What Everybody Should Know… About How To Cure Back Pain
Back pain is common and the largest single cause of sickness absence in the US and UK. It can affect anyone, of any age, but it is more common in people between the ages of 35-55 years. Back pain in adolescents and young adults is commonly attributed to injury resulting from athletic activities. Back pain that occurs after a trauma, such as a car accident or fall, should also be promptly evaluated by a medical professional to check for a fracture or other injury.
The Spine
The bones of the spine are connected to one another by the discs at the front and by the facet joints at the back. The discs help to absorb the normal loads on the spine and, with the facet joints, give the spinal column its flexibility. The nerves of the spinal cord, which connect the brain to the rest of the body, run down a hollow channel in the spine (the spinal canal). Many muscle groups which are responsible for flexing, extending, and rotating the waist, as well as moving the lower extremities, attach to the lumbar spine through tendon insertions. The aorta and blood vessels that transport blood to and from the lower extremities pass in front of the lumbar spine into the abdomen and pelvis. The skin over the lumbar area is supplied by nerves that come from the roots of the lumbar spine.
Over Weight?
If you are overweight you should consider a weight-reducing diet because of the extra strain that your weight puts on your leg joints and back. You will also be advised to stop smoking (as this may be an independent cause of back pain), so you should take extra care to prevent the weight gain that often follows.
During Pregnancy:
During pregnancy your center of gravity will gradually move forward as your uterus and baby grow, which causes your posture to change. Your developing pregnancy and baby create additional weight that your back must support. Stress usually finds the weak spot in the body, and because of the changes in your pelvic area, you may experience an increase in back pain during stressful periods of your pregnancy.
Pain Relief:
Topically applied lidocaine patches (Lidoderm 5% patch) have provided a reduction in pain intensity and pain relief in clinical trials of patients with acute pain. In a small percentage of cases, having a surgeon remove the part of the disc or bone that is irritating a nerve may provide relief. Spinal cord stimulators can help some patients who gain no relief from surgery.
Possible treatments:
Treatment options range from basic rest, ice or heat and gradually resuming activity to medication, exercise, physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, acupuncture and surgery. Not all treatments work for all conditions or for all individuals with the same condition, and many find that they need to try several treatment options to determine what works best for them.
Therapies:
Additional treatments have been more recently reviewed by the Cochrane Collaboration. Massage therapy may benefit some patients. A meta-analysis of studies by the Cochrane Collaboration concluded that heat therapy can reduce symptoms of acute and sub-acute low-back pain. The study found that injection therapy, usually with corticosteroids, does not appear to help regardless of whether the injection is facet joint, epidural or a local injection.
Exercise Solutions:
The evidence indicates that prescribing analgesics, tricyclic antidepressants and muscle relaxants is not the answer; nor is sending the patient for more physiotherapy or manipulative therapy. Many use treatments such as ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation and exercises. The body is built to maintain itself and is capable of much more than we generally realise. Unless you are injured or suffering from disease it will respond if you make the demands. Exercise is a way of telling it that you need those functions.
