How to Relieve Lower Back Pain at Home | San Diego, CA

When your lower back is hurting, one of the first questions is usually pretty simple: What can I do at home right now to get some relief?

There are plenty of stretches and exercises online, but more movement is not always what an irritated lower back needs. Sometimes a good place to start is simply finding a comfortable position that allows the muscles to relax and temporarily takes some of the load off the lower back.

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC often recommends a simple position called the 90-90 position. It requires no special equipment, can be done at home, and takes very little effort.

[VIDEO: Simple 90-90 Position for Lower Back Pain Relief]

Try This Simple Position for Lower Back Pain

Lie flat on your back on a comfortable, supportive surface.

Place your lower legs on a couch, chair or another sturdy surface. Your hips should be bent to approximately 90 degrees, with your knees also bent to approximately 90 degrees.

A normal chair height works well for many people.

Once you are in position, let your legs relax completely. You should not be actively holding them up or tightening your stomach or legs.

Stay there for approximately 10–20 minutes.

If it feels comfortable, this can be repeated two or three times throughout the day. It is simple enough to do when you get home from work or even during a lunch break if you have an appropriate place to lie down.

There is no aggressive stretching involved. The purpose is simply to get comfortable, relax and temporarily reduce some of the stress on the lower back.

Why Can the 90-90 Position Help Your Lower Back Feel Better?

When your lower back hurts, your first instinct may be to stretch it.

That is not always necessary.

The 90-90 position changes the position of the hips and legs while allowing the lower back to rest. Because the legs are supported, the muscles around the hips and lower back do not have to work to hold them in position.

For some people, this is simply a comfortable way to unload an irritated lower back for a short period of time.

It is also different from pulling both knees aggressively toward the chest or repeatedly bending forward trying to stretch the lower back.

You are not trying to force anything.

You are giving your back a chance to relax.

Should the 90-90 Position Hurt?

No significant pain should be required to do this.

If you get into the position and it feels comfortable, relax and give it a few minutes.

If it significantly increases your lower back pain, causes pain to begin traveling farther down your leg, increases numbness or tingling, or simply makes you feel worse, stop.

Not every exercise or position is appropriate for every back problem.

That is especially important for people with sciatica or a known disc injury.

What If Your Lower Back Feels Better While You're Lying Down, but the Pain Keeps Coming Back?

This is where it becomes important to look beyond temporary relief.

If 10 or 20 minutes in the 90-90 position makes you feel better, that is useful. But if the pain returns every time you sit, stand, walk, bend or exercise, the bigger question is why it keeps happening.

The same applies if the problem has progressed beyond lower back pain.

If you are experiencing pain into the buttock or leg, numbness, tingling, burning or weakness, there may be nerve involvement that deserves a more thorough evaluation.

Lower back pain and sciatica can have many different causes. Disc bulges and herniations are possibilities, but so are degenerative changes, spinal or foraminal stenosis, facet-related problems and other conditions.

This is why two people with “lower back pain” may need very different approaches.

Be Careful About Stretching Everything That Feels Tight

One of the most common things Dr. Boelk sees is someone who has been stretching an irritated area over and over because it feels tight.

This is particularly common with sciatica.

The hamstring or calf may feel incredibly tight, so the patient assumes the answer is more stretching. But an irritated nerve can sometimes create a pulling or tight sensation through the leg that feels similar to a tight muscle.

Pay attention to what happens when you stretch.

A comfortable muscular stretch is one thing. A movement that causes pain, burning, tingling or numbness to travel farther down the leg is different.

If you repeatedly perform a stretch and your leg symptoms become more pronounced afterward, continuing to stretch harder may not be the answer.

How Long Should You Try Home Care Before Getting Your Back Evaluated?

There is no exact number of days that applies to everyone.

A mild episode of lower back pain after an unusual activity may improve relatively quickly. Persistent or recurring pain is different.

Consider getting the problem evaluated if your lower back pain keeps returning, is preventing you from doing normal activities, or is accompanied by symptoms traveling into the leg.

Numbness and weakness deserve additional attention.

If you notice that one foot or leg is becoming progressively weaker, your toes are beginning to catch while walking, or you are losing strength, that should not simply be ignored while continuing home exercises.

Rapidly progressing weakness, new bowel or bladder dysfunction, difficulty urinating, or numbness around the groin or saddle region requires prompt medical attention.

Still Having Lower Back Pain or Sciatica? Start With a No-Charge Consultation

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC has more than 22 years of experience working with patients with lower back pain, lumbar disc injuries and sciatica and has performed more than 100,000 spinal decompression treatments.

Patients who are not getting the improvement they want with home care can begin with a No-Charge, No-Obligation Consultation at The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego.

The purpose is not to assume you need spinal decompression.

It is to better understand what is happening.

During the consultation, Dr. Boelk may review:

• How and when your lower back pain started

• Where the pain is located and whether it travels into the leg

• Numbness, tingling, burning or weakness

• What makes the problem better or worse

• How sitting, standing, walking and bending affect you

• Exercises, stretches or treatments you have already tried

• Existing MRI images, X-rays and radiology reports

• Whether your imaging findings correspond with your symptoms

• Whether additional examination or imaging may be appropriate

• Whether Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression may be an option

• What an appropriate next step may be

If you already have an MRI, bring the actual images along with the written report. Dr. Boelk prefers to review the images himself rather than relying solely on the radiology report.

If you do not have an MRI, you can still schedule the consultation.

Not every patient is a candidate for Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression. If Dr. Boelk does not believe it is appropriate for your condition, he will tell you.

Because Dr. Boelk personally conducts these consultations and reviews available imaging, a limited number of No-Charge Consultation appointments are available within the weekly clinic schedule.

Call 619-298-0800 to ask about the next available consultation.

About Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC has worked with Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression for more than 22 years and has performed more than 100,000 spinal decompression treatments.

His professional background includes:

• Doctor of Chiropractic (DC)

• Certified Spinal Decompression Doctor

• Certified Pain-Free Performance Specialist (PPSC)

• Founder, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Training Academy

• Trains other doctors in spinal decompression protocols and techniques

• Founding Member, American Spinal Decompression Society

• Member, International Disc Education Association

• California X-Ray Radiation Supervisor & Operator

Dr. Boelk's experience with spinal injuries is also personal. He suffered an L5 compression fracture at age 16 and later experienced disc injuries and sciatica himself.

Lower Back Pain Help in San Diego

The 90-90 position is simple enough to try at home and may provide a comfortable way to temporarily take some of the load off an irritated lower back.

But if you find yourself doing it every day just to get through the day, or your lower back pain keeps returning as soon as you start moving again, it may be time to find out why.

This is especially true if your symptoms have started traveling into the buttock or leg or you are experiencing numbness, tingling or weakness.

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego offers a No-Charge, No-Obligation Consultation with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC.

Call 619-298-0800 to ask about the next available consultation.

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego
5095 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92123

619-298-0800
SanDiegoBackCare.com

Live 24/7 Answering Service • Hablamos Español