SIMPLE CURES: BACK PAIN
One of the most common chronic pain conditions is back pain, which affects an estimated 36 million Americans. It is the price we pay for being an upright species. Fortunately, it is also very treatable.
Common Causes:
Muscle and ligament strain: This is the most common cause. This may be associated with the spine getting pulled out of position.
Spine arthritis: This is common and ignored by most physicians and even some chiropractors.
Disc disease: This is the only cause that most physicians are taught to treat (by surgery) and is all most think of. If you have weakness/decreased function in a foot (or rarely a hand) from disc disease or spine narrowing, surgery is reasonable. Otherwise, in most cases, conservative measures are preferred.
Ergonomics: This includes your body and your environment – uneven hip heights or shoulder heights, no wrist or arm rests on your work area chair, carrying a wallet in your back pocket, etc.
Treatments:
In most cases of back pain, there is a mix of causes occurring. Because of this, it is reasonable to do the below in combination.
Lifestyle Advice
- If it hurts, don’t do it
- Lift from the waist
- Stretch and do Yoga
- Use hot compresses, hot baths, massage
- Sleep on a medium firm mattress instead of a firm mattress (as feels best to you)
Manipulation & Physical Therapy
Chiropractor & osteopaths: Get chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation these are much more effective than you’d receive from most MD’s.
Massage and body work: There are many excellent types.
Physical therapists: Find on familiar with Dr. Travell’s “trigger point” and “Spray and Stretch” techniques (most are not).
Prolotherapy: These benign injections into muscle/ligament areas around the spine can strengthen them and be very helpful for chronic pain.
Recommended Supplements
- Multi-nutrient powder daily
- Glucosamine sulfate – 750mg twice daily
- MSM (methylsulfonymethane, a form of sulfur) – 2,500-3,000 mg daily
- Anti-inflammatory herbal mix – 2 tablets three times daily of willow bark, boswellia and cherry.
Medications
- Lidoderm patches (novacaine patch)
- Skelaxin (non-sedating muscle relaxant)
- Ultracet (may be addictive, but uncommon)
Mind-Body
Mind-body approaches can also be helpful.
- The Divided Mind: The Epidemic of Mindbody disorders – John E. Sarno, MD
- Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection – John E. Sarno, MD
- Pain Free 1-2-3 – Jacob Teitelbaum, MD
To Your Health,
From the Heart of Selina Le
