This is a very common presentation of back pain in the “Not-quite-broken, yet” category. We’ve all heard the old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” It is possible at this point of back trouble that the pain may go away, but that doesn’t mean the problem is fixed. If it came on with no warning or with very little aggravation, it will likely come again if nothing else changes. However next time it could be much worse.
The first time you suffer mild damage to a muscle or joint, you may only feel pain at certain points of strain or levels of exertion. Sitting or walking may be fine, but only certain positions or movements are painful. Believe it or not, changing from sitting to standing causes a great deal of strain on the lower spine. Normally, if all joints are moving smoothly and the muscles are in good tone, there would likely be no pain getting up. But, if some of your joints are stiff and a few muscles have gone into a mild spasm, it will usually hurt getting up from a chair. To make things worse, it feels fine while you are sitting, but don’t get too comfortable since the longer you sit, the more sore it will be when you do get up.
What do you do if this happens to you? Several things can help. Generally you should avoid the pain, release the tension, and then rebuild your strength. Don’t keep straining your back by getting up the same old way. Learn to slide forward in the chair and keep your back straight while you get up, trying to avoid leaning forward. Find those tense areas, muscles and joints and do some stretches or press on the trigger points if you can. If this doesn’t help, see a Chiropractor and/or massage therapist for more complete correction of the problem. When the pain has settled down so that you can get up from a chair without pain, then you should start a routine to strengthen your lower back, stomach, and hips as well.
By the way, taking drugs may relieve the pain, temporarily, but they do not heal the problem and do nothing to prevent it from recurring.