by Barbara Hillary

Have you ever experienced stiffness and pain in your back when bending? Have you ever felt a sharp jolt of pain in a specific area of your back while doing daily chores? If so, you are among millions of Americans who experience back pain every year.

Acute back pain, lasting only a few days to a few weeks, results from the strain we put on the muscles, ligaments, or tendons of the back. Most of this strain results from our daily activities, such as gardening, housework, or lifting heavy objects (or children!).

If your back pain lasts for longer than a few weeks, worsens over time, or is accompanied by weight loss, fever, night sweats, or other unusual symptoms, talk to your health care provider as soon as possible.

An ounce of prevention goes a long way. Consider these tips to prevent back pain:

- Always stretch before exercise or any strenuous physical activity.

- Maintain good posture while standing up and sitting down.

- Exercise to keep your muscles strong.

- Always lift with your legs: keep back straight, bend your knees, keep object close to your body, lift with your thigh muscles.

- Maintain a healthy weight to keep strain on the back to minimum.

Back Pain Treatment

Treat pain before it becomes overwhelming. When dealing with acute back pain, take pain-relieving medications on a regular basis. Over-the-counter acetaminophen or ibuprofen might bring you relief. However, if you have any medical conditions or take other medications, consult with your health care provider before self-medicating.

Dr. Hillary is a pediatric nurse practitioner with a doctoral degree in health promotion and risk reduction. She works as a pediatric clinician and writes for Plugged in Parents. Plugged In Parents provides up-to-date info on pediatric health, safety and nutrition along with movie reviews, recipes, tech-savvy tips, and a parent's only forum. You can also contact Dr. Hillary for personal questions related to health and nutrition.

Please visit http://www.pluggedinparents.com

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