Health & Fitness Information: Back Pain @ cosmicpharmacy

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Home > Healthcare > Health & Fitness Information

Back Pain

What is it? Lower back pain can range from an annoying ache to agony so severe that turning over in bed is a major ordeal. There are many possible causes of lower back pain, including injuries to the back muscles, ligaments, or spinal disks that may have occurred during an activity such as heavy lifting. Lower back pain can also be caused by a pinched nerve, infections, arthritis in the spine, scoliosis, rare spine tumors, and osteoporosis (usually from a compression fracture in the spine). Some people are more susceptible to lower back pain than others, possibly because of genetic factors that make their backs more vulnerable to stress and injury. Being overweight, out of shape, and highly stressed can all make you more vulnerable to lower back pain and injury. How do I know I have it? Bend over, bend backward, twist from side to side at the waist, breathe, exist. Does doing any of that hurt in your lower back? If so, you’ve got lower back pain. You may find that your pain comes and goes or hangs around all the time, sometimes getting better, sometimes getting worse. Your doctor can narrow down the cause of your pain by doing a full physical examination. In some cases your doctor may also order specific tests, including: X-ray: Inexpensive and easily accessible, X-rays are usually the first test your doctor will order. They are used to see if you have any abnormal curvature of the spine, arthritis, tumors, or fractures. CT scan: This is like a fancy X-ray that allows for a more detailed view of the spine. It is used to look for harder-to-see injuries, like herniated disks. Sometimes a CT scan is combined with injections of a substance called radiocontrast (a test called CT-myelogram), which will give your doctor a better view of the nerves in your back. MRI: This provides the best image of the spine. It is used to look for herniated discs, tumors, infections, and other problems with the spine. Nerve Conduction Studies/Electromyography (NCS/EMG): One or both of these tests, which involve placing needles on the skin or in the muscles, can help identify problems with the nerves coming off the spinal cord. Discogram: For this procedure, radiocontrast is injected directly into a disk to see if that disk is the source of the pain. Bone scan: This procedure finds areas of inflammation in the bone, such as small fractures, tumors, or infections. What’s the treatment? There are several available treatments for lower back pain, and usually a combination approach is best. Many medical specialists can help you -- including internal medicine and family practice doctors, rheumatologists, and orthopaedic surgeons. You may want to work with a team of professionals or have your primary doctor use a range of treatment options. For instance, orthopaedic surgeons not only perform surgery (rarely needed for lower back pain), they can also prescribe necessary medication and teach you exercises to strengthen your back. Back pain clinics have several professionals who specialize in one or many of the available treatments. Common treatments include: Ice/bed rest: For an acute injury that is still warm and swollen, you need to spend a day or so icing and resting the affected area to let it heal. Don’t overdo it, however. Too long in bed will only make your back worse. As soon as you can get around without too much pain, get up and walk or start some gentle exercise. Exercise/stretching: Your doctor, physical therapist, or other healthcare professional can teach you specific exercises and stretching motions that you can perform at home to keep your back limber and strong. Massage: Massage is a great way to help your back feel better in the short-term so that you can start exercising and making the long-term changes required to keep your back healthy. Acupuncture: Like massage, acupuncture may help take back pain away more quickly. Physical therapy: This includes various exercises and stretching, some of which is done in office with the help of a physical therapist and some of which is done at home. Physical therapy usually starts out intensively and eventually winds down to a few exercises you do at home after a few days or weeks. Chiropractic adjustment: Chiropractors adjusting the joints and bones in a person’s spine using twisting, pulling, or pushing movements. Heat, electrical stimulation, or ultrasound may also be used to help relax the muscles before doing a spinal adjustment. Drug treatment: Pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, and muscle-relaxing medications may all be helpful for relieving back pain. Although medications are typically taken orally, some can be injected directly into the painful part of the back. For severe, ongoing back pain problems, a pump that continually delivers pain-numbing medication into your spine can be implanted directly into your back. Relaxation training/stress management: Often, stress is a contributing factor to back pain. Learning to relax and better manage your stress can go a long way to making you feel better. If you’re really stressed, you might benefit from seeing a psychotherapist. Electrotherapy: Electrical stimulation of the nerves and muscles of the spine can help relieve pain. Surgery: Even surgeons believe that surgery should be kept as a last resort for treating back pain. When all else fails and you’re still in agony, various surgical procedures can be performed that range from minimally invasive to full-blown, open-your-back-up-and-fix-the-problem surgery. Once you are feeling better, you’ll need to look into making some lifestyle changes that will help you stay that way. That means ensuring that your living and working space is properly designed for a healthy back. Your healthcare provider can teach you how to properly sit or stand for long periods, lift heavy items, vacuum, or sweep the floor in a back-friendly way. Keeping your weight down and getting regular exercise will also help tremendously.

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