While bending over to pick a rather heavy box up I felt (and heard) a ripping sound. Much pain ensued and over the course of several hours my back became stiff and painful to the point of being unable to stand fully erect. What happened and should I see a doctor? --Spineless

Since the pain occurred after lifting something heavy, you need to ask yourself the following questions:

• Does the pain prevent you from moving OR does the pain shoot down one leg? If the answer is yes, this could be sciatica, which is caused by the compression of lumbar nerve roots. If this is the case, you definitely need to see a physician.
• Is the pain mainly in the small of your back and not spreading elsewhere? If yes, you probably have low back pain as the result of strain. Strain is a tearing or stretching of muscle fibers, causing bleeding into the damaged area of the muscle. Treatment consists of applying an ice pack to the affected area to reduce swelling, and then resting for at least 48 hours. Analgesics or aspirin may be taken to reduce the pain. After resting the muscle, it is worth taking some precautions to prevent shortening of the muscle, and/or risk further injury.

Tips to reduce strain on the back:

• Don't push a heavy object in front with straight arms. Do push backward so that the strain is taken by the legs instead.
• Don't slouch when sitting. Instead sit up straight with your spine resting against the chair back.
• Don't lift with straight legs and curved back. Do lift with the back straight and knees bent, which transfers the work to your legs.

Alice

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