Despite doing all of the right things back and neck pain may reoccur. About half of those who have a back pain will have another episode within a year. If this happens to you don’t be disheartened, this is perfectly normal. Although it can be very painful back pain is rarely due to a serious cause and many flare ups settle within two weeks.

It is a good idea to have a plan in place if back pain does reoccur. There are several things you can do to help settle it quickly.

Here are some suggestions - 

Learn from your experience. Things that helped you last time are likely to be those that will work in future.

1.    Do remain active and gently exercise. If painful try breaking up your activities such as walking or household chores with regular short rests. Prolonged bed rest (more than 24 hours) has been found, through research, to lead to a slower recovery and increases the time to return to your normal activities. 

2.    Try to remain positive, do not feel guilty or blame yourself. Unhelpful thoughts such as “this will never get better” and “It is unsafe for me to do things” can make the pain seem worse and cause muscles to tighten. 

3.    Try to stay at work as many studies show that people who do this get better more quickly.

4.    Hot water bottles or ice wrapped in something dry like a tea towel and applied to the painful area for 10 minutes may help reduce discomfort. 

5.    Spend some time doing relaxation. Some slow breathing exercises can help relax your back muscles as well as your mind. 

6.    Manual therapy. Treatment with massage, acupuncture and manipulation can often help pain and improve mobility which is the key in getting you going. Professionals such as chiropractors can provide these as well as specific advice to help you manage a flare up as well as reassurance.  

7.    Pain killers: Some people worry that by taking painkillers they will not feel a warning pain and may ‘damage’ themselves further. Research has shown that this is not and pain relief may allow normal relaxed movements that help healing. However best practice guidelines from the UK and internationally suggest medication may not be the best treatment to start with if suffering from back pain.

If your symptoms include numbness about your bottom, inner thighs or genitals, or a change in control over your bowel or bladder (having accidents) you should seek urgent medical advice.