My Dr. advised me to begin with applying ice 20 minutes per hour and then later in the day alternate heat and ice. It worked well for me. I took no pills.

Sounds good, Lucille. I think it's fine to take Tylenol. However I prefer to take ibuprofen or aspirin for their anti-inflammatory properties. But I do think it's easier to relax, rest and heal when you are not suffering pain. Hope you feel better soon and be careful about working too hard.

The thing is, it will go away in a few days. If you take meds, the pain will be less or gone, and you may do more, instead of letting it heal properly. I use something like Icy Hot, if I can reach the area. Have not replaced the heat pad yet. To much heat related stuff was given away last year, in preparation of my harebrained idea of moving to Florida.. ;) But it is on my list of thing to buy, when the funds are here to buy/replace more stuff.

Lucille, it just means, you used muscles that have been resting... :) happens to the best of us all the time. Take it easy for a few days, which ever route you choose.

Moni

I rarely take anything for pain. I'd soak in a hot tub and take a nap.

Aspirin & sit ups. What your doing sounds pretty good.

While making a move many years ago, I had to do a lot of heavy lifting and ended up with a severe backache afterwards. It was so bad I could barely stand straight. A friend of mine at the time was a Chiropractor and he told me that when I went to bed that night to sleep in the position pictured. I did what he said and the next morning I woke up completely pain free. I was amazed.

My back pain comes from more than overworking so it might not be comfortable. An anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxer, heat and when it's more severe, a serious pain med. Depends on how bad things get. It really varies from person to person on what works and what is the cause. If it's muscle related, that's one thing, if it's arthritis, compressed disks, etc, it's something else.

I wish I could still take Aspirin. I developed a sensitivity to it along with asthma in my late thirties. (It's part of a medically recognized triad --can't recall the third component.)

Aspirin is the active ingredient in Ibuprofen, Advil, etc. Tylenol calms your brain's pain preceptors. Aspirin goes to the site of the inflammation.

MRI's show stenosis in my back. I use tub soaks and a heating pad most nights -- sometimes ice. I keep a small heating pad at the Maui condo.

I remember when people were prescribed bed rest for back pain. No more! Better to keep moving, if only a little.

Chisue- just to let you and others know, aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid, is not in Advil. The active ingredient in Advil is ibuprofen.

I haven't done much today but found a sale at Bluestone Perennials so I guess that counts as gardening :). I decided when my upper arms had some muscle pain too from all that pounding it was time to take a day off, read, and realize that all the chores would still be there tomorrow waiting for me.

A lot of pain relievers other than Tylenol upset my stomach. I realize that they do have coated tablets, but I figure that if Tylenol works, then that's what I'm happy with.

Try one of those pain patches, I got mine at $ tree and it worked for me.

Whirlpool bath, and some sort of painkiller, and a nice massage helps.

I had a very bad back strain two weeks ago. It took me half an hour to get out of bed. I had to slide on the floor and crawl to a chair to pull myself up. As soon as I did it I iced it it for the first day, took ibuprofen during the day and Aleve at night. Then I switched to heat. I tried to move around as much as I could. I do believe that getting moving is important , at least as much as you can while screaming with pain!

oh that's good to know lukkiirish...boy do I feel it these days when I do heaving lifting or moving of things. I'm getting old I guess ;-)

Oh, I have been doing that just flat on a floor, with my lower legs on a chair for years, after hurting my back. It truly helps relieve pain! I sort of forgot about it....

Lucille, a day off is always good. I change up my exercise program for that very reason. I try not to walk, bike, or swim two days in a row. :)

I know everyone is different but my husband has a fractured spine and severe athritis in his lower back and doctors suggest he do the same thing to help with pain and it sometimes works for him. He also has an electric blanket over his chair to keep heat on it.

Saw this article:

Ibuprofen DOESN'T work for back pain: Only 1 in 6 feel any benefit from taking the drug (and exercise is the only effective treatment)

• Researchers have assessed whether ibuprofen provided any relief to sufferers
• They found its benefits were minimal and were as ineffective as paracetamol
• In fact, the cheap pills made adults 3 times more likely to have stomach ulcers
• Experts say the findings highlight the urgent need to look for other treatments

Ibuprofen DOESN'T work for back pain

Also this article:

Never use painkillers for back pain: New US guidelines say patients should rely on yoga and acupuncture for 3 months before even taking ibuprofen

• American College of Physicians' new guidelines say patients with back pain should try natural therapies for up to 12 weeks
• Only if the pain lasts more than 3 months should they try painkillers
• If that doesn't work, doctors can contemplate prescribing opioids like tramadol
• The new guidelines come amid America's growing drug addiction epidemic

New Guidelines for Back Pain

I think some of that article is not necessarily info I will follow. I do support care in the prescribing of addictive medication, but I get these back aches from time to time, I use heat, Tylenol and rest and I'm better mostly in a few days.

I first got the back pain about 25 years ago, after helping someone move. I used that position pictured above to read and study for exams and recovered. A couple years ago it came back after I over did it pulling out ivy, and/or lifting. It has become chronic but bearable. It is always bad in the morning, and If I am on my feet or walk my dog for more than 25 minutes it kicks in. Right now I am taking just aspirin, and sitting probably too much. It seems to be getting worse. I am thinking about trying to cut out nightshade veggies, as I hear they cause inflammation. The one side of my butt gets hot and swollen and hurts. I am glad it's not a spine thing, which I thought I had a couple years ago, but now it is only on the one side. I have taken aleve/naproxin (I sometimes get pain on the other side from my hip replacement and take only if necessary) but I hear it is bad and can cause Alzheimers, which my mother died of. But I think every case is different. I avoid doctors so am just dealing on my own. I hope your pain subsides quickly. Also, sleeping with a pillow between your knees if you sleep on you side may help.