Various types of discomfort come with a cough. These include fever, chills, breathing difficulties, and soreness of the throat. And if you are coughing a lot, you may also suffer from another kind of possibly debilitating pain: backache.

If you have a persistent cough with phlegm, incessant coughing may cause you to suffer from lower back pain. This is because when you hack, there is increased pressure within the spinal canal. Since your back muscles hold your spine in place, this pressure causes low back pain.

Although this particular symptom is not common for everyone with a cough, people who have weak back muscles or back-related injuries are more likely to suffer from it.

Backache is one of the worst symptoms of coughing. You will feel different levels of pain in your lower back that can sometimes even spread to your hips and legs whenever you cough. If you hack several times an hour, you will be in a world of hurt throughout the day as well.

Protecting Your Back When You Have a Cough

There are simple ways to reduce and even avoid back pain when you cough. These tips include:

1. Avoid hunching forward when coughing

When coughing, do not bend forward. If you do, you end up rounding your back, which puts stress on your spine. This will cause pain in your back area.

To lessen the pressure on the spinal discs and avoid discomfort, maintain a natural arch in your back when you cough. Keep your shoulders down to help your body relax as well.

You can also prevent your spine from compressing by putting your hand down on a flat surface like a table or counter whenever you cough.

1. Get more rest

Getting enough rest is vital if you are sick. However, if you have already taken several days off from work and you can’t afford to take more, try to get as much of a break as you can from the activities that often cause or aggravate your back pain.

This means taking a break from lifting heavy furniture or boxes, playing golf, and even working out temporarily.

Additionally, to protect your back, lie down only for a few hours at a time. Avoid doing so for more than two straight days as well.

Lastly, when lying down on your back or side, support your knees with a pillow.

1. Use a lumbar chair support

If you suffer from back pain whether you have a cough or not, consider getting a lumbar chair or pillow to use at home or the office.

By using a lumbar chair or support pillow or mesh, the strain on the lower spine is reduced whenever you are sitting down. This, in turn, will prevent stiffness and pain in your lower back.

Lumbar chair support is excellent for supporting your back while sitting down. The long-term use of these ergonomic products can also correct your poor posture, which may be responsible for your back problems.

If you spend a lot of time driving, you will also do well to get a lumbar pillow or mesh for your car seat.

1. Apply a cold pack on your lower back

Cold therapy is a proven effective technique for alleviating pain and inflammation. By applying a cold pack on the aching area, the blood vessels constrict or narrow and the muscles contract better. These actions stop the swelling and reduce pain signals.

When your cough is causing you backaches, you can use cold therapy both as a preventive and pain relief technique. To get the most from this remedy, apply an ice pack on your lower back for 15 to 30 minutes at a time as often as you need.

However, make sure you don’t apply the ice pack on parts of your back that you suspect have muscle knots or muscle spasms since cold sensations can worsen these types of pain.

1. Use a back brace

Lastly, back braces help soothe and alleviate recurring lower back pain caused by strain and sprains.  They do so by stabilizing your back and relieving the stress on your spine.

By wearing a back brace while you are coughing, you will reduce the likelihood of you hunching forward whenever you hack. It will help keep your back straight regardless of your position as well, whether you are coughing or not.

If you are buying a back brace, make sure to select one that will enable you to move, work, and exercise without feeling uncomfortable. Additionally, pick one that fits your body securely so that it does not bunch or slip.

Treating your cough is crucial to avoid more back pain. As such, make sure you take the right mucus medicine for adults to overcome this ailment as soon as possible.