Lower Back Pain Relief - Some Treatment Options

Lower Back Pain Relief

Lower back pain can result from a variety of conditions, including one or some of the following:

Disc herniation

Joint irritation

Muscle spasm due to strain

Nerve root impingement

Arthritis (osteo/rheumatoid/ankylosing spondylitis)

Osteoporosis

Infection

Degenerative disc disease

Malignancy

Factors leading to these conditions often include a combination of the following: genetics, poor body mechanics, repetitive stress, excess weight, trauma, or an unnatural movement.

Lower back pain relief can be experienced through a variety of self-treatment techniques, methods provided by health care professionals such as Physical Therapists, Massage Therapists, and Chiropractors and certain over the counter drugs and prescription medications.

Although there are numerous methods for reducing pain, some common ways of getting lower back pain relief include:

Traction

Traction is a mechanical treatment modality whereby a longitudinal distraction force is applied along the length of the spine. Applied manually by another person, or through weights and pulleys or a mechanical traction table, it is a form of therapy that has been used in low back pain for over two thousand years.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a therapeutic method for promoting natural healing of the body through insertion of needles. With each needle insertion, it has been shown that endogenous opioids or endorphins are released. Acupunture has also been shown to be statistically superior to many other forms of therapy for the treatment of lower back pain.

Joint mobilization and Manipulation

By returning the spinal segments to their normal position through joint mobilization or manipulation, the tissues regain regular blood flow and pressure. A qualified physical therapist or chiropractor can facilitate this process and help relieve your pain by allowing the release of endorphins, your body's natural painkillers.

Ultrasound

This involves the delivery of high frequency sound waves to the tissues using a hand held probe attached to an ultrasound machine. This is particularly useful in the treatment of muscle and tendon injuries. Benefits include increased extensibility, blood flow, decreased joint stiffness, muscle spasm and pain.

TENS

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) involves the application of electrical stimulation to nerves and muscles via adhesive pads placed on the skin. The user can adjust the intensity of stimulation and can choose between high and low frequency stimulation. TENS has predominantly been used for chronic pain in the past, but more recently, people are using it for acute low back pain and neck pain to promote faster rehabilitation. TENS is often used as an adjunct to other pain relieving therapy techniques such as heat and joint mobilization. More and more people are considering TENS as an option to help manage their lower back pain. Jerry Lewis has used TENS therapy for years to relieve his pain.

Exercises

Controlled exercise promotes healing of damaged tissue and prevents the development of the stiffness and weakness that can follow acute pain. Furthermore, improved control and stability of the spine, along with strength and endurance, will restore the ability of muscular support to protect the spine. Regular exercise is highly recommended. Gone are the days where bed rest was the only treatment for back pain, in fact, bed rest is now contra-indicated in most cases of lower back pain.

Body Positioning

If your work involves standing for a prolonged period, a footstool can reduce the strain on your low back. If you work at a desk, adjusting your workstation or desk and incorporating a comfortable chair with a lumbar support is valuable. Avoid low, soft chairs. Stretch often.

Drugs

Painkillers are the first line in medicinal treatment of lower back pain. For basic symptoms of back pain, a simple analgesic, such as ASA (acetylsalicylic acid, aspirin), Tylenol or Acetaminophen, is extremely useful. Neither of these drugs should be used excessively on a long-term basis.

Non-Steroidal Anti-Infammatory Medications (NSAIDs) are a group of drugs that include ASA and have a specific affect at controlling inflammation. By blocking an ezyme involved in the production of inflammatory chemicals (prostaglandins), NSAIDs, like ASA, can have a dramatic effect on reducing and controlling inflammation. These beneficial effects are not without a risk to other areas of the body, however. The most significant of these is the possibility of casing ulceration and bleeding in the stomach. Doctors are usually very careful when prescribing NSAIDs and will ensure that the patient does not experience intolerable side effects.

Stronger Analgesics (Narcotics) include prescriptions containing codeine (Tyenol3), percocet, morphine and Fentanyl. There are many more side effects to these drugs and it is recommended that people with lower back pain do not use these drugs for an extended period of time.

In conclusion, one needs to be aware of all the treatment options out there. There are many others still that were not mentioned in this article. Of equal importance, is the fact that more people need to gain a greater understanding of their back in order to be empowered and to have the ability to prevent problems by simply doing their daily activities the right way.

Wishing you a healthy back always!