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Low back pain is one of the most common health problems. It can affect your daily life and become disabling. However, in most cases low back pain does not indicate a serious problem. For 90% of people the pain will go away by itself within a few days. For the other 10% of people the pain can become worse. So it is important that it is treated as soon as possible.

Pain felt in your lower back may come from the spine, muscles, nerves, or other structures in that region. It may also radiate from other areas like your mid or upper back, a hernia in the groin, or a problem in the testicles or ovaries.

There are many things you can do to help prevent or reduce the pain.

Prevention

* Stay as active as possible and keep in good shape.
* Learn what you can do to prevent back strain, such as using correct ways of bending and lifting, sitting on chairs with good back support, sleeping on a firm mattress, wearing comfortable shoes, ensuring your work bench is at a comfortable height, avoiding overweight.

If you already have back pain:

* Research has shown that early rehabilitation and prompt return to work and your usual activities are the best ways of getting you back to normal. It doesn’t help to overprotect your back, even when it’s sore. Too much lying in bed makes it take longer to get better.
* Ask your doctor about medicine to relieve the pain (check on side effects or interaction with other medicines you may be taking).
* Ask about gentle exercises you can do to strengthen your back. Set goals to improve your fitness.
* Try to stay positive. Sometimes pain can leave you feeling tired, frustrated, depressed, worried, and angry or just generally in a bad mood.
* In fact it has been shown that this can make the pain feel worse than it actually is. If you are feeling like this you are less likely to want to Exercise and get going and it can take longer to get better.
* So it is important to be aware that pain can sometimes have this effect. Don’t allow the pain to take over your life.
* Learn to relax. Your muscles get tight and sore if you are stressed.