Tut a board under your mattress’ is the piece of advice that the back pain victim hears from practically everybody. But this should be necessary only if your bed has a very soft base or an old, sagging mattress. There is no need to support a reasonably firm mattress. However, if you do need a bed board but have not got one, ask someone to drag your mattress on to the floor. Or simply do what many back sufferers do, sleep on a quilt or sleeping bag spread on the floor itself, using pillows, as already described, to relieve pressure and to keep your spine straight. When in acute pain, it is difficult to get down on to the floor and even harder to get up again; going via the kneeling position helps.
If you lie mostly on your back, you may find it most comfortable to support your legs, from the knees down, on a pile of cushions; or on a chair or a stool or footstool if you are sleeping on the floor. In this position, the back is kept from arching by being pressed firmly against the mattress (or floor).
If you have managed to find a comfortable position, the tendency is to stay put, but you should try to vary it from time to time, for the good of your circulation. Also, if you remain immobile because of back pain you may find yourself feeling stiff all over after a time. Changing position may call for some courage: do it slowly and gradually. Changing from a horizontal to a vertical position is what hurts most, so do not try to sit up. As for turning over in bed, you may find this easier to do if you bend your knees, bringing your heels up towards your buttocks, and, keeping your shoulder in line with your hips, let the knees fall to one side and use the weight of your legs to roll you over.
For getting out of bed, try this method: turn on your side, then edge over to the side of the bed, keeping your knees bent; then let your legs slide over the edge, acting as a counterweight as you push yourself upright with your arms. Have a chair at hand to lean on as you get to your feet.
In the end, you will probably work out for yourself, by painful trial and error, the method of getting out of bed that causes the least discomfort. Even so, try to limit the number of occasions of doing it, especially during the first day or so. Moderation in eating and drinking will limit the number of times you have to go to the toilet; and you may not have much appetite in any case. Avoid alcohol, which may interact with the pain-killing drugs you are taking; some people find that it makes the pain worse.
You may find yourself temporarily constipated, which may be the effect of taking some types of pain-killer, or of immobility, or fear of the pain that getting out of bed causes. This is a temporary problem, and there is no need to worry or do anything about it.
Keeping moving-At this stage you cannot do much in the way of exercise, but try to move your legs at regular intervals. The longer you remain immobile, the longer it will take you to recover your strength and mobility.
Even when you are suffering severe pain, and are frightened to move, there are bound to be some movements you can make without pain.
Start with these. Try wriggling your toes, bending and circling your ankles, working the feet up and down, bending and extending the knees. Do this for a few minutes, every hour or so. If any movement causes you pain, avoid it, and try to find another that does not. In between spells of leg movements, do some slow deep breathing.
A weight off your mind-It may not be easy for you to induce your tensed muscles to relax if at the same time you are brooding about the work and other obligations for which you are now temporarily disabled. A serene frame of mind may seem rather too much to expect from someone who is being racked by acute back pain, but relaxation involves both body and mind, so if you can find a way of relaxing your mental tension, the pain may affect you less.
The best thing to do is to accept the situation, and abandon, as much as possible, feelings of guilt about neglected work, missed appointments and so on. You are a victim of force majeure: the matter is out of your hands for the time being. You will have to ask someone to do some telephoning for you, cancelling engagements, and arranging for other people to stand in for you, at home and at work. Accept the need to rest and look after yourself for a few days. Do not be tempted to get up too soon. The more you can allow yourself to be philosophical about the situation, the more rapid is recovery likely to be. For a while the world will have to roll on its course without you. This advice is more easily given than followed.
But don’t become an invalid-Other people can affect your back pain. Some families enjoy making a fuss of an invalid and that may actually inhibit the natural desire to resume normal life. One danger with giving in to back pain for too long is the stiffness and weakness which ensue.
Supporters of the ‘pain confrontation’ school of thought argue that there is no evidence that activity is harmful and that, contrary to common belief, it does not necessarily even aggravate the pain as long as specific activities which increase the load on the spine are avoided. Increased activity may promote bone and muscle strength and may increase endorphin (a pain-reducing hormone) levels and reduce sensitivity to pain. They also claim that there is no evidence that early return to work increases the likelihood of future recurrences. These views are not universally accepted. Remember, seek professional advice. Know what is the cause of your backpain.
*43\111\2*
