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Post-Holiday Back Pain

Dragging that Christmas tree to the curb and taking down the lights on the house didn’t seem like a big deal when you did it, but now it’s the next day and you’re suffering. This isn’t uncommon. Hopefully you took on this task Friday after work and you have the weekend to recover. We’ve discovered that a weekend of watching college and pro football from the couch often functions as a great pain management system. For most instances of lower back pain taking it easy will be enough. However, if the pain does not go away this could be a sign of a more serious problem.

Some causes of lower back pain include:

  • Over activity – i.e. golf, tennis, taking down that aforementioned tree
  • Disc tear – small tears in the outer section of the disk
  • Disc herniation or slipped disc – a condition that affects the rubber-like cushions between each vertebrae
  • Disc degeneration- discs lose their ability to absorb shock

A key factor in back pain is often aging. You might have noticed that as the years progress you need to watch more and more football in order to recover. This is because as we age bone strength, muscle elasticity, and muscle tone all tend to decrease. The lumbar discs will begin to lose fluid and flexibility, and the above conditions may occur. Daily stretching can help strengthen your muscles and decrease your chances of a serious condition. The Mayo Clinic has some stretches to get you started.

If you took down the tree on Friday, and you’re still sore by Tuesday, this may be a sign of a more serious condition. We pride ourselves on providing professional neurosurgeons, caring physical therapists, and competent pain management specialists for the Naples and Fort Myers communities. If you are experiencing numbness and tingling in one or both of your legs this usually indicates a more serious problem and we recommend contacting a neurosurgeon.