapolis chiropractor, like the ones at Nokomis Chiropractic, will need to perform an examination to see what the cause of the problem is.

However, contrary to what you may think, just resting might may not be the best option. Recent studies have shown that prolonged rest may cause certain kinds of low back pain to worsen since the supporting muscles can atrophy with lack of movement or exercise.

Staying in bed for a day or two may be called for after injuring your back, but anything more than that could keep you in pain even longer. Some studies have shown that more than a couple days of bed rest can actually DOUBLE the time it takes to recover! You can limit your activity, but do not stop it completely.

Now if that doesn’t get you out of bed… I don’t know what will!

Your Minneapolis chiropractor at Nokomis Chiropractic and Wellnesscan provide a specially designed exercise program to strengthen the muscles of the spine that help keep muscles moving and speed the recovery process. A routine of back-healthy activities may include stretching exercises, swimming, walking, and movement therapy to improve coordination and develop proper posture and muscle balance. Yoga is another way to gently stretch muscles and ease pain. Any mild discomfort felt at the start of these exercises should disappear as muscles become stronger. But if pain is more than mild and lasts more than 15 minutes during exercise, patients should stop exercising and contact your chiropractor.

Supervised exercise, spinal manipulation, and home exercise for chronic low back pain: a randomized clinical trial. Spine J. 2011;11(7):585-598.

Even though low back pain (LBP) has been and is currently treated with almost every modality known to man, in our research, we have not found one medical study on the internet that indicates any form of treatment to be superior to chiropractic care.

In addition to being the safest and most effective form of treatment for back pain, spinal manipulation is incredibly effective, getting patients back on their feet faster than traditional medical care after a sports, auto, or work injury. If you suffer from back pain, don’t turn to medication, seek the help of chiropractic adjustments from a Minneapolis MN Chiropractor.