Here is something I’ve seen a lot of lately. Whether it’s from a fall, a poor chair, or “I don’t know”. The pain is technically in the lower back, but it’s at the side, between the lower ribcage and the upper hip (pelvis) bone. It is possible to bruise this area by hitting it when you fall, but it may also come after straining your lumbar spine (lower back). This is something that happens all the time and can be caused by anything from poor posture, sitting in a bad chair, to heavy or repetitive lifting, or falling.
Our first goal is to determine where the pain is coming from and then what tissues we can work on to bring relief. Often this involves some restricted joints, especially between the vertebrae but also tense muscles that may have knots or trigger points. Both can be released by adjustments for the restricted vertebrae and muscle release techniques for the muscles. Either way, a Chiropractor is perfectly suited to find the cause of the problem and begin the healing process right from the start.
Exercise is encouraged to loosen up the area at first. It may be helpful to use ice for 15 minutes per hour as well. After the pain has settled some, it would be time to strengthen the muscles around the area. This would include core, as well as side-sit-ups, leg-lifts, or planks. The biggest caution with exercise is timing. People often feel they need to do some exercises to help, but if done too soon, they can definitely aggravate the condition. Generally, a little discomfort is OK, but if there is a lot of pain after the exercise, you likely did it too soon.