There are not too many ailments that are more uncomfortable then a pulled back muscle. This usually happens when a back muscle is stretched too far which leaves tears in the muscle. Sooner or later everyone will deal with a pulled back muscle. Franz, due to improper weight training techniques early on, created issues with his back. So he is well aware of the pain involved when someone experiences a pulled back muscle.

But, Franz can also tell you from experience that there are things you can do to alleviate the pain as well as things to try to avoid it happening all together. A pulled back muscle usually heals in a few days with the right care, but lower back pack can be more severe. Either way it is usually created by something that has been coming on for a while. Don't ignore the warning signs!

If you sit all day, exercise improperly, are under a lot of stress, don't drink enough water, or are overweight, you are at a greater risk of developing a pulled back muscle and experiencing frequent lower back pain. When this does occur here's a few things you can try.

As soon as pain is experienced apply a cold pack to the source of the back pain. It can be a cold pack or a bag of ice wrapped in a towel. Ice can be used for as much as twenty minutes at a time but no longer then that. Do this for a few days or if the pain reappears. Applying cold to a pulled back muscle allows the blood vessels near the injury to restrict to reduce swelling and inflammation. Cold also forces more oxygen rich blood to the area that needs vital nutrients in order to heal the injury.

For more subtle back pain, heat is always a good method for pain relief. There are creams you can use, taking hot showers, or using heating pads as easy ways to apply heat to the source of nagging back pain. Franz has found the best heating pad he has used is of the infrared variety. This kind of heat source allows penetration deep into the area of discomfort. Infrared heat can reach several inches into the body to speed relief. As deep heat is applied your back muscles relax and circulation increases in the affected area. For severe pain try twenty minutes of ice and twenty minutes of heat. Do that a few times to relieve severe pain symptoms.

Franz is not a fan of bottled pain killers as most are not natural and they contain too many health risks. So he avoids the pills and uses natural healing methods to deal with his back issues. When pain is really bad, and heat and ice do not provide immediate relief, the essential oil Plai along with a carrier cream has been very effective in providing relief. Franz calls that a natural cure!

The best way to avoid a pulled back muscle and repeated back pain is to stretch your muscles daily. Full body stretches done in a mild manner are great for getting blood to flow to every muscle in your body. Lying on the floor and raising your knees towards your chest is a great stretch for your lower back. There are many more stretches that can be done to help back muscles. Franz likes a fitball as a way to achieve comfortable stretching each day. There are also those that promote yoga as a great way to achieve flexibility and relief from back pain.

If you want to reduce your chances of back pain there are nutritional methods you can try. Avoid inflammatory foods like processed foods, baked goods, soda, fast food, and sweetened box cereals. They can make you more susceptible to back pain. If you eat a clean diet of unprocessed foods you are more likely to avoid back issues caused by inflammation because you will be reducing the source of the inflammation. You also need adequate protein to repair, strengthen and build up muscle tissue. You should also eat omega-3 foods like Alaskan salmon, walnuts, and eggs. And of course, you have to drink enough water each day!

Franz can tell you from experience that if you follow these methods for dealing with a pulled back muscle, you will experience relief and even possibly the event from occurring in the first place. The older you get, the more stress you have in your life, and just general busyness can all lead to back pain unless you take steps to avoid the pain from occurring.