If your loved one has slept wrong and woken up with pain in her back or shoulders, it’s nice to be able to find some quick temporary relief for her. These tips can also help with a pulled muscle in her back or a strain from overuse. Any serious or repeated back pain should be reported to a doctor to find the cause, but if your loved one knows exactly what happened and this back pain seems to only be caused by that action, then home treatment for comfort is the best action you can take.
Steps For Relief
As soon as the pain begins, get out the ice (or if you don’t have an ice pack or ice, a bag of frozen veggies like peas can work as well). The key is to ice the area in 20-minute intervals, remembering to not put the ice directly on the skin. If the area of the back is difficult to reach, an elder care provider can help with applying the cold pack and holding it in place. After the first 20 minutes, take it off for another 20 before starting the process over. This should help reduce inflammation and any spasms that may be occurring.
Take Pain Relievers or Anti-Inflammatories
If your loved one has been prescribed medication for a bad back, she should take that right away and follow the doctor’s orders for how to take it and with what. If she doesn’t, some ibuprofen might do the trick to reduce the pain and the swelling. Watch how much is taken and make sure not to go over the recommended amount. An elder care provider can help keep track of how much is taken and at what time so your loved one doesn’t overdo it.
Use Some Heat
Once the initial ice pack is complete, now your loved one can use heat to help relax the muscle and stimulate blood flow. She can use a heating pad or soak in a warm bath. A warm bath can help if the pain is somewhere she can’t easily place a heating pad and if she doesn’t have her elder care provider to help with the placement of the heating pad.
Slowly Stretch
A little bit of stretching, especially after a warm bath or using a heating pad on the affected area can help those muscles loosen up and prevent future spasms.
Take it Gently
It’s usually better to not completely stop moving. Gentle movement and stretching keep the blood flowing and prevent the muscles from spasming again so don’t have your loved one just go lie down all day. Instead, encourage gentle stretches and movements, while avoiding any activities that could cause harder like lifting heavy objects or bending over too much.
If the recovery seems like it might last for a day or two, you might consider having an elder care provider help with any household chores that may aggravate the back such as laundry, vacuuming, shoveling, or other tasks that require heavy lifting. With a little care, your loved one will be feeling better soon.
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