subject: Low Back Pain Treatment - Physiotherapy Treatment [print this page] There are few people who get through adulthood with having a run-in with lower back pain. It is one of the most frequent health complaints heard. Whether as the result of injury or a condition that develops over a long period of time, low back can be disruptive, restrictive of normal daily activities, and of course, uncomfortable.
Lower back can be caused by a variety of issues, and there are a variety of ways to address the problem. It is important to bear in mind that the pain you experience in the lower back might be connected to a particular problem (such as a herniated disc) but that the long term solution might lie elsewhere, such as in examining your daily exercise habits.
There are some common guidelines for treating lower back pain, which are useful in most (but not all cases).
First, it is best to remain as active as you possibly can. While this does mean you have to suit up for the next football game or run a marathon, disregarding the pain, it does mean movement and light exercise are important. Light exercise that keeps muscles strong as you work on bringing your body back to a pain free state is crucial to getting, and staying, on top of the pain.
This is often unwelcome news to those with lower back pain, because the pain limits their motivation to move around. However, issues created by allowing muscles to atrophy will lengthen the recovery period. Further, building strong muscles will help you return your body to its pre-pain state. As lower back pain is often the outcome of an unvirtuous cycle, solving it is often the result of a virtuous one; in other words, the benefits of exercise accumulate in the healing and recovery process.
Second, most forms of lower back pain have a common underlying cause, which is misalignment of the spine caused by weakened muscles, poor posture or injury. Getting your body back to into proper alignment is a requirement of any good treatment plan. If only the pain itself is dealt with, the underlying cause will be missed, and you will likely experience the pain again.
Third, over the counter pain reliever are typically sufficient for dealing with low back pain. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen can be very effective.
Fourth, knowing more about your condition can help. There is abundant research that shows that knowing more about your health problems translates into better and more sustained recovery. Having a sense of understanding increases our sense of control, and with a sense of control, we are better motivated to work to resolve the issue.
Fifth, surgery is often not useful for the treatment of lower back pain. The success rate of surgery for lower back pain is low, and the risks associated with the procedures are serious. Even problems like herniated discs are not resolved well with surgery. Also, surgery typically requires its own recovery period, which can delay the important exercise and strengthening work that needs to be done.
Sixth, daily environmental factors can be contributing factors in your lower back pain. Sleeping on the wrong kind of mattress is a common problem, as is carrying around too much body weight. Even a lack of normal exercise and smoking can cause these problems.
Acute Pain Treatments
Acute pain in the back is typically referred as that pain which is significant, but which last less than about three months. In many cases, the treatment plan is as follows. Rest for the first day or so, and try lying on your side if that brings relief. A pillow between the knees or under the knees if you lie on your back should help your comfort left. Though rest is important in this time, it is also important to move around, so brief walks of 15-20 minutes should be taken every two to three hours. Take pain medication as needed, and apply a heating pad for 15-20 minutes at a time every two to three hours; this can be alternated with ice packs.
After the first couple of days, work to get back to normal activities. Exercise for low back pain includes walking and exercises that increase your core stabilizing muscles, generally those in your stomach muscles.
Chronic pain
Chronic low back pain lasts longer than three months and is severe. With pain that lasts this long, it is important to develop ways to work with and manage your pain will become very important and there are a variety of options that work, including physical therapy and psychological counseling. Many people use acupuncture to deal with chronic pain as well. You should also continue strengthening exercises to increase core stability. Take pain medications when necessary. Some people also take numbing or steroid injections to deal with pain and inflammation.
There other treatment options, the effectiveness of which is debated. These include axial decompression, radiofrequency ablation for facet joint pain, Botox and prolotherapy. Spinal traction, in recent years, has found to be ineffective in dealing with most causes of chronic low back pain.
In serious, ongoing cases of pain, pain killer prescriptions may be written, but it is important to understand and following the guidance around the long-term use of these medications. Some are addictive, and others have additional side effects that should be taken into consideration.
In cases of chronic pain, consult and work with a medical professional specializing in this field.
