Best Positions For Acute Low Back Pain Relief
Have you ever experienced a severe, intense onset of acute low back pain that prevented you from even getting out of bed? If you have, I bet you don’t want that to happen again. Ever. Acute back pain can be miserable.
Those who have an onset of low back pain, will more than likely have a reoccurence within the first year of recovery. So for whatever reason, there is a high chance that you will have another bout of back pain.
But fear not, there are things you can do to help with your acute low back pain. Research has found that those with acute low back pain usually improves rapidly within weeks.
But dang, it is not fun the first days or weeks of acute low back pain. You may find yourself wanting to lie in bed all day for a while, but it’s best to start moving as early as possible.
So IF you have an onset of acute low back pain, here are some options for positioning that you can try for relief. As always, see a PT if this happens to you! I will meet my clients in their home or virtually, which is a great option for times like these when you just have a hard time getting out of bed, let alone getting into a car to get help.
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What Is Acute Low Back Pain?
Low back pain is pain, muscle tension, or stiffness localized below the ribs and above the inferior gluteal folds (bottom of your buttocks). Low back pain can include or exclude sciatica (or pain/numbness/tingling done your leg(s).
Nonspecific low back pain is pain not attributed to a recognizable pathology (e.g., infection, tumor, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, fracture, inflammation). This type of back pain is the most common.
Traditionally, acute low back pain has been defined as back pain lasting a couple days up to two weeks. Chronic or persistent low back pain extends beyond 12 weeks, when the tissues and structures should have healed. Some researchers argue that the definition of acute and chronic are insufficient to describe the reality of back pain.
Why Do I Get Acute Low Back Pain?
With acute low back pain, usually you can find some “mechanism” that brought it on. However, Suri et al. (2010) found that in patients with lumbar disc herniation with sciatica, the majority of the participants (around 62%) did not have a specific inciting event that caused their pain. Most of us would think it would be heavy lifting or flexion (bending forward) that would have caused the pain. This study found no relationship between severity of pain and a specific event, but if there was a common inciting event with LDH, it was non-lifting activities.
So don’t associate flexing forward or heavy lifting as bad or dangerous. What matters the most is are your tissues (muscles/ligaments/tendons etc.) trained well enough to handle higher loads. If not, let’s fix that so they can adapt to the functional demands placed on them.
What Structure Is Affected With Acute Low Back Pain?
It is difficult for any healthcare professional to accurately nail down the specific structure involved with low back pain. Even the research shows that with persistent back pain, finding a pathoanatomical cause for it is rare–after ruling out red flags (Zhang et al., 2019).
Any structure that is innervated is a potential source of back pain. It could be ligaments, muscles, facet joints, herniations, degeneration…differentiating one structure from another has proven to be an impossible task in most circumstances. There is not any established and proven criteria that would allow a therapist to confidently make that judgement.
So If You're Not Focused On the Structure, How Do You Treat Acute Low Back Pain?
What holds a lot of evidence, and what is the foundation of the McKenzie method for managing back pain, is matching your particular presentation to a specific management strategy. What really matters is your movement, and how loading the spine affects your movement and symptoms. I can use this methodology to effectively treat your back pain.
Just so you know, most acute low back pain will resolve on it’s own over time. If you are willing to wait it out this way, try to keep your life as close to normal as possible. Don’t stay in bed too long, and treat it like an ankle sprain–slowly get back to it.
If you want the process sped up a bit, I can help you!
What Can I Do To Help With Relief With Acute Low Back Pain?
Chances are, you probably don’t want to get in your car and go to a therapist. It hurts that bad. If you want relief that is effective, safe, and under your control, I can come to you or see you virtually.
If you want to ride it out, here are some positions that may be helpful for you. If you have a family member around, ask them to help you find a position you can tolerate.
Remember, don’t rest too long. It is important to start moving as soon as you can.
Best Rest Positions For Acute Low Back Pain Relief
Constructive Rest Position Number 1: Lying on your back with legs on a chair.
Constructive Rest Position Number 1: Lying on your back with legs on a chair
With the help of family or friends, try to lie on your back either on a firm bed, chair, or floor (just remember you have to get up from the floor.)
Have your partner get a chair and place in front of your legs, and help you place both legs on top of the chair. The chair is supporting your lower legs.
Find stillness, find your breath. Take long, slow deep breaths in your nose and out your mouth. Extend your exhale longer than your inhale.
Just keep focusing on your breath. Let your breath help you release the guarding around your abdomen, if you are ready.
Repeat this mantra: my spine is strong, my body will heal.
If you would like, place your hands in your groin on both legs (or the hip crease). Gently push the legs away from you as you can tolerate. Breathe for 5-8 rounds of breath like this.
If you don’t want to have to do the effort of pushing, have your partner help you by putting a strap along your hip creases and tie around the legs of the chair. Adjust for the tautness you want.
Stay here as long as you like. Gently and slowly let the traction off. Have your partner help you remove the chair and place your feet down, knees still bent.
Find your breath, then get up as you can–rolling to your side and pushing up with your arms.
Constructive Rest Position Number 2: Lying on your back, knees bent, feet on the floor.
If you cannot tolerate Constructive Rest Position Number 1, then try this one.
With the help of family or friends, try to lie on your back either on a firm bed, chair, or floor (just remember you have to get up from the floor.)
Keep your knees bent with your feet on the floor.
Find stillness, find your breath. Take long, slow deep breaths in your nose and out your mouth. Extend your exhale longer than your inhale.
Just keep focusing on your breath. Let your breath help you release the guarding around your abdomen, if you are ready.
Repeat this mantra: my spine is strong, my body will heal.
If you would like, place your hands in your groin on both legs (or the hip crease). Gently push the legs away from you as you can tolerate. Breathe for 5-8 rounds of breath like this.
Stay here as long as you like. Gently and slowly let the traction off. Have your partner help you if needed.
Find your breath, then get up as you can–rolling to your side and pushing up with your arms.
Constructive Rest Position Number 3: Lying on your back with knees together (optional strap), toes on a bolster
With the help of family or friends, try to lie on your back either on a firm bed, chair, or floor (just remember you have to get up from the floor.)
Have your partner grab a bolster/pillow and yoga strap.
Keep your knees bent, feet on the floor/bed. Let your knees drift together with your feet a bit farther apart.
If you would like, place the front portion of your feet on a bolster or pillow. Have your partner wrap the strap around your knees, as the picture shows. This helps provide support, without you feeling like you knee to control your knees inward.
Find stillness, find your breath. Take long, slow deep breaths in your nose and out your mouth. Extend your exhale longer than your inhale.
Just keep focusing on your breath. Let your breath help you release the guarding around your abdomen, if you are ready.
Repeat this mantra: my spine is strong, my body will heal.
Stay here as long as you like. Have your partner help you remove the strap and bolster/pillow when you are ready.
Find your breath, then get up as you can–rolling to your side and pushing up with your arms.
Constructive Rest Position Number 4: Child's pose over a bolster
**Most people will prefer the other positions listed. However, depending on what is involved with your back pain, you may prefer this one. I would recommend a firm bolster or a stack of hefty pillows for this one.**
With the help of family or friends, get down on all fours on the floor or bed(just remember you have to get up from the floor).
Have your partner place the stack of pillows or bolster along your midline, between your arms and legs. If you can lean back, setting your hips on your heels (or prop a blanket or two under your bum for a boost).
Rest your torso on the pillow or bolster, with your arms lying on the floor or bed alongside the pillow. Turn your head to one side to rest your head.
Find stillness, find your breath. Take long, slow deep breaths in your nose and out your mouth. Extend your exhale longer than your inhale.
Just keep focusing on your breath. Let your breath help you release the guarding around your abdomen and back, if you are ready.
Repeat this mantra: my spine is strong, my body will heal.
Stay here as long as you like.
Find your breath, then get up as you can–coming up onto all fours. Then come up to a chair or seat.
Constructive rest position number 5: Lying on your stomach, with pillow for support
With the help of family or friends, come onto your belly on your bed, or on the floor for a firm surface (just remember you have to get up from the floor).
If it would make it more comfortable for you, have your partner place a pillow or two under your abdomen.
Turn your head to one side to rest your head.
Find stillness, find your breath. Take long, slow deep breaths in your nose and out your mouth. Extend your exhale longer than your inhale.
Just keep focusing on your breath. Let your breath help you release the guarding around your abdomen and back, if you are ready.
Repeat this mantra: my spine is strong, my body will heal.
Stay here as long as you like.
Find your breath, then get up as you can–coming up onto all fours then into standing.
I hope that this is helpful. If you are curious about working with me in person or virtually to resolve your back or neck pain, please check out my website here.