Treating Back Pain and Spinal Issues Related to COVID-19 Infection

Understanding Back Pain as a COVID Symptom

Body aches stand among the most common covid lower back pain symptoms. For many suffering long-term COVID effects,back pain resulting from inflammation or inactivity persists for months.

Common Causes of COVID Back Pain

Several factors explain why over half of COVID patients experience back pain:

• Inflammation - Cytokine immune responses generate widespread inflammation aggravating back muscles and joints
• Poor posture - Bed rest from fatigue encourages poor posture placing strain on the spine
• Inactivity - Sedentary pandemic lifestyles and being bedridden lead to tight, weak back muscles
• Stress and anxiety - Mental strain translates to physical tension in back muscles

Back Pain in Mild vs Severe Cases

During early infection, mild cases tend to experience general muscle soreness resembling flu aches. In severe cases requiring hospitalization, prone positioning for improved oxygen circulation strains the lower back.

After recovering, those with lingering long COVID symptoms more often cite chronic back pain. Theories suggest ME/CFS issues with cellular metabolism after viral clearance hinder muscle tissue healing.

Treating Acute Back Discomfort During COVID

For mild cases weathering COVID-19 at home, plenty of proven techniques exist for alleviating back pain without medication.

Rest and Hydrate

As with any illness, physical rest allows your body to direct energy toward fighting infection rather than daily activity. Laying down evenly distributes body weight to minimize spinal compression and strain.

Hydrating well provides vital nutrients for tissue repair while preventing painful muscle cramps and spasms. Drink water and electrolyte beverages like sports drinks or coconut water.

Apply Heat

Heat therapy boosts blood flow to soothe covid lower back pain from muscular tightness or joint inflammation. Options include hot packs, heating pads on low settings, or warm baths prior to bed.

Try Gentle Stretches

While vigorous activity remains off the table, gentle stretches like knee hugging, pelvic tilts, and glute squeezes ease tension. Hold stretches for at least 30 seconds without bouncing for optimal effect.

Use caution stretching inflamed muscles which are more vulnerable to tears. Stop immediately if any stretch causes sharp or radiating pain.

Consider Over-the-Counter Medications

For many battling COVID, over-the-counter NSAIDs like ibuprofen or acetaminophen provide sufficient back pain relief. More severe nerve-related sciatica pain may require prescription gabapentin.

Research dose limits and contraindications before self-medicating. Those recovering from severe COVID often receive prescriptions for stronger analgesic pain relievers.

Physical Therapy for Post-COVID Back Pain

After testing negative for infection, incorporating physical therapy serves as the gold standard for reversing chronic COVID back pain and dysfunction.

Choosing the Right Physical Therapist

Seeking out specialists familiar with long COVID proves vital. The unique fatigue and exercise intolerance patterns with post-COVID syndromes require expertise to navigate.

Erring on the gentle side, physical therapists design gradual exercise programs preventing post-exertional crashes. This means avoiding overtiring activities which could worsen fatigue and pain longer-term.

Common Physical Therapy Approaches

Targeted stretching, gentle aerobic activity, and core strengthening represent pillar components of most post-COVID rehab programs.

As energy levels allow, therapists tailor home exercise routines to rebuild coordination, flexibility, strength, and cardio endurance. They also provide assistive equipment like back braces as needed.

Energy Envelope Principles

Crucial for ME/CFS patients, energy envelopes define safe activity limits avoiding triggering debilitating fatigue and pain. As work capacity improves, the envelope expands to allow more vigorous exertion.

Therapists coach patients on monitoring symptoms, establishing baseline tolerances, and gradually increasing activity. This pacing approach prevents post-exertional relapse while progressing at realistic, sustainable rates.

Lifestyle Changes to Prevent Chronic Back Pain

Alongside professional physical rehab, those recovering from COVID can integrate lifestyle changes to reduce recurring back pain flare-ups.

Improve Ergonomics

How individuals sit, stand, and move daily matters tremendously for spinal health. Therapists often recommend new chairs, standing desks, supportive mattresses, and techniques to improve posture and mechanics.

Poor ergonomics like hunching over a laptop all day stresses back muscles. Making simple adjustments lightens this cumulative burden that aggravates joint inflammation.

Lose Extra Weight

Studies clearly link obesity with more severe COVID outcomes and higher post-infection disability rates. Focusing on safe, maintainable weight loss relieves mechanical stress on the spine to ease covid lower back pain.

Consult doctors before undertaking intensive dieting with nutritional deficiencies that could hamper recovery. Gentle aerobic activity also assists gradual fat loss over time.

Practice Stress-Relief Techniques

Addressing pandemic-related anxiety and depression remains imperative for holistic post-COVID healing. Psychological anguish manifests physically by tensing muscles which strains the back.

Relaxation strategies like diaphragmatic breathing, mindfulness, yoga, and cognitive behavioral therapy help calm the mind-body connection. This reduces subconscious muscular tension aggravating spinal dysfunction.

Seeking Help for Persistent Post-COVID Back Pain

For those struggling with severe chronic back pain months post-infection, additional clinical interventions may provide relief where lifestyle changes fall short.

Medications to Reduce Inflammation

Prescription anti-inflammatory drugs like corticosteroids directly target sources of chronic musculoskeletal inflammation and neuropathy.

However, doctors reserve these only for serious pain unresponsive to other conservative rehab methods due to potential side effects with longer-term use.

Spinal Injections

Receiving epidural steroid injections represents a common intervention for stubborn radicular back and leg pain among long haulers.

Injecting corticosteroids around irritated spinal nerves reduces local inflammation pressing on nerve roots. While not curative, injections offer temporary pain relief lasting a few months typically.

Talk Therapy

Psychological counseling aids the recovery process by identifying maladaptive thought patterns contributing to heightened pain perception and disability levels.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, for instance, provides tools for addressing unhelpful thoughts worsening pain while promoting healthy behaviors and coping skills.

Achieving Relief from COVID Back Discomfort

Among long COVID's myriad health impacts, back pain from inflammation and inactivity affects over 50% of those infected. From gentle stretches to aerobic reconditioning to ergonomic adjustments, tailored rehabilitation programs help mitigate chronic spinal dysfunction.

Pacing activity to stay within manageable energy limits ensures gradual recovery without triggering symptom relapses. With expert post-COVID guidance, most regain robust back health and performance goals within several months.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.