Preventing back and body pain — you can help

Back and body pain may be reduced or avoided by eating a proper diet, managing weight, and increasing muscle flexibility and strength through exercise and physical conditioning. Even low-impact physical activities, such as walking or swimming, may help increase strength, flexibility, and endurance.

Some tips to promote back and body health and help prevent injury:

• Maintain good posture when sitting and standing
• Use your legs to lift heavy objects
• Carry heavy objects close to your body, and turn with your legs and not your waist to change direction
• Maintain a healthy body weight. Excess weight can tax the body's muscles, especially the back muscles
• Sleep on your side with bent knees. Consult your doctor about how firm your mattress should be

Acute back or body pain usually stops on its own or with self-treatment.

Treating back and body pain — some suggestions:

Get plenty of rest, but don't stop moving. Especially with back pain, prolonged bed rest can actually make the condition worse. Generally, light activity can help speed recovery.

• Cold/heat treatment — apply ice or a cold compress to the affected area for 15-20 minutes several times a day until spasms and acute pain subside. Then apply warm, moist heat (such as hot compresses or warm baths) to loosen tight muscles
• Pain relievers — over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen or aspirin can be effective treatments for individuals with back and body pain. Excedrin^® Back & Body contains two ingredients (acetaminophen and buffered asprin) in one powerful medicine to relieve pain and block pain.

Talk to your doctor when pain is severe, persistent, or does not respond to self-treatment. He or she may recommend any number of treatments, ranging from acupuncture and chiropractic care to prescription medicine and surgery.

Sometimes, medication is more effective in treating back and body pain when combined with other forms of treatment. If you have questions or concerns about your pain and how to treat it, consult your doctor.