"My back is killing me!" We've all heard or said this at least once. Back pain is epidemic. It causes missed days at work, interruption of lifestyle and general grumpiness if it persists too long.

There are different kinds of back pain. For those who have visited a doctor but have not been diagnosed as having a chronic problem, intermittent, nagging pain is usually self-treated by lying in bed, watching TV for a few days. The pain will go away for awhile. It usually comes back. So, what can you do for yourself if you are lying in bed with back pain?

First of all -- get up and walk around. Propping yourself up on pillows in bed to watch TV or read will only make your back worse. The curve in your back while lying in bed that way strains your spine and lower back muscles. Go to bed for your back pain only if it is so severe that you can't function. While in bed, lie flat, put a heating pad on your back and a pillow under your knees. If you lie on your side, put the pillow between your legs. You should normally not stay in bed for more than two days. That will give you just as much relief as staying in bed a week, in most cases.

Take 800 mg of ibuprofen three times a day or 1,000 mg of acetaminophen (the cheap, over-the-counter generics work just as well) four times a day. If the pain is severe, you can take both at the same time. Get up and walk around periodically. If the pain persists or worsens, or if you feel a shooting pain going down your leg to below your knee, see your doctor.

If misery loves company, take comfort that eight of ten adults have low back pain. Only two percent ever require surgery. Most episodes end within a couple of weeks.

The following factors will increase your risk of back pain:

• Heavy lifting (so wear a back brace)
• Lifting while twisting, bending forward or reaching
• Sitting for long periods of time. If you didn't "throw your back out" while lifting, your problem is probably coming from sitting for long periods at work.

Preventing Back Pain

Here are some things you can do to help decrease your incidence of lower back problems.

At Home

• Do back exercises, take walks, swim or use a stationary bike.
• Bend your knees when lifting rather than bending at the waist.
• Do back-strengthening exercises.

At Work

• Make sure your desk or work area is at a comfortable height.
• Get a chair with good lower back support.
• Rest your feet on a low stool.

In the Car

• Put a small pillow or rolled-up towel in the small of your back.
• Adjust your seat to relieve tension on long drives.
• Take breaks, get out and stretch -- especially your hamstrings.

The good news is that most people grow out of this problem by the age of sixty as their activity decreases and the back bones fuse together. Until then, prevention is the key.