How Long Does It Take for Low Back Pain to Go Away?

So did you just happen to move or twist the wrong way, and now you’re getting some bad signals from your low back that something might be wrong? You’ve got stuff to do, life doesn’t wait and you need to know how long does it take for lower back pain to go away?

Stay tuned, because we’re going to answer this and much more!

Hey everyone, Dr. Rowe here at SpineCare in St. Joseph, MI. 

So if you’re watching this video, it must mean that you’re going through some back pain. Fortunately, you’re not alone. Lower back pain today is as common as the common cold. In fact, studies show that at least 15% of individuals report that they are experiencing some degree of low back pain at this very moment.

The amount of time needed to heal is going to depend on the severity of the condition itself, obviously a minor issue is going to heal much faster than a serious one. So I’m going to start at the minor issues and work towards the major issues. 

Minor issues would include a slight to moderate sprain and/or sprain of the lower back. Usually it’s from doing something you’re not supposed to, like lifting an object that’s too heavy or putting a lot of strenuous activity on the back. This is where the spinal joint ligaments, tendons, and muscles become irritated and inflamed. So if you have the classic pulled muscle in the back, this is where you’d want to pay attention. 

When muscle tightens up, it decreases the range of motion of the back, effectively locking it down. We call this muscle guarding. It’s a self-defense mechanism, so you’re less likely to damage the area any further. 

This is a perfect time to do stretches for the lower back, and if you need some good examples, I’ll leave a link in this video’s description to a video I’ve done that gives some really simple, effective stretches for the low back.

So light activity is key, such as walking to keep the muscles and joints moving. Do not think that bed rest will help it. Inactivity will cause the muscles to tighten up and become more stiff. That’s why being in a position for too long and having to move isn’t the best feeling.

Stretches are a great place to start if you want to lessen the effects of a sprain or strain, and after the initial inflammation goes down (usually 48 hours after the onset pain) you can combine heat over the area for 15 minutes to help decrease tightness even more.

You can also speed up recovery by doing conservative treatments such as chiropractic adjustments and massage therapy. 

If you’re in this spot, the prognosis is usually good. A lot of back injuries are just minor, and if treated properly, are likely to repair and heal quickly. On average, 50% of lower back pain episodes will resolve within two weeks, and 80% by six weeks.

Major issues, unfortunately, are a whole different can of worms. These would include conditions like disc bulges, disc herniations, nerve pinches, sciatica, and spinal fractures.

In a lot of cases, sciatica that’s caused by an irritated lumbar disc may heal on its own over the course of two to four weeks. Again, stretching is a great idea to help lessen tension on the sciatic nerve to promote healing.

If you’ve been diagnosed with a herniated disc, and it was said to not require surgery, then in most cases it’s going to require several weeks to heal. The average amount of time usually falls between 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the severity of the herniation. 

More severe issues, like disc herniations and spinal fractures that require surgery, it will take even longer to fully recover. It’s important to follow the recommendations of your doctor or healthcare provider. They should be able to discuss with you the process of recovery, and how long it will take in better detail.  

So if you’re dealing with lower back pain, a good place to start is with stretches, and make sure to check out that video I mentioned earlier if you need some good examples! Heat therapy may also help lessen tight, nagging muscles and get you moving around easier.

If you’re looking to speed up the process of recovery, then for sure get the low back looked at by your local chiropractor or doctor. Chiropractic care and physical therapy have a great track record on quickly getting relief from non-surgical spinal issues.

So I hope this helps answer some of your questions about how long it takes for low back pain to go away. If you do have any more questions that you’d like me to help answer, feel free to leave them in the comments section below. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

Thanks for watching!