Lower back pain is one of the most common reasons for seeing a doctor, and working from home at the kitchen table certainly does not reduce it. The good news is that sudden lower back pain is most often benign and eases within a few weeks.
The most common back pain gets better with movement
The most common lower back pain is non-specific: usually no single precise tissue cause can be identified. The pain can be intense and frightening, but it does not mean there is serious damage to your back.
The research evidence is clear: bed rest slows recovery. The best treatment is to keep moving within the limits the pain allows.
- Carry on with your daily life as normally as you can. Walking is excellent.
- Change position often. The best working position is the next one.
- Relieve the pain if needed with over-the-counter medicines according to the instructions on the package leaflet.
- Heat can relax tense muscles.
- Return to work before the pain is completely gone, if your work allows it. When working from home, it is easy to add more breaks.
Small fixes to your home workstation
- Top of the screen at eye level, for example a stack of books under the laptop and a separate keyboard.
- Feet firmly on the floor and the chair high enough that your forearms rest on the desk.
- Stand up at least once an hour. Phone calls can be taken while walking.
Go to the emergency department or call 112 immediately if
- you have numbness in the perineum or genital area
- you have difficulty passing urine or controlling your bladder or bowels
- you develop rapidly progressing muscle weakness in a leg
- the pain is intolerable and cannot be controlled with painkillers
- the back pain comes with sudden severe abdominal pain or other serious abdominal symptoms
These can be signs of serious compression of the nerve roots or of another serious illness, and the situation needs immediate assessment.
When a doctor's assessment is warranted
Seek a doctor's assessment promptly if the back pain comes with a fever, your general condition is deteriorating or the pain is steadily getting worse.
A doctor's assessment is also warranted if
- the pain started after a fall or another injury
- you have unexplained weight loss or a previous cancer diagnosis
- the pain is severe at night at rest and does not ease when you change position
- the pain radiates down the leg below the knee and is accompanied by numbness
- the pain does not start to ease within a few weeks
How Treat can help
Back pain is a good example of a matter where the right first step saves time. In Treat, you describe your symptoms in your own words, and a licensed doctor usually assesses within minutes during service hours whether self-care is enough, whether a physiotherapist's assessment is needed or whether you should be examined in person.
This article is general health information and does not replace an individual doctor's assessment.