A back pain or injury is never fun.  I definitely can relate from when I herniated my L5 disc 2 years ago. It's not fun and I've upset it a few times between then and now.

What you want to do is apply and perform icing, stretching, and getting up to be constantly moving which is the absolute best for it. For the first 72 hours of any pain ice is mandatory to decrease the inflammation- causer of pain. Do not apply heat during this time period. After 72 hours you may alternate ice and heat. For either protocol keep on for 15 min. and then off for 10 min. Repeat 2-3x and when using heat be sure to always keep moving afterward. This will provide the best results.

Some other good piece of advice I can give you, based upon the work of Dr. Weil- the leading arthritis(inflammation) doctor, is to refrain from eating tomatoes, eggplant, any kind of pepper, and any salty foods you currently consume. These "nightshade" family of foods are known to increase inflammation in our bodies and of course increased sodium content will retain water in our tissues which leads to even more increased pain from inflammation.

The best things to eat are green vegetables and good fatty foods such as eggs, avocados, and nuts. Be sure to drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily as this will transport vital nutrients into your cells as well as flush out toxins and acids that keep you sore and slow to recovery. By doing all of this you will surely increase your recovery time and be much, much stronger and energetic for it.

Take care of your back! :)

www.bobgarontraining.com

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