What Is A Back Strain? 

Back strain is very common in adults. The lower back is often very susceptible to muscle pain which is often mistaken for back pain. If the pain is centered toward the right side of your back alone, it is not entirely back pain and can have different causes. However, there is nothing for you to fear about, as it is not an emergency. The most probable reason for you having a lower back strain on the right side is a pulled muscle. But what exactly does a pulled muscle feel like?

What Does A Pulled Back Muscle Feel Like?

A pulled muscle feels like a sharp shooting pain that increases with the movements of certain muscles. The area around the pulled muscle can swell up and the stiffness will increase drastically. This stiffness can cause limited movement. Each time you would try to move it you might feel a sharp pain and that pain will seem dull when you do not move.

If you are resting and the muscle is relaxed you might not feel the pain at all. As soon as you start moving against the muscle you might experience the same shooting pain again. If you touch the area you might find it to be tender or sore. In addition to that, you might get spasms every now and then. these are the most common symptoms of a strained back muscle.

Now we must figure out the treatment for strained back muscle. There are different ways that you can get strained back muscle treatment, let's focus on some of them:

How To Treat A Strained Back Muscle? 

Pharmacological Medication

 If you go to a doctor, they might prescribe you medicines. Back strains can be addressed using NSAIDs that are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These medicines will help bring down the inflammation around your sprained muscle and that will help bring down the pain.

 These medicines are also available over the counter so you can easily as them for it and take them whenever the pain gets worse. Other than that you can also take medication that prevents your brain from interpreting pain signals. This helps you not feel the pain since your brain does not acknowledge it.

In addition to that, your doctors might even prescribe you to get muscle relaxants to ease the stiffness in your muscles. If you want to know how to treat a strained muscle in the back for your specific case, reach out to a doctor.

 Hot and Cold Therapy 

Hot and cold therapy has been used for ages to target different problems such as back pain. It is found to be very effective for strained lower back muscle treatment and can be used together or as individual treatments. Each of them works differently.

Heat Therapy 

Heat therapy helps with blood circulation. By increasing the temperature of that area you can increase the flexibility of the muscle and that will help ease your back strain. Heat therapy is also very beneficial to heal the muscles that are damaged after your back sprain.

Cold Therapy 

Cold therapy works in the opposite way by reducing the blood flow to the affected area. That way the inflammation decreases and the tissue is not damaged anymore.  If you have sore tissues, cold therapy will help numb down the soreness. The messages sent to the brain regarding the pain are also slowed down and your brain does not acknowledge the pain.

How To Use Heat Or Ice For Strained Back Muscle

If you do not want to go to a clinic for hot and cold therapy, you don't have to. You can easily get different products online that can help you ease your pain by giving you hot and cold therapy. For instance, you can use the following two products to get the heat therapy you want.

ColePak Comfort Reusable Hot And Cold Gel Ice Packs 

 This gel can be used both as a hot and cold pack. It comes with 2 gel ice packs and a strap that helps you secure the ice pack in one place. It is very comfortable to wear and you can do other things while you wear it. The ice pack is said to stay at the desired temperature for at least 20 minutes.

This ice pack is great for daily use as it can heat up and cool down in just a few minutes. It is rated high by all the customers who have used it. You can find the product here.

 Knee pain is very common in people and it is hard to place a hot or cold pack that can target your knee without you having to hold it in place.

This knee pack however molds around your knee giving it the best coverage. You can fasten it easily so it does not move around giving you insured relief from pain.

Similarly, this ice pack is a great product for you to use on your back. If you have a strained muscle in your lower back, this ice pack helps you get rid of that while you address other pressing problems you have. You can find this product here.

Physiotherapy 

If you're wondering how to help a pulled-back muscle you need to know that physiotherapy is the best way forward. There are several physiotherapy exercises that can immediately help you release pain. You can either look for these physiotherapy exercises online or go to a physiotherapist.

Massage 

Massage helps your back relieve pain by easing the muscles. the added pressure helps the spasms ease and your muscle relaxes. A good massage will help increase the blood flow in your back and that helps eliminate pain.

Compression 

Compression is also a great treatment to reduce the inflammation in your back. This helps reduce the pain and helps you increase blood flow to the affected area. If you are looking for a compression belt this one is a great option.

Sparthos Compression Recovery Back Brace

This brace is the best for back pain as all the fibers are infused copper which helps ease your pain. You can find it here.

Lower Back Exercises 

It may sound strange for us to ask you to do exercises when you can hardly move. However, it is great for you to exercise your lower back if you have any sprains. That will help you work your muscles and improve blood flow.

It is not required of you to go hard with your exercises, they can be low impact and still give you the flexibility and strength you need for your back. You can look up stretches for a pulled-back muscle on the internet.

Change In Lifestyle

If you have a sedentary lifestyle it is best that you bring changes to your lifestyle and be more active. The increased activity will help you improve your strength and ease any back pains that you might have.

How Long Does A Strained Back Muscle Take To Heal?

If the pain is not too extreme, you can heal in the first week but if the pain is too extreme strained back muscle recovery time can go on for as long as 4 weeks.

If the pain is too extreme and you are facing a lot of difficulties you must go to a doctor as soon as possible. You might not be 100% sure as to what is causing the pain. What if it is not a strained back but a herniated disc? The pain of a herniated disk can be masked as a strained back. So the diagnosis comes back to strained back vs herniated disc. It is only your doctor who can address this issue for you. Whatever the case, you must get strained upper back muscle treatment as soon as possible.