like my friend who went last night, like me seemingly every year, the cause was a muscle spasm. i've had back episodes that were painful, but not a huge deal, and i've had some where i couldn't take a deep breath because of the pain. the answer for me has always been the same: ibuprofen/methocarbamol tablets, ice, time. the first few days the worst, trying to find ways to shimmy out of bed or get off the couch or out of a chair. it slowly gets better. i can start to introduce gentle yoga stretching. after 2-3 weeks, basically back to normal.
i'm really feeling it for my friend right now, though, because this is on top of his regular, chronic knee pain. a guy who works a physical job. he's going to need to take some time off. they'll be okay, but everything comes hard for a bit: walking the dogs, making meals, even getting on and off the toilet.
why are (lower) backs such delicate, shitty things?