How to Treat Back Spasms

Back spasms send many people to the doctor and emergency room each year to deal with the excruciating pain and sometimes fear. While serious medical conditions can cause back spasms, a herniated disc or sports injury for example, often it results from muscle misuse and/or sedentary living.

Things You'll Need

• Ice pack
• Heating pad
• Chair
• Pillows
• Physician recommendations

Treat back spasms with cold initially, such as a ice pack, to limit swelling and blood flow, both which produce increased pain following an injury. Cold may help for future muscle spasms as well, especially if a heating pad fails to provide relief. Otherwise, switch to a heating pad and use this on the surrounding muscles if the back spasms continue.

Rest as much as possible during the first two to three days, if needed, to allow the muscle injury to heal. Try to maintain some mobility, however, unless directed otherwise. Though painful, walking a minute or two several times a day will help prevent other muscles from tightening due to disuse.

Elevate your legs to treat back spasms and take pressure off of the back. The best position for many sufferers is to lie on the floor with knees bent at a 90-degree angle and the lower legs resting on a chair seat. Other measures include elevating the legs on pillows or placing the feet on a foot stool while sitting, elevating the knees above the pelvis. Poor pelvic alignment can make one more susceptible to back spasms.

Talk to your physician or pharmacist about over-the-counter medications that you can take to treat back spasms. Most patients will do best with an anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen or naproxen, but some individuals may be directed to take aspirin or acetaminophen. If medical treatment is sought additional medications such as muscle relaxers may be recommended.

Try gentle back and leg stretching exercises designed for back strain as you improve, unless this aggravates the back pain. One effective exercise involves laying on the floor with the knees bent and the soles of the feet placed on the floor. Grab a knee and pull it gently towards the chest, hold for five to 10 seconds and release to the original position, then switch to the other knee. Repeat five to 10 times on each side. Note that exercise is best started some days into the healing process, when pain is less severe, or when the doctor recommends.

Use distraction and relaxation techniques to treat back spasms and reduce suffering. Whether it is meditation or reading, keeping your mind off of the back pain can help you relax, breathe effectively and promote healing.

How to Measure Body Fat for Women

The best measure of whether or not you are in shape is not necessarily your weight. With daily fluctuations from water retention or water loss through diuretics (alcohol and coffee), the best way to gauge how fit you are is by calculating your body fat. Unlike men, women have a few more calculations to make in order to get an accurate reading.

Tips

1. Get on the scale and weigh yourself. Write down this number.

2. Take Measurements. For women, there are four measurements needed to obtain an accurate number. First, measure your wrist circumference at its widest point. Then measure your waist circumference around your belly button. Next, measure your hip circumference at its widest point.
Finally, measure your forearm circumference at its widest point.

3. Perform the following calculations:
a) Multiply your body weight by .732. Write down this number.
b) Add the above result to 8.987. Write down this number.
c) Divide your wrist circumference by 3.14. Write down this number
d) Multiply your waist measurement by .157. Write down this number.
e) Multiply your hip measurement by .249. Write down this number.
f) Multiply your forearm measurement by .434. Write down this number.

3. From Step 3, add results b + c. This will give you a new measurement which we will call g.
Subtract d-f. This will give you a new measurement which we will call h. Now subtract e-h. This will give you a new result which we will call i. Add f+i and this will give you result j, or your lean body mass.

5. From Step 4, subtract j-a. Take that number and multiply it by 100. Finally divide that number by your total body weight. This number is your body fat percentage.