Preparing your knees and ankles for Navratri garba
Nine nights of garba ask a lot of your legs. A three-week routine to start in September.
Heat, ice, rest or movement? Common back pain beliefs
Bed rest, the hot water bag and the fear of bending. What our physios tell patients about everyday back pain.
Back pain comes with a lot of advice from family, neighbours and the internet. Some of it helps; some of it can keep people stuck. This is general information, not a diagnosis. If your pain follows a fall, comes with fever, numbness in the legs or problems passing urine, see a doctor urgently.
“Rest in bed until it goes away.” For most common back pain, long bed rest tends to make people stiffer and slower to recover. A day or two of taking it easy is fine, but gentle walking and normal activity, within comfort, are what we usually encourage.
“Heat or ice, which is right?” Either can ease pain for a while, and neither fixes the cause. Many people prefer a warm water bag for stiffness and a cold pack in the first day or two after a strain. Use whichever feels better, for 15 to 20 minutes, with a towel between it and the skin. “Never bend your back to lift.” A healthy back is built to bend. What matters more is lifting loads you are prepared for, close to the body, without twisting suddenly. We teach lifting with a bent back as well as a straight one, step by step.
“A scan will show what is wrong.” Scans often show changes that are common in people with no pain at all. Your physiotherapist or doctor will advise if one is needed. Most back pain is assessed by questions and movement tests.
