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The dreaded back pain

By Mandy Chagger

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 06Sep2008
Word count: 807
Viewed: 368 time(s)

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Back pain is one of the more common pain sensations that we may feel in our lifetime. The stress resulting in back pain can come from many causes such as when one carries heavy weight, performs a strenuous exercise, or when one assumes an improper posture or bed position. The most dreaded back pain is lower back pain, which could be a symptom of various complications in the abdomen area. Pain experienced in the lower back makes it difficult for people to stand upright, walk, and perform other more physical activities.

Back pain, common as it is, can render an individual unavailable to work. In fact, it is second only to the common cold as the biggest reason why people skip work. For highly physical tasks like construction or any other fieldwork, having lower back pain will cause you to under perform in your tasks. That is why lower back pain should be attended to properly.

Back pain is also one of the most common reasons why people go to the hospital or to the doctor's office. If the back pain turns for the worse and becomes a chronic back pain, the doctor can recommend several treatments to curb the symptom. However, acute or intermittent back pain can be treated in your home.

The first thing that you can do for back pain treatments is to assume an appropriate bed position when sleeping. Most of the problems in our back can occur because of the strain experienced when we lie down. When your back assumes a strenuous position for long hours, which is the case when we sleep, we will feel the pain the first thing in the morning. You can correct this by sleeping with a pillow between your knees and lie sideways. This will increase the comfort of your back since it avoids unnecessary strain. Check with your doctor for the right kind of mattress that you should lie on according to your body type. While it may seem drastic to change beds, it will actually help your back in the long run.

Exercise is also another way to alleviate back pain. While there is no one exercise that can solve all back problems, any form of exercise is useful to loosen up your back muscles, bones, and joints. If you have chronic back pain, exercise is the best way for you to return to normal activities at work. Some chronic back pains can go away even without treatment, but regular exercise will speed up the recovery process.

Non-prescription medications can also provide relief from back pain. You can take these medicines for temporary pain alleviation. Some of these medicines include ibuprofen like Advil, Motrin, and Nuprin. These medicines are excellent pain relievers and are readily available over the counter. If you have chronic back pain, it is not advised to take these medicines regularly, because they may increase the risk for ulcers and gastrointestinal complication. Seek the assistance of your doctor, so he can give you the right combination of medicines that you can sustain for long-term intake. Your doctor can suggest other drugs like acetaminophen, which is an effective substitute for ibuprofen.

A non-traditional way to treat back pain is acupuncture. Acupuncture therapy is a Chinese medical practice that involves sticking needles on key points of the body. Scientific studies have shown that acupuncture is more effective than conventional methods in treating back pains.

Massage during bed rest is also an effective way to treat back pains. Massage with topical medicines and ointments essentially heats up the back and relaxes the muscles to make them loose. With regular application, you can treat chronic back pains in a fair amount of time. A back massage is also one of the highly recommended treatments because it brings immediate relief.

There are some wide misconceptions regarding back pain treatments that you should avoid if you want to heal permanently. First, stretching does not help. Stretching places additional strain on a patient's back that can worsen the situation, especially if the stretching is not done right. Secondly, prolonged bed rest is not a back pain treatment. In fact, doctors encourage their patients to exercise as much as possible to loosen their backs. While bed rest immediately relieves back pain, it can flare up as easily when you get up. At the same time, being at rest for a long period of time can lead to depression and other complications.

Back pains have common treatments just as it is a very common occurrence. If the symptoms persist, it is best to consult your doctor, so he can consider other possibilities for your back pain. Perhaps there is a more serious underlying condition such as structural bone damage, arthritis, or osteoporosis. It is important to know more about your condition, so you can treat it promptly.

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