06/16/2026
🚨 Q: What should you do when your back suddenly "locks up"?
A: First, DON'T reach for the heating pad.
When acute low back pain strikes, the right steps can help calm things down and prevent worsening while you wait to be seen.
✅ Rest in positions that relieve the pain. Lying on your back with your knees bent or elevated on pillows, or on your side with a pillow between your knees, often helps.
✅ Use ice for 20 minutes at a time to reduce inflammation. Always place a towel between the ice pack and your skin.
✅ Skip the electric heating pad. It often aggravates acute back pain. Moist heat, warm baths, or hot showers are usually better options if they feel good. Alternating ice and heat may help.
✅ Keep moving with short, gentle walks if tolerated.
✅ Avoid prolonged sitting, driving, or standing.
✅ Avoid lifting, bending, twisting, or any movement that increases your pain.
✅ Gentle stretching is okay if it feels good.
✅ Drink plenty of water.
✅ Ask us about Formula 303, a natural muscle-relaxing supplement that may help ease muscle tension without causing drowsiness.
Most importantly: don't try to "tough it out."
The sooner acute back pain is evaluated, the sooner you can start recovering—and the less likely a small problem becomes a bigger one.
Research has shown that people who seek chiropractic care first for low back pain are less likely to progress to more invasive treatments, including surgery, compared with those who begin care with some other providers.
📅 If your back has locked up, don't wait days or weeks hoping it will go away. Call us today and let's get you on the road to recovery.
