This article is one of a series covering back pain — causes, symptoms, and the treatments we use at Back and Body Medical in Midtown Manhattan. For the complete overview, see the full guide:
→ Back Pain Treatment in New York City — The Complete Guide
It’s 4pm Christmas Eve. Back & Body is now closed until the 26th. A bout of back pain has just come on and it’s going to spoil your Christmas. It isn’t bad enough for a visit to ER, but it’s not comfortable. What can you do? Fortunately there’s a lot of things you can do at home to help you manage the pain until such time you are able to come in for treatment. Obviously, if the pain does get too bad, then we do recommend a visit to urgent care or ER to get some pain relief until such time you come in and we can evaluate.
Here’s some great at home tips:
Ice is Nice, Heat is Neat
Icing the area can give some good relief. Use an ice pack and for no more than 20 minutes at a time. Studies have shown that 20 minutes is the optimal amount of time and icing for longer has no significant benefit. If the problem is muscular then heat would be the better option, particularly to help with spasms etc.
Pain Medication
Medications such as anti inflammatories may provide temporary relief if you can take them.
Inversion Tables
If you have a history of back pain then an inversion table may help you. These are not expensive and can be purchased for around $100 from Amazon. Inverting for 20 minutes enables your spine to decompress that can take pressure off your spine and provide relief.
Back Braces
These can be acquired from pharmacies or again from Amazon for a low level quality belt which will give your muscles some relief in supporting your back while it is in pain.
If you are in pain, suffer from back pain, neck pain, headaches or whatever, come in and see us, we can help. We also accept insurance and would be delighted to help you out of pain. Call us today or Schedule an appointment.
Dr Shan Sivendra MD is the founder and medical director of Back and Body Medical in Midtown Manhattan. A board-certified medical doctor, certified acupuncturist, and Director of House Physicians at St. Barnabas Medical Center, Dr Sivendra has been practicing in New York since 1995.
He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Saint Barnabas Medical Center (affiliated with Mount Sinai School of Medicine) and received the Resident Research Award for three consecutive years.
Dr Sivendra has a background spanning internal medicine, pain management, and conservative spine rehabilitation, and was licensed in both the US and the UK.
At Back and Body Medical, he leads a multidisciplinary team of chiropractors, physical therapists, and acupuncturists dedicated to helping patients recover from pain without surgery or unnecessary medication.
Further Reading: Back Pain