subject: Back Pain And Brain Drain [print this page] Back pain. It used to follow me around everywhere I went. Some days, I could barely get out of bed. And I am not alone. Eighty percent of the world's population will face back pain at some point in their lives. But because it is so common, we accept it without thinking twice. We pop a few painkillers, we beg our spouse to give us a back massage - again - and we keep plowing on with the pain. After all, it's just back pain. What difference does it make? If it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger, right? Right? Wrong. Pain reduces productivity. It wears us down. And it can damage our brains. Come again
You read it right. "For each year of agony, people lose about a cubed centimeter of gray matter," writes Jonah Lehrer in "The Psychology of Back Pain." (Men'sHealth). "Subjects with chronic back pain had anywhere from five percent to eleven percent less gray matter than [those without back pain]."
To put this in perspective, a loss of eleven percent of brain is like fast forwarding your life ten to twenty years in only 365 days. The damaged brain area can affect the way you act with others and your ability to make decisions. In other words, it hurts the way you function in your everyday life. It hurts you in your circle of friends, it hurts your ability to do your job, it hurts your ability to make future plans.
This news should make you want to act. But where should you start?
A doctor visit should fit in somewhere, but maybe you've already been - several times - and haven't found it helpful. The truth is, doctors often offer the same old, same old - medicine, physical therapy and a stiff upper lip - because they don't know you are willing to try anything different.
So if doctor visits haven't helped, why not try looking for nontraditional options that you can discuss with your doctor? Some options are dubious, but as long as you confirm their safety with your doctor, there's nothing to lose.
Here are some tips:
There are gobs of Internet websites about pain. Not everything is reliable, so don't buy products that promise you a pain-free life without checking with your doctor. This first step can get you some good ideas of what is available to help treat back pain.
Check out Internet discussion boards to find out what others have done about their back pain. Talk with your local librarian. Research is their expertise and passion, so bring them on board in your quest. Contact holistic treatment centers. Compare prices to see what is within your budget, especially since insurance doesn't always cover natural medicine. You might need a different doctor. Ask around for a doctor that has success treating back pain.
As someone who used to suffer with back pain, I can guarantee it is worth getting rid of. Start searching for treatment. It's a smart move.
