174 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
Treatment and prevention of back pain:
♦ If back pain has a cause like TB, a urinary infection, or gallbladder disease,
treat the cause. Seek medical help if you suspect a serious disease.
♦ Simple backache, including that of pregnancy, can often be prevented or made
better by:
always standing straight
sleeping on a firm flat surface
like this
back-bending
exercises (done
very slowly)
like
this
not not like this
like
this
♦ Aspirin and hot soaks (p. 195) help calm most kinds of back pain.
♦ For sudden, severe, low back pain that comes from twisting, lifting, bending,
or straining, quick relief can sometimes be brought like this:
Have the person lie
with one foot
tucked under
his knee.
Then, holding this shoulder
down,
gently but steadily push this
knee over so as to twist the
back.
Do this first on one side and
then the other.
CAUTION: Do not try this if the back pain is from a fall or injury.
♦ If back pain from lifting or twisting is sudden and severe with knife-like pain when
you bend over, if the pain goes into the leg(s), or if a foot becomes numb
or weak, this is serious. A nerve coming
from the back may be ‘pinched’ by a
slipped disc (pad between the bones of
the back). It is best to rest flat on your
back for a few days. It may help to put
something firm under the knees and
mid back.
♦ Take aspirin and use hot soaks. If pain does not begin to get better in a few days,
seek medical advice.