Back pain has achieved epidemic proportions world wide in the last two decades. In fact, in the US, back pain is responsible for the highest number of man hours lots in the industry. It is the second most common ailment after common cold and eight out of 10 people suffer from a significant episode of back pain at some point of their lives. Nearly 70% have a recurrence within a year of the initial episode.
Sedentary lifestyle and improper posture have been mainly responsible for the increased incidence of back pain. Other high risk factors for back pain include professions requiring sedentary work/prolonged improper posture, obesity, stressful lifestyle and previous history of back pain. However the good news is that most episodes will last only a short time, up to 75% will recover in 3 month, only 1-3% of patients ever require surgery.
There are many prevailing myths about back pain like: stay in bed, you need prescription drugs to get relief, stay away from surgery because of poor results etc. These myths often put these people off track and hinder proper management. There are two parts of management of back pain - taking care of the pain and reducing the chances of recurrence. Pain is managed by local application of heat/ice packs, massage, anti-inflammatory drugs, corsets, physiotherapy, acupuncture/acupressure or local injections. However, these provide only temporary relief and are unproven to have a long term impact on the natural history of the disease. Aerobic physical conditioning (through walks, swimming, treadmill, cycling and other general conditioning exercises).
Patient education and surgery are proven treatments which changes the natural course of the disease. Specific back exercises, physical conditioning exercises, proper posture in everyday activities and controlling any, professional or personal emotional factors are important for prevention of recurrence of back pain.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
These days back pain has become a common problem amongst most people. Every second person experiences backache at some point in their lives. Sedentary and stressful lifestyles, unhealthy eating habits and non-uniform work patterns are major contributors to the causes of backache or lumbago.
Backaches can be categorized into acute spinal ache and chronic spinal ache. Acute spinal ache is when you have pain that persists for less than six months. Back pain is considered a chronic problem when it continues for more than twelve weeks.
Backache is often a radiating kind of pain and can affect other parts of the body like neck, legs and buttocks. This backache can be the result of muscle, ligament or tendon strain. Sometimes spinal ache can also be a sign of some other illness such as heart attack, kidney problems and gall stones. Hence it is advisable to pay attention to the pain and consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Chronic back pain can be treated by a variety of methods. The options include surgery, yoga, pillages and homeopathic treatments. While surgery is an option in extreme cases, alternative methods can help in less severe cases. Chronic backache can also be eased by physical therapy. An experienced physical therapist can make a huge difference in easing the persistent pain.
Physical therapy includes one or a combination of exercises such as low impact aerobics, biking, swimming, walking, strength training exercises on the lumbar extension, regular flexibility exercises, contraction callisthenics that retrains back muscles and yoga, tai chi or Pilates exercise. Apart from this there are many home remedies that can provide relief from lumbago.
These remedies have been tried and tested and are as old as time:
1. Garlic: Garlic is also known magic herb. Two to three cloves every morning can make a huge difference. Back massage from garlic oil can provide a lot of relief
2. A daily intake of fish oil can work wonders in alleviating backache
3. Another home remedy for providing relief from back ache is to drink a mixture of powdered dried ginger, eating soda and salt in hot milk or hot water
4. Turmeric can also be applied to ease back problems.
Apart from these remedies there are other ways of providing relief from chronic back pain which include:
1. It's advisable to sleep on a firm mattress. Try sleeping on your back or side and avoid the face down position
2. Temporary relief can also be sought with the application of heat or infrared lamp to the affected area.
Spinal ache can rob you of your sleep; hence it is important to pay attention to it before it turns chronic. It is also advisable to watch your weight and diet. A light exercise regimen can go a long way in preventing aches and pains. Regular intake of anti-oxidants like citrus fruits such as oranges and dry fruits like almonds also help in preventing it.
Backaches can be categorized into acute spinal ache and chronic spinal ache. Acute spinal ache is when you have pain that persists for less than six months. Back pain is considered a chronic problem when it continues for more than twelve weeks.
Backache is often a radiating kind of pain and can affect other parts of the body like neck, legs and buttocks. This backache can be the result of muscle, ligament or tendon strain. Sometimes spinal ache can also be a sign of some other illness such as heart attack, kidney problems and gall stones. Hence it is advisable to pay attention to the pain and consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Chronic back pain can be treated by a variety of methods. The options include surgery, yoga, pillages and homeopathic treatments. While surgery is an option in extreme cases, alternative methods can help in less severe cases. Chronic backache can also be eased by physical therapy. An experienced physical therapist can make a huge difference in easing the persistent pain.
Physical therapy includes one or a combination of exercises such as low impact aerobics, biking, swimming, walking, strength training exercises on the lumbar extension, regular flexibility exercises, contraction callisthenics that retrains back muscles and yoga, tai chi or Pilates exercise. Apart from this there are many home remedies that can provide relief from lumbago.
These remedies have been tried and tested and are as old as time:
1. Garlic: Garlic is also known magic herb. Two to three cloves every morning can make a huge difference. Back massage from garlic oil can provide a lot of relief
2. A daily intake of fish oil can work wonders in alleviating backache
3. Another home remedy for providing relief from back ache is to drink a mixture of powdered dried ginger, eating soda and salt in hot milk or hot water
4. Turmeric can also be applied to ease back problems.
Apart from these remedies there are other ways of providing relief from chronic back pain which include:
1. It's advisable to sleep on a firm mattress. Try sleeping on your back or side and avoid the face down position
2. Temporary relief can also be sought with the application of heat or infrared lamp to the affected area.
Spinal ache can rob you of your sleep; hence it is important to pay attention to it before it turns chronic. It is also advisable to watch your weight and diet. A light exercise regimen can go a long way in preventing aches and pains. Regular intake of anti-oxidants like citrus fruits such as oranges and dry fruits like almonds also help in preventing it.
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