As someone who was in a similar situation a few months ago, my first piece of advice: don't ignore what your body is telling you. Take it easy until you make sure you have healed sufficiently. I was having pain like you described. I kept lifting my kids and playing golf. Unfortunately, the end result was a badly herniated disk and emergency back surgery.
Vickie can give more complete details, but from my recent adventures in physical therapy, the key to taking care of your back is to avoid stressing it in the first place. Rather than making your back so strong that it can take any load*, the goal is to strengthen your "core" muscles (most notably the abs) and learn proper body mechanics so the load is carried in more suitable places.
Lou
*virtually impossible given the force that we are able to place on our backs
Hybrid Mode
