Finally…A Way to Get Lasting Relief from Chronic Back Pain
Chronic back pain is one of the most common pain syndromes today. In fact, it is the single largest cause of lost work days, and it accounts for more than 25% of all workers’ compensation claims. Though chronic back pain is an epidemic problem, the good news is it can treated successfully through conservative means. Before we discuss how to effectively eliminate chronic back pain, lets’ discuss what it is and its most common causes.
What Causes Chronic Back Pain?
Back pain is generally classified into two categories: acute and chronic. Acute back pain is pain that lasts from a couple of days to several weeks. Chronic back pain, on the other hand, is defined as back pain that persists for more than three months. So, why is it that some people are able to “head off” back pain in the acute stages, while others have recurring and progressive episodes of back pain for years? It’s all in the intervention!
Many people that have low back pain tend to think, “It will go away on its own…just give it some time.” Unfortunately, this is not a good plan as studies have shown that over 75% % of people that have an episode of back pain have a recurrence of that back pain in less than a year from the original episode. Studies also show that most recurring episodes of back pain tend to become more severe and debilitating. If left untreated, acute back pain is most likely to develop into chronic back pain.
How to Get Lasting Relief from Chronic Back Pain
Eliminating chronic back pain requires a comprehensive and often multi-disciplinary approach. If you have chronic back pain, it is a good idea to get evaluated by your family physician. He/she will be able to perform a comprehensive physical exam and order any diagnostic tests he may deem necessary. He may also prescribe pain medications to break the pain cycle, allowing you to begin an active rehabilitation program.
After your visit to your family physician, the most vital part of your recovery process will begin. To ensure it is effective, your treatment program must:
1. Educate You – This is important because the better you understand what causes back pain, the more likely you are to be able to prevent it. Historically, patients do better when they have a full understanding of what started their low back pain to begin with. Not only do they have a better understanding of what caused their back pain, they also have a better understanding of how to prevent it from reoccurring in the future.
2. Eliminate Muscle Imbalances – As this is one of the most common factors causing back pain, you have to work on balancing the muscles throughout your hips, legs, and spine. Flexibility and lumbar stabilization exercises are critical for decreasing the abnormal stresses around the spine caused by muscle imbalances.
3. Eliminate Unnecessary Stress on Your Spine – by learning how to improve your posture and movement patterns throughout your daily activities. Since some of the basic activities we do (i.e. bending and lifting) increase stress on your spine by 150% if done with improper form, learning to move properly is vital to decreasing unnecessary stress on your back.
4. Get You Moving – Exercise is not only a great way to decrease chronic back pain; it is also a great way to improve your health in general. Stress, excess weight, muscle imbalance, poor flexibility, deconditioning, and poor posture are all factors that can lead to back pain. Regular exercise helps fight all of these factors. Additionally, our bodies were designed to move, and most of us don’t get the movement our bodies need to stay healthy. Regular aerobic exercise and resistance training are a great way to get your body moving and eliminate the many problems we see resulting from lack of mobility and inactivity.
The main thing to remember about chronic back pain is you can take control over it and break the chronic pain cycle by implementing the right treatment plan. At The Back University, we want to guide you through the sea of misinformation and phony “miracle cures” and show you how to treat chronic back pain the right way! Let us help you take control of your chronic back pain today and help you get back to doing the things you love!