Chronic Back Pain Treatment
Chronic Pain is defined as pain that occurs frequently or persists longer than six months. It is estimated that chronic back pain affects nearly one out of ten Americans. Chronic pain has been known to disappear over time, but it can also last a lifetime as there is presently no known cure for it.
Once you have chronic back pain for any reason you shortly come to realize that you’ll more than likely be living with it the rest of your life. There is exercises you will be able to do to help strengthen parts of your back and fight pain but the fact is when the weather changes, or there has been a drop in the barometrical pressure, your back pain will flare up and remind you that you’re still injured and all the physical exercise in the world isn’t going to help.
Persistent backaches are often a lifelong problem. You can do exercises to strengthen your back and reduce the effects somewhat, but when the weather changes or the barometer drops, there will be a flare up. It’s as if your back is reminding you of your injury and that there is nothing you can do to eliminate the pain entirely.
Effects of Chronic Lower Back Pain
Performing the normal daily activities become a little difficult, whether you are unable to step into a tub shower without assistance, or unable to carry groceries, the pain can turn you into an invalid even though you don’t look like anything is wrong. Chronic pain is also associated with depression, which can in turn make it worse. Severe symptoms may affect mood and sexuality, although the effects are different for everybody.
The effects can also be a result of previous injury that was not properly treated and healed, or it can be an ongoing problem, some examples being fibromyalgia, herniated disc (untreated), and severe arthritis.
Causes of Chronic Lower Back Pain
Most people that are suffering from chronic low back pain got started with this condition after some type of accident.
This includes:
- Injuries that occurred at work
- Injuries that occurred as a result of a motor vehicle accident
- Sport and moving injuries
It should also be noted that chronic back pain, especially if it is on the left side or hip region could indicate the presence of colon cancer. Therefore, you may want to have a full abdominal workup, as well as spinal studies to make sure you aren’t dealing with some type of tumour.
As always it’s important to seek medical advice as soon as possible and allow the doctor to evaluate your condition first. During the evaluation of chronic back pain, your doctor can rule out any injuries or disease processes that could place you at risk for further injury if not treated or addressed. Getting clarification of the diagnosis is a key step in creating a pain management or treatment program that will work for you.
Chronic Back Pain Treatment Includes Exercise
Painkillers form a part of most chronic back pain treatment programs. Other options include exercise, manual therapy such as chiropractic or massage therapy, and acupuncture. Spinal fusion surgery is generally only recommended if all other treatment options have been tried and nothing else helps.
The best way to get relief from your pain and gain practical knowledge could be to chat with friends suffering from same problems since a long time. Most of such patients have tried various methods and can tell you some of the effective ones. But you should ensure that both of you suffer from the same ailment otherwise that treatment can even harm you more than you can imagine.
There are different kinds of treatments that doctors use. One of the most common is the adjustment and manipulation treatments. It is a process that uses pressure on certain parts of the spine or joint that is causing you pain. This can help to relieve the stress placed in joints, and help them to function properly.
Back pain, or any pain, is your body telling you that you need to rest. Pain indicates that all is not well, and your body needs time to repair. A healthy body will be able to repair many pains with adequate rest and no other treatment.
The back muscles in the human body are really strong and are naturally meant to take a lot of strain. But there is a limit to everything. Reaching beyond that limit can cause the back muscles to cramp up painfully and get inflamed, causing the chronic back pain. You can only strain your body so much and no more. I In several cases, rest can cure back pain, e.g. if it is acquired while jogging or playing. But in the case of trucking, the truck drivers sit in the same position and do the same thing, every day of their working life. Truckers also usually are on the road and don’t get to their homes often enough to seek treatment.
Another treatment method includes eating healthy. It is important to make sure you get all of your vitamins and minerals. Try to eat healthy food as much as you can. You see, simple things, such as losing weight and eating healthy may be all you need to do to get rid of that chronic back pain.
So there you have, ways that can help you alleviate back pain; you may take Advil or other pain relievers, exercise and do some stretching, choose a relaxing spa treatment or simply use a heat therapy product such as Back Wrap.
Causes And Treatment Of Chronic Back Pain
Back pain, particularly chronic back pain, can become a lifelong problem for some people. While back pain is common and will affect over 90% of Americans at some point, chronic back pain is another story. Lasting for months and frequently years, it affects not only mobility, but your everyday life activities.
Remember that back pain itself is not a condition, but rather a symptom of a much larger problem, and should be treated as such. The only way to relieve the symptom is to treat the cause. Causes of back pain are numerous and varied. It may be the result of sudden trauma to the back, through a fall or an automobile accident.
Maybe you lifted something that was too heavy, or you lifted it using the wrong technique. In many cases, back pain is simply the result of changes to our bodies brought on by age. The spinal discs, which cushion the vertebrae, begin to slowly lose fluid, resulting in unnecessary pressure on nerve endings and accompanying discomfort.
Chronic back pain may also be the result of other problems such as bulging or herniated discs, a condition where disc cartilage bulges into the space occupied by the spinal cord or spinal nerves.
Sciatica is another cause. This is the irritation of the sciatic nerve which runs from the lower back down through the back of the legs. It may also be accompanied by numbness or tingling.
Whatever the cause, lowest back pain can be treated through a number of techniques; usually non-invasive, conservative forms of treatment. Ice and heat, while not scientifically accepted forms of treatment, usually do provide a measure of relief from inflammation, swelling, and pain.
Bed rest is recommended, but only in small doses, too much can backfire, with muscles weakening, the pain not improving, and recovery time extended considerably. Exercise and medications are usually prescribed to treat both acute and chronic low back pain. In some cases, injections and surgery may be the last option for relieving chronic back pain.
Chronic Back Pain Therapy
A single of the most widespread health-related complaints in our modern day culture is back ache. Luckily for all those who endure from this malady there are a selection of therapies obtainable that can deal with just about any type of back difficulty.
The therapy for acute back discomfort is normally something that acts swiftly to alleviate the soreness and hold it from returning. The objective of any therapy routine is to eradicate the suffering. Any treatment needs to be continued as long as prescribed even if the soreness no longer exists. This is to endure that the difficulty triggering the ache is fixed. It is also important to incorporate way of life alterations that will hold back pain from reoccurring.
The quality of daily life for men and women with chronic back ache is generally not very good. It can be a life of ache drugs and doctors’ appointments seeking for relief. Sadly lumbar pain can severely impair a person’s capacity to complete their everyday duties. For numerous people this type of soreness can lead to depression.
A single of the very first items you will want to do is find a medical doctor or therapist who specializes in back injuries. This kind of medical professional will be capable to come up with a therapy plan that will operate to relieve and cure your back soreness.
The very first point that will need to be completed to acquire the proper back ache treatment is to get the proper diagnosis. You want to make certain the therapy fits the problem due to the fact it can be caused by any variety of things including muscle spasms, nerve issues, slipped disks, or herniated disks to identify a number of. Successful treatment is contingent on being aware of what the trigger of the issue is.
Therapy can be begun as soon as the trigger of the ache has been identified. While many individuals could try a a single pronged method it is better to include a assortment of treatment options that will help velocity the healing approach. These therapies could consist of a blend of chiropractic care, bodily therapy, ache management, tension reduction, and very good nutrition.
For these who even now fail to find relief from the much more standard therapies available there is the selection of surgery. Surgical treatment need to in no way be a first option when it comes to repairing a bad back, but if nothing at all else operates it is a selection that needs to be regarded quite cautiously. Back surgical treatment is an incredibly invasive process that can assist relieve persistent discomfort but the recovery time can get months and even many years in some situations.
Gaining control back above everyday existence is the ultimate objective of any back soreness treatment. Residing in constant soreness generates emotions of hopelessness and disappointment that is often underestimated by individuals who do not endure its effects.
Chronic Back Pain Relief And Causes
Psychosomatic and social factors may also play an important role. Chronic headache or back pain without a clearly identifiable cause is widespread. Often these are mental stress such as too much stress and tension. Traumatic experiences such as a bad accident or serious illness can cause chronic pain.
In the worst case, it may result from the chronic pain and does develop an independent pain disease. Far-reaching impact on the lives of those affected is then inevitable. The treatment often proves difficult and extensive.
Prevention of chronic pain
Since there are many different kinds of chronic pain, it is difficult to establish general recommendations for prevention. Generally, however, find that relaxation-enhancing measures and a balanced diet and lifestyle are always helpful. It is important to create a balance to stressful situations to prevent chronic pain.
Moderate exercise and sufficient time for recovery and regeneration are here beneficial. Activities and situations where the person feels comfortable are helpful means for chronic pain. This could, for example be, reading a great book, a long walk or a social evening with friends. Also, a pampering spa weekend with copious program can be very beneficial for chronic pain.
People should not suffer from mental stress, do not hesitate to take as long as possible for professional assistance to complete. Only then can the risk be minimized if the pain develops into chronic pain of a complex nature, take care of this illness. Without adequate treatment inevitably the effect is a vicious cycle of fear and pain. Generally it is advisable to go in expedient time to get into medical treatment, when the pain threatens to become chronic.
Massage for chronic pain
Massage can be used as measures to alleviate chronic pain, especially chronic back pain and headaches. Example, they are frequently used in migraine with success. Massages are but in fact almost any kind of chronic pain.
A massage always causes a physical relaxation. And relaxation can contribute not only to relieve pain but overall well being. It helps those affected not to suffer the chronic pain and be in a better position to handle it.
For chronic back pain often, reflexology may work, massaging the feet. Here it is assumed that every internal organ in the body has a kind of outward correspondence from the body to surface area. In this way, the painful body part of the reflex arc can be directly addressed. Also known as acupressure and traditional massage, it is widely used for chronic pain. The latter is particularly suitable for muscle pain.
Yoga for Chronic Back Pain Relief
Research conducted about the effects of yoga as effective chronic back pain relief, has revealed a record high reduction in the intensity and severity of the low back pain experienced by some victims. The absolute reliance on pharmaceutical medications is also lessened since yoga is said to be effective in creating balance in the body through different form physical exercises, specialized diet that can promote the body’s strength, fitness and flexibility.
Prolotherapy
This is the type of treatment that is often recommended to chronic back pain victims that has started recovering from the back injury. It is medically explained that distressed or damaged ligaments take time to be heal thereby, bringing about immense pain. The treatment involves injections of a liquid solution that can catalyze the natural healing process by repairing the tendons and those soft tissues of the ligaments.
This method of Chronic Back Pain therapy is said to be highly efficient because it actually resolve the root causes of the back pain disorder.
In addition, professors at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland issued statements that the traditional advice of bed rest for minimum of three days with a board support under the mattress can actually make a patient’s back to be more complicated. Instead of lying in bed for a prolonged period of time, going back to their usual normal routine offers them a better choice and that may even keep the back area well conditioned and more stronger.
However, an individual should be very careful and stop in case some postures or movements trigger the initial Chronic Back Pain. The quality advice offered by the Medical experts at Oregon Health & Science University was that a non-physical state of activity will only worsen the pain and cannot be said to be an effective method of Chronic Back Pain relief.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a form of treatment through the release of natural pain-relieving opioids that can relax that affected parts of the nervous system. Opioids by the way are substances that contain opium – naturally produced by the brain and released to the lymphatic system.
Ways To Help Control Chronic Pain
Certainly these are not going to suit everyone and are not a substitute for pain medication, and although not ‘ground-breaking’ I hope that they will be of use to you in dealing with your pain and everything that comes with it.
Try To Accept Your Pain
What I have learnt, particularly in recent visits to a Psychologist is that accepting your pain is all about coming to terms with the changes in your life that have come about from suffering pain. As much as these changes might have put you in a situation that you don’t necessarily want to be in, you can find positives in each and every situation if you try.
Also it is about doing what you can to design your lifestyle to suit your condition, not banging your head against a wall trying to do things that you were able to before the onset of the pain. I personally had a lot of trouble coming to terms with my ‘new’ lifestyle but once I focused on the positives and started to look forward instead of backwards it did become easier.
Exercise
You’ve probably heard it a million times but inactivity leads to muscle weakness which further adds to our pain. Naturally you must see your doctor before starting any sort of exercise or potentially strenuous activity but if you look around there are a number of exercise programs that are well suited to people suffering from back pain and they are usually nothing more than a series of stretches that you do daily or every second day until you can handle something a bit more ‘physical’.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
Help in any form can be a godsend when you are suffering in pain and you should not be afraid to ask for it. Although we may feel like we have a handle on the situation we may in fact be struggling more than we like to admit.
Your Doctor or Public Health Centre should be able to organise any help you may need and believe me the right kind of help can make a world of difference.
Relaxation
Seriously though if you can manage some time out to sit and relax you have a better chance of getting through the day without a major pain flare-up.
Running a warm bath (and locking the door!) or sitting alone once everyone else has gone to bed are good times to practice your relaxation techniques.
There are many CD’s and Audio tapes available for a good price on the net and I suggest you try one to achieve the ‘ultimate relaxation’. Something the pain management course instructor preached religiously was not to give up, it may take many sessions until you can truly relax but it is sure worth it.