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Back Pain Prevention
Many doctors can help you with your back pain. You may get advice from your primary doctor and also from specialists such as rehabilitation physicians and neurologists. Aside from drug treatment, they may recommend physical therapy or chiropractic sessions. While we can turn to the health care team for advice and treatment, we should should keep in mind that the we ourselves can significantly influence the success of back pain treatment.
More about Back Pain and Physical Therapy
Treatment and prevention of back pain are not limited to trips to doctors' offices physical therapy sessions. There are a number of simple yet effective ways that can help you in taking care of your back. You can prevent back pain by taking steps to improve your physical condition and using body mechanics. These solutions include exercise, stretching, yoga and other body methods such as Egoscue method of physical movement.
More on Back Pain and Egoscue Method
Back Pain and Regular Exercise
Sedentary lifestyle contributes to lower back pain. Many back problems are caused by weak and unused muscles. You need to keep your back in shape by doing regular exercises that can promote strength and endurance in your back and allow your muscles to work better. Choose exercises that won't cause strain on your back. You may benefit from low impact aerobic activities such as swimming and walking.
Abdominal and back muscle exercises are also recommended. These exercises strengthen and condition the muscles that support your spine. Exercising these important muscles gives your support system a boost, allowing it to ward off many causes of pain. You can do these exercises at home, and they do not require special exercise equipment. Remember to check with your doctor before you start an exercise program.
More on Back Pain and Yoga
More on Back Pain and Stretching Exercises
Back Pain and Massage
Massage can help relieve both acute and more chronic back pain. Back pain from muscle strain may even be treated by massage therapy. Although massage is strongly associated with complimentary therapies, its now being accepted by healthcare providers as an effective method that can help fight back pain.
More about Back Pain and Massage
Maintain a healthy weight
Being overweight greatly contributes to symptoms that occur with many conditions of the spine. The spine is designed to bear your weight and distribute the load while you are resting or moving. When the spine carries excess weight, it has no choice but to take up the burden, later on, this can lead to structural damage. If you are overweight, you should seek your doctor's advice for a healthy weight loss.
Stop smoking
Smoking has been linked to an increased risk of back problems. Spine researchers theorized that smoking reduces oxygen levels in the spinal tissues, and this can hinder the recovery from back surgery or from other conditions that affect the spine.
Use of proper body mechanics
Postural stress is the most common cause of low back problems. Postural causes of low back pain include: prolonged sitting in a poor position, bending in bad working positions, as well as standing or lying for a long time in a poor position. Below are ways to avoid postural strain on your back.
Adopt a good sitting posture
People who often sit for prolonged periods are likely to adopt a poor posture. Keeping a slouched sitting posture long enough will cause over-stretching of ligaments. Once a poor sitting posture has become a habit, the joints and discs in your spine may suffer, causing movements and certain position to produce pain. To prevent those problems, you need to pay attention on your posture.
You can prevent back pain by adopting a good sitting posture and choosing a seat which has a good lower back support, arm rests and a swivel base. You can use a lumbar roll, a pillow that are designed to provide comfort and relief from low back pain. Place the pillow in the small of your back to maintain your spine's normal curve while sitting. Consider placing a pillow or rolled towel in the small of your back to maintain its normal curve. Keep your knees and hips at same level.
Regular breaks from prolonged sitting
Almost everyone will notice some stiffness or discomfort after an uninterrupted car ride or a long flight. If you already have back problems, traveling for long distances will likely cause you back aches. People whose jobs involves long hours of sitting are likely to experience same problems. To lower your risk for discomfort, you should interrupt sitting at regular intervals, before you notice the pain. Take a break from sitting by standing up and bending backwards 5 or 6 times and then walk for a few minutes. Interrupting sitting regularly will reduce the pressure in the discs and ease the stress on the surrounding tissues.
Correct lifting technique
When lifting, can avoid back pains an injuries by letting the bigger muscles, such as you legs and thighs, to do the work. Before you start to lift the object, you should stand close to it and have a firm footing Lifting should be done by straightening the legs, you must attempt to retain the hollow of your back throughout the lift. Refrain from using the back as a crane to lift heavy objects. Keep it straight and bend only at the knees. Once you're upright, shift your feet to turn and avoid twisting your lower back. If possible, find a find a lifting partner, if the object is too heavy.
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Next to the common cold, lower-back injury is the most prevalent affliction of modern men and women. The belief is that most people will probably go through some "dis-ease" regarding their backs at some point in their lives simply because the back is involved in almost everything that we do.
The problem goes much deeper than how we use or misuse our lower backs. The reality is that the small of one's back literally is a fulcrum from which we either experience balance-- ease in our lives-- or we experience an imbalance and "dis-ease." The reason for this is that this fulcrum is that point at which we meet the stress of gravity from below and the stress of duty, obligation and demands from above.
If we do not, cannot or will not support ourselves to say, "No!" when needed, then our bodies do it for us. Frequently, prior to their back injuries, clients report a situation that feels to them like an impossible bind. So, strain and push come from the psyche, as well as the body.
Back injury also has been attributed to overweight and/or weak stomach muscles that exert a constant pull against the back, tugging it out of alignment.
This is not the whole story. Many people literally do not "back" themselves up. Rather, they "gut" their way through life, which may have other ramifications for ill health, such as ulcers and colitis.
Many back specialists recommend strengthening the back muscles. Their thought is that the back must support our whole body structure. However, our backs were never designed to literally support our body structure.
The back is the energetic motor coordinating center for us to either aggress-- move out toward what we want-- or resist that which we do not want. The true support for our body is our feet, legs, and pelvis. The conventional wisdom is that the discs in our back act as shock absorbers. If you understand the back, from an energetic view, the disks of our back are like silicon washers that mitigate smooth, easy movement to reduce friction.
The true shock absorbers of our body are our knees and our ankles. They literally help us take the bumps and jostles of life. These joints are like psychosomatic crossroads. They mediate between the forces, physical, as well as psychological, that flow through them.
They reveal a great deal about the way an individual is dealing with the flow and motion of his or her life. When they become chronically tense and blocked, the flow and motion of our life is interrupted. You then become extremely susceptible to injury and "dis-ease."
Pain tells us to pay attention. How have you abused yourself, negated yourself, denied yourself? We all need to remember, where there is pain there is life, and where there is life there is hope.
Next to the common cold, lower-back injury is the most prevalent affliction of modern men and women. The belief is that most people will probably go through some "dis-ease" regarding their backs at some point in their lives simply because the back is involved in almost everything that we do.
The problem goes much deeper than how we use or misuse our lower backs. The reality is that the small of one's back literally is a fulcrum from which we either experience balance-- ease in our lives-- or we experience an imbalance and "dis-ease." The reason for this is that this fulcrum is that point at which we meet the stress of gravity from below and the stress of duty, obligation and demands from above.
If we do not, cannot or will not support ourselves to say, "No!" when needed, then our bodies do it for us. Frequently, prior to their back injuries, clients report a situation that feels to them like an impossible bind. So, strain and push come from the psyche, as well as the body.
Back injury also has been attributed to overweight and/or weak stomach muscles that exert a constant pull against the back, tugging it out of alignment.
This is not the whole story. Many people literally do not "back" themselves up. Rather, they "gut" their way through life, which may have other ramifications for ill health, such as ulcers and colitis.
Many back specialists recommend strengthening the back muscles. Their thought is that the back must support our whole body structure. However, our backs were never designed to literally support our body structure.
The back is the energetic motor coordinating center for us to either aggress-- move out toward what we want-- or resist that which we do not want. The true support for our body is our feet, legs, and pelvis. The conventional wisdom is that the discs in our back act as shock absorbers. If you understand the back, from an energetic view, the disks of our back are like silicon washers that mitigate smooth, easy movement to reduce friction.
The true shock absorbers of our body are our knees and our ankles. They literally help us take the bumps and jostles of life. These joints are like psychosomatic crossroads. They mediate between the forces, physical, as well as psychological, that flow through them.
They reveal a great deal about the way an individual is dealing with the flow and motion of his or her life. When they become chronically tense and blocked, the flow and motion of our life is interrupted. You then become extremely susceptible to injury and "dis-ease."
Pain tells us to pay attention. How have you abused yourself, negated yourself, denied yourself? We all need to remember, where there is pain there is life, and where there is life there is hope.
Next to the common cold, lower-back injury is the most prevalent affliction of modern men and women. The belief is that most people will probably go through some "dis-ease" regarding their backs at some point in their lives simply because the back is involved in almost everything that we do.
The problem goes much deeper than how we use or misuse our lower backs. The reality is that the small of one's back literally is a fulcrum from which we either experience balance-- ease in our lives-- or we experience an imbalance and "dis-ease." The reason for this is that this fulcrum is that point at which we meet the stress of gravity from below and the stress of duty, obligation and demands from above.
If we do not, cannot or will not support ourselves to say, "No!" when needed, then our bodies do it for us. Frequently, prior to their back injuries, clients report a situation that feels to them like an impossible bind. So, strain and push come from the psyche, as well as the body.
Back injury also has been attributed to overweight and/or weak stomach muscles that exert a constant pull against the back, tugging it out of alignment.
This is not the whole story. Many people literally do not "back" themselves up. Rather, they "gut" their way through life, which may have other ramifications for ill health, such as ulcers and colitis.
Many back specialists recommend strengthening the back muscles. Their thought is that the back must support our whole body structure. However, our backs were never designed to literally support our body structure.
The back is the energetic motor coordinating center for us to either aggress-- move out toward what we want-- or resist that which we do not want. The true support for our body is our feet, legs, and pelvis. The conventional wisdom is that the discs in our back act as shock absorbers. If you understand the back, from an energetic view, the disks of our back are like silicon washers that mitigate smooth, easy movement to reduce friction.
The true shock absorbers of our body are our knees and our ankles. They literally help us take the bumps and jostles of life. These joints are like psychosomatic crossroads. They mediate between the forces, physical, as well as psychological, that flow through them.
They reveal a great deal about the way an individual is dealing with the flow and motion of his or her life. When they become chronically tense and blocked, the flow and motion of our life is interrupted. You then become extremely susceptible to injury and "dis-ease."
Pain tells us to pay attention. How have you abused yourself, negated yourself, denied yourself? We all need to remember, where there is pain there is life, and where there is life there is hope.
Healthy eating plays significant part in promoting your back's strength and health. Your body needs the right nutrients so that your muscles can move and support your spine. Without proper nutrition, your muscle can get weak, may stop working well, and become more prone to injuries that are caused by physical stress.
Your muscles need the right food to maintain their strength. Nowadays, healthy eating can be quite difficult. Fast food may satisfy your hunger, but they are not the foods that will do your health a favor. Most of these foods contain unhealthy carbohydrates, the kind that are absorbed rapidly by your body. As a result, your blood sugar shoots up, giving you an instant power boost, but this won't last long.
Your body needs foods that will give you energy slowly, over the course of a few hours. They can keep your muscles constantly supplied with the much needed fuel to carry out their important functions which include maintaining support as well as protection of your spine. Your diet should include more of the good stuff- complex carbohydrates and protein- and less of the unhealthy nutrients such as simple sugars and fats.
Vitamins and minerals are also important because they affect your body's ability to release the energy from foods and they help in maintaining your overall health. Below are some of the vitamins and minerals that can help boost your back's health.
Calcium is a key mineral for strong healthy bones. It promotes density and may prevent osteoporosis, a condition that causes bones mass to deteriorate as a result your bones become weak and brittle. Calcium also affects muscle contraction, transmission messages through the nerves, and the release of hormones. Foods rich in calcium include: broccoli, milk and dairy products, soybeans, tofu, beans, kale and salmon.
Vitamin D is the vitamin you need for strong bones and cartilage. It regulates blood levels of calcium, and phosphorus. Vitamin D helps your body absorb the amount of calcium you need, without this vitamin you won't benefit from the calcium in the food or supplements. Taking extra vitamin D may help people who are prone to back problems. The food sources of vitamin D include: Milk fortified with vitamin D, salmon, tuna, liver, and egg yolks.
Manganese is a trace mineral that helps in bone metabolism and growth. Research show that osteoporotic changes in bone can be caused by manganese deficiency, which appears to speed up bone breakdown while hampering new bone mineralization. The best sources of dietary manganese are beets, broccoli, whole grains, legumes, seeds, raspberries, chocolate, pineapples, Brussel sprouts, oats, mussels and clams.
Your meals should have more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grain cereals, whole-wheat breads, and different forms pasta, but don't drown them in fatty sauces, gravy, butter and dressing. In addition, you should limit candy bars, ice cream, soft drinks, cookies, and other sugary foods because they give too much energy too quickly. If this energy is not used by your body, it will be stored as fat and may end up in areas where you least want them to settle, such as your tummy. Increased fat in the abdominal area may increase your risk for back pain as well as a number of other health problems.
Healthy eating also includes watching your meal portions and proper meal timing. Try to eat smaller and more frequent meals. Research has shown that it is more effective in meeting the body's energy needs in contrast with 2 or 3 big meals daily.
Antidepressants are used for treating many chronic pain conditions even when the symptoms are not caused by depression. Among the various antidepressants available, Tricyclics that are usually prescribed for pain, these drugs include:
Tizanidine promotes back pain relief by blocking the transmission of nerve impulses to the brain. It is also to used treat muscle stiffness or rigidness by temporarily relaxing the muscle tone.
Oral Steroids and Epidural Steroids are considered viable options for back pain treatment. Oral Steroids are also effective in the treatment of inflammatory reactions which occur in many health conditions including rheumatic and autoimmune diseases. These drugs are only recommended for short term use.
Cortisone is a steroid that is produced naturally in your body. It is released from the adrenal gland when your body is under stress. Cortisone is produced synthetically and is used for treating various disorders. Cortisone suppresses the normal immune response, thereby reducing pain and inflammation, common back pain symptoms. Giving epidural steroid may help people who suffer from back pain which is caused primarily by inflammation in the spinal nerves.
Opioids are powerful pain relievers prescribed for some patients with chronic lower back pain. The use of these drugs is complicated for both patients and physicians because of the controversy over misuse and potential dependence, not often associated with other back pain treatments.
Opioids work by binding to opioid receptors in the brain and the spinal cord, preventing the transmission of pain messages. In addition, they work in the brain to alter the sensation of pain. Opioid do not take the pain away, they merely reduce and alter your perception of the pain.
Below are the commonly prescribed opioid pain medications:
Most NSAID's work by blocking the action of prostaglandin through out your body, thereby producing pain relief. Our bodies have internal chemicals known as prostaglandin. When you injure yourself, prostaglandin will be released, this arouses the nerve endings and you will feel this as pain. NSAID's are commonly used medication, typically over-the-counter, for the relief of key back pain symptoms.
Muscle relaxants are usually used for acute muscle problems, but they are sometimes incorporated into the treatment of back pain conditions that cause painful muscle spasms. They are effective for short-term symptomatic relief of acute and chronic low back pain caused by strains and other injuries to the muscles. These drugs help ease discomfort by preventing muscle spasm. Muscle relaxants act on the central nervous system.
Muscle relaxants are usually prescribed along with rest, physical therapy, or exercise. While these drugs are effective in relieving muscle pain due to injuries, they do not work well in managing other types of pain.
Commonly prescribed muscle relaxants include:
- tizanidine (Zanaflex)
Source: Backpainpro.info |
Methylprednisolone blocks the release of chemicals in the body that are responsible for producing inflammation. People suffering from back pain caused by inflammatory disorders in the spine may benefit from Methylprednisolone. This agent is used to for treating various conditions ranging from, skin allergy to breathing disorders.
Methylprednisolone is a type of oral steroid is typically prescribed for low back pain. Oral Steroids are non-narcotic prescription drugs that are effective for treating inflammation. These drugs are sometimes used for treating low back pain caused by degenerative disc disease.
Oral steroids are generally limited to short term use to prevent complications. They are also used only for flairs of severe pain.
Ibuprofen is an old reliable drug used for treating mild to moderate pain, fever and inflammation. Like most NSAID's it blocks the enzyme that makes prostaglandins, thereby relieving pain and inflammation, common symptoms of back pain.
Clonidine is thought to relieve back pain by inhibiting pain signal transmission in spinal segments where the drug is introduced. Clonidine decreases the body's release of adrenaline and other hormones that increase blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety. It works works through the brain to relieve back pain.
Experiences
Some side effects
