Emergency Back Care (Acute Pain)
It happens instantly. You bent down to pick up a sock, you sneezed too hard, or you twisted awkwardly while gardening.
SNAP.
Suddenly, your lower back seizes up. You can’t stand straight. You can’t walk. Every tiny movement sends a spasm through your body.
This is Acute Mechanical Low Back Pain, and it is frightening. Panic sets in—"Have I slipped a disc?", "Will I be paralyzed?", "How will I go to work?"
First: Breathe. While the pain is intense (often 9/10), the actual tissue damage is rarely permanent. Your back has gone into "Lockdown Mode"—a protective muscle spasm designed to stop you from moving.
Here is your Emergency Action Plan from the team at Velca.
Part 1: Immediate First Aid (The First 24 Hours)
1. Find a "Neutral" Position Don't try to force yourself to stand straight.
The Psoas Position: Lie on your back on the floor. Put your legs up on a chair or the couch so your knees and hips are at 90 degrees. This takes the tension off the psoas muscle and the lumbar discs.
1. Keep Moving (Gently) Do NOT stay in bed for 3 days. Bed rest is the enemy. It makes your joints stiffen and your muscles waste away.
Try to walk around the house every hour, even if it’s just for 2 minutes. The movement flushes out the inflammatory chemicals and keeps you moving.
2. Book an appointment with us
The quicker we can start relaxing the tissue, the shorter your recovery will be.
Part 2: How Velca Treating "The Locked Back"
If you are stuck, you need help. We keep emergency slots open for exactly this reason.
The "Emergency" Appointment When you come in acute pain, we don't do a 45-minute gym workout. The initial goal is: Pain Relief and Mobility.
1. The Chiropractic Release If a joint in your back has locked, no amount of massage will fix it. It needs to be opened.
We use mobilization or adjustments to "unlock" the joint.
Note: If you are in too much pain to be cracked, we use the Activator or Blocks (wedges) to gently align you without force.
2. Reducing the Spasm The muscle spasm is often what hurts the most.
Dry Needling: This is magic for acute back spasm. A needle into the multifidus or glute muscle can instantly "reboot" the muscle and stop the spasm.
Soft Tissue Release: Trigger point therapy or massage to calm the muscles.
3. Taping We often apply rigid strapping tape to your lower back. This acts like a temporary brace, giving you the confidence to move.
4. Advice We will instruct you how to move, what to avoid, and most importantly what you should do.
Part 3: Red Flags (When to go to ER)
While we can handle 95% of back pain, there are signs that require immediate hospital attention (Middlemore).
Cauda Equina Signs: Numbness in the saddle area (groin/buttocks) or loss of bladder/bowel control.
Foot Drop: You cannot lift your foot off the ground at all.
Trauma: If this happened after a car crash or a fall from a height, you may have a fracture. Should we be worried, then we will refer you for an x-ray.
Part 4: Prevention (Once the Pain Goes)
The biggest mistake people make? As soon as the pain goes, they stop treatment. Pain relief is not the same as healing. The muscle spasm has gone, but the underlying weakness or joint stiffness that caused the injury is still there.
We will transition you from "Emergency Care" to "Corrective Care"—strengthening your core so that next time you pick up a sock, your back doesn't betray you.
Stuck right now? Call us.
