You may be tempted to stay in bed or lay on the sofa, but medical opinion today states very strongly that inactivity and bed rest can make your back worse.

In most cases, back pain will get better on its own. Unless it is severe, it may be best to adapt your work and ease off from the most demanding jobs, or those that are putting most strain on your back.

Of course if your pain is severe, you should visit your GP and may need to take time off work (for more information, visit our Dealing with Doctors section). These tips may also help you:

• Apply alternate warm packs and ice packs to the injured area at, say, 10-minute intervals.
• Keep moving gently, but avoid sudden movements.
• You can try taking painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, available at your local chemists.
• Avoid staying in one position for too long.