🕷️ Crawler Inspector

[Skip navigation](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002119.htm#start)  An official website of the United States government Here’s how you know Here’s how you know  **Official websites use .gov** A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.  **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS** A **lock** ( Locked padlock icon) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. [](https://www.nih.gov/ "National Institutes of Health") [National Library of Medicine](https://www.nlm.nih.gov/) [](https://medlineplus.gov/) The navigation menu has been collapsed. Menu - [Health Topics](https://medlineplus.gov/healthtopics.html) - [Drugs & Supplements](https://medlineplus.gov/druginformation.html) - [Genetics](https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/) - [Medical Tests](https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/) - [Medical Encyclopedia](https://medlineplus.gov/encyclopedia.html) - [About MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/about/) Show Search - [About MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/about/) - [What's New](https://medlineplus.gov/whatsnew/) - [Site Map](https://medlineplus.gov/sitemap.html) - [Customer Support](https://support.nlm.nih.gov/knowledgebase/category/?id=CAT-01231&category=medlineplus&from=//medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002119.htm) - [Health Topics](https://medlineplus.gov/healthtopics.html) - [Drugs & Supplements](https://medlineplus.gov/druginformation.html) - [Genetics](https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/) - [Medical Tests](https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/) - [Medical Encyclopedia](https://medlineplus.gov/encyclopedia.html) [Español](https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/article/002119.htm "Español") You Are Here: [Home](https://medlineplus.gov/) → [Medical Encyclopedia](https://medlineplus.gov/encyclopedia.html) → Taking care of your back at home URL of this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002119.htm # Taking care of your back at home [](mailto:?subject=Taking%20care%20of%20your%20back%20at%20home%3A%20MedlinePlus%20Medical%20EncyclopediaLock&body=I%20found%20this%20information%20on%20MedlinePlus.gov%20and%20I'd%20like%20to%20share%20it%20with%20you%3A%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fmedlineplus.gov%2Fency%2Farticle%2F002119.htm%3Futm_source%3Demail%26utm_medium%3Dshare%26utm_campaign%3Dmplus_share%0A%0AMedlinePlus%20\(https%3A%2F%2Fmedlineplus.gov\)%3A%20Trusted%20Health%20Information%20for%20you%0A%0ATo%20get%20updates%20by%20email%20when%20new%20information%20becomes%20available%20on%20MedlinePlus%2C%20sign%20up%20at%20https%3A%2F%2Fmedlineplus.gov%2Flistserv.html. "Email this page to a friend") [](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002119.htm "Print") [](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002119.htm "Facebook") [](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002119.htm "X") [](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002119.htm "Pinterest") To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Low back pain refers to pain that you feel in your lower back. You may also have back stiffness, decreased movement of the lower back, and difficulty standing straight. There are many things you can do at home to help your back feel better and prevent future back pain. ## Information Expand Section A common myth about back pain is that you need to rest and avoid activity for a long time. In fact, health care providers do not recommend bed rest. If you have no sign of a serious cause for your back pain (such as loss of bowel or bladder control, weakness, weight loss, or fever), stay as active as possible. Here are tips for how to handle back pain and activity: - Stop normal physical activity for only the first few days. This helps calm your symptoms and reduce swelling (inflammation) in the area of the pain. - Apply heat or ice to the painful area. Use ice for the first 48 to 72 hours, and then use heat. - Take over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). - Sleep in a curled-up, fetal position with a pillow between your legs. If you usually sleep on your back, place a pillow or rolled towel under your knees to relieve pressure. - Do not do activities that involve heavy lifting or twisting of your back for the first 6 weeks after the pain begins. - Do not exercise in the days right after the pain begins. After 2 to 3 weeks, slowly begin to exercise again. A physical therapist can teach you which exercises are right for you. EXERCISE TO PREVENT FUTURE BACK PAIN Through exercise you can: - Improve your posture - Strengthen your back and abdomen, and improve flexibility - Lose weight - [Avoid falls](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000493.htm) A complete exercise program should include aerobic activity such as walking, swimming, or riding a stationary bicycle. It should also include stretching and strength training. Follow the instructions of your provider or physical therapist. Begin with light cardiovascular training. Walking, riding an upright stationary bicycle (not the recumbent kind), and swimming are great examples. These types of aerobic activities can help improve blood flow to your back and promote healing. They also strengthen muscles in your stomach and back. Stretching and strengthening exercises are important in the long run. Keep in mind that starting these exercises too soon after an injury can make your pain worse. Strengthening your abdominal muscles can ease the stress on your back. A physical therapist can help you determine when to begin stretching and strengthening exercises and how to do them. Avoid these exercises during recovery, unless your provider or physical therapist says it is OK: - Jogging - Contact sports - Racquet sports - Golf - Dancing - Weight lifting - Leg lifts when lying on your stomach - Sit-ups TAKING MEASURES TO PREVENT FUTURE BACK PAIN To prevent back pain, learn to lift and bend properly. Follow these tips: - If an object is too heavy or awkward, get help. - Spread your feet apart to give you a wide base of support. - Stand as close as possible to the object you are lifting. - Bend at your knees, not at your waist. - Tighten your stomach muscles as you lift or lower the object. - Hold the object as close to your body as you can. - Lift using your leg muscles. - As you stand up while holding the object, do not bend forward. Try to keep your back straight. - Do not twist while you are bending to reach for the object, lifting it up, or carrying it. Other measures that may improve or prevent back pain include: - Avoid standing for long periods. If you must stand for your work, place a stool by your feet. Alternate resting each foot on the stool. - Do not wear high heels. Wear shoes that have cushioned soles when walking. - When sitting, especially if using a computer, make sure that your chair has a straight back with an adjustable seat and back, armrests, and a swivel seat. - Use a stool under your feet while sitting so that your knees are higher than your hips. - Place a small pillow or rolled towel behind your lower back while sitting or driving for long periods. - If you drive long-distance, stop and walk around every hour. Do not lift heavy objects just after a long ride. - [Quit smoking](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001992.htm). - Lose weight. - Do exercises to strengthen your abdominal muscles. This will strengthen your core to decrease the risk of further injuries. - Learn to relax. Try methods such as yoga, tai chi, or massage. ## Alternative Names Expand Section Back strain treatment; Back pain - home care; Low back pain - home care; Lumbar pain - home care; LBP - home care; Sciatic - home care ## Patient Instructions Expand Section - [Spine surgery - discharge](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000313.htm) ## Images Expand Section - [Treatment for strained back](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/9094.htm) ## References Expand Section Corwell BN, Davis NL. Back pain. In: Walls RM, ed. *Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice*. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 31. El Abd OH, Amadera JED. Low back strain or sprain. In: Frontera WR, Silver JK, Rizzo TD Jr, eds. *Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation*. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 48. Ibrahim M, Hurlbert RJ. Nonsurgical and postsurgical management of low back pain. In: Winn HR, ed. *Youmans & Winn Neurological Surgery*. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 312. ## Review Date 7/23/2024 Expand Section Updated by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. Learn how to cite this page ## Related MedlinePlus Health Topics Expand Section - [Back Pain](https://medlineplus.gov/backpain.html) - [Guide to Good Posture](https://medlineplus.gov/guidetogoodposture.html) ## Related MedlinePlus Health Topics - [Back Pain](https://medlineplus.gov/backpain.html) - [Guide to Good Posture](https://medlineplus.gov/guidetogoodposture.html) ## Images - [Treatment for strained back](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/9094.htm) ## Patient Instructions - [Spine surgery - discharge](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000313.htm) ## Was this page helpful? Yes No Thank you for your feedback\! [](https://accreditnet.urac.org/directory/#/certification/HCP010004/info) Health Content Provider 06/01/2028 [A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC](), for Health Content Provider (www.urac.org). URAC's [accreditation program]() is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s [editorial policy, editorial process](), and [privacy policy](). The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- 2026 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. All content on this site including text, images, graphics, audio, video, data, metadata, and compilations is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. You may view the content for personal, noncommercial use. Any other use requires prior written consent from Ebix. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, transmit, display, publish, reverse-engineer, adapt, modify, store beyond ordinary browser caching, index, mine, scrape, or create derivative works from this content. You may not use automated tools to access or extract content, including to create embeddings, vectors, datasets, or indexes for retrieval systems. Use of any content for training, fine-tuning, calibrating, testing, evaluating, or improving AI systems of any kind is prohibited without express written consent. This includes large language models, machine learning models, neural networks, generative systems, retrieval-augmented systems, and any software that ingests content to produce outputs. Any unauthorized use of the content including AI-related use is a violation of our rights and may result in legal action, damages, and statutory penalties to the fullest extent permitted by law. Ebix reserves the right to enforce its rights through legal, technological, and contractual measures. [](https://www.adam.com/about) - [About MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/about/) - [What's New](https://medlineplus.gov/whatsnew/) - [Site Map](https://medlineplus.gov/sitemap.html) - [Customer Support](https://support.nlm.nih.gov/knowledgebase/category/?id=CAT-01231&category=medlineplus&from=httpsundefined) - [Subscribe to RSS](https://medlineplus.gov/rss.html) - [Connect with NLM](https://www.nlm.nih.gov/socialmedia/index.html) - [NLM Web Policies](https://www.nlm.nih.gov/web_policies.html) - [Copyright](https://medlineplus.gov/about/using/usingcontent/) - [Accessibility](https://medlineplus.gov/accessibility.html) - [Guidelines for Links](https://medlineplus.gov/about/using/criteria/) - [Viewers & Players](https://medlineplus.gov/plugins.html) - [HHS Vulnerability Disclosure](https://www.hhs.gov/vulnerability-disclosure-policy/index.html) - [MedlinePlus Connect for EHRs](https://medlineplus.gov/medlineplus-connect/) - [For Developers](https://medlineplus.gov/about/developers/) [National Library of Medicine](https://www.nlm.nih.gov/) 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services](https://www.hhs.gov/) [National Institutes of Health](https://www.nih.gov/) [](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002119.htm#top "Return to top")

Low back pain refers to pain that you feel in your lower back. You may also have back stiffness, decreased movement of the lower back, and difficulty standing straight. There are many things you can do at home to help your back feel better and prevent future back pain. A common myth about back pain is that you need to rest and avoid activity for a long time. In fact, health care providers do not recommend bed rest. If you have no sign of a serious cause for your back pain (such as loss of bowel or bladder control, weakness, weight loss, or fever), stay as active as possible. Here are tips for how to handle back pain and activity: - Stop normal physical activity for only the first few days. This helps calm your symptoms and reduce swelling (inflammation) in the area of the pain. - Apply heat or ice to the painful area. Use ice for the first 48 to 72 hours, and then use heat. - Take over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). - Sleep in a curled-up, fetal position with a pillow between your legs. If you usually sleep on your back, place a pillow or rolled towel under your knees to relieve pressure. - Do not do activities that involve heavy lifting or twisting of your back for the first 6 weeks after the pain begins. - Do not exercise in the days right after the pain begins. After 2 to 3 weeks, slowly begin to exercise again. A physical therapist can teach you which exercises are right for you. EXERCISE TO PREVENT FUTURE BACK PAIN Through exercise you can: - Improve your posture - Strengthen your back and abdomen, and improve flexibility - Lose weight - [Avoid falls](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000493.htm) A complete exercise program should include aerobic activity such as walking, swimming, or riding a stationary bicycle. It should also include stretching and strength training. Follow the instructions of your provider or physical therapist. Begin with light cardiovascular training. Walking, riding an upright stationary bicycle (not the recumbent kind), and swimming are great examples. These types of aerobic activities can help improve blood flow to your back and promote healing. They also strengthen muscles in your stomach and back. Stretching and strengthening exercises are important in the long run. Keep in mind that starting these exercises too soon after an injury can make your pain worse. Strengthening your abdominal muscles can ease the stress on your back. A physical therapist can help you determine when to begin stretching and strengthening exercises and how to do them. Avoid these exercises during recovery, unless your provider or physical therapist says it is OK: - Jogging - Contact sports - Racquet sports - Golf - Dancing - Weight lifting - Leg lifts when lying on your stomach - Sit-ups TAKING MEASURES TO PREVENT FUTURE BACK PAIN To prevent back pain, learn to lift and bend properly. Follow these tips: - If an object is too heavy or awkward, get help. - Spread your feet apart to give you a wide base of support. - Stand as close as possible to the object you are lifting. - Bend at your knees, not at your waist. - Tighten your stomach muscles as you lift or lower the object. - Hold the object as close to your body as you can. - Lift using your leg muscles. - As you stand up while holding the object, do not bend forward. Try to keep your back straight. - Do not twist while you are bending to reach for the object, lifting it up, or carrying it. Other measures that may improve or prevent back pain include: - Avoid standing for long periods. If you must stand for your work, place a stool by your feet. Alternate resting each foot on the stool. - Do not wear high heels. Wear shoes that have cushioned soles when walking. - When sitting, especially if using a computer, make sure that your chair has a straight back with an adjustable seat and back, armrests, and a swivel seat. - Use a stool under your feet while sitting so that your knees are higher than your hips. - Place a small pillow or rolled towel behind your lower back while sitting or driving for long periods. - If you drive long-distance, stop and walk around every hour. Do not lift heavy objects just after a long ride. - [Quit smoking](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001992.htm). - Lose weight. - Do exercises to strengthen your abdominal muscles. This will strengthen your core to decrease the risk of further injuries. - Learn to relax. Try methods such as yoga, tai chi, or massage. Back strain treatment; Back pain - home care; Low back pain - home care; Lumbar pain - home care; LBP - home care; Sciatic - home care - [Treatment for strained back](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/9094.htm) Corwell BN, Davis NL. Back pain. In: Walls RM, ed. *Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice*. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 31. El Abd OH, Amadera JED. Low back strain or sprain. In: Frontera WR, Silver JK, Rizzo TD Jr, eds. *Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation*. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 48. Ibrahim M, Hurlbert RJ. Nonsurgical and postsurgical management of low back pain. In: Winn HR, ed. *Youmans & Winn Neurological Surgery*. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 312. Updated by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.