How to Cure Backpain

As someone who regualrly suffers from back pain I seem to be on a constant quest to find a cure and a way to at least reduce the pain. I coincidentally run a blog about Holistic Medicine and I recently had an excellent article submitted about How to cure backpain.

I decided to post it here in the hope that it will help someone else

What Everybody Should Know... About How To Cure Back Pain

by The Doc

Back pain is common and the largest single cause of sickness absence in the US and UK. It can affect anyone, of any age, but it is more common in people between the ages of 35-55 years. Back pain in adolescents and young adults is commonly attributed to injury resulting from athletic activities. Back pain that occurs after a trauma, such as a car accident or fall, should also be promptly evaluated by a medical professional to check for a fracture or other injury.

Spine

Your spine is a very strong part of your body and is not easily damaged. It is a complex structure consisting of 24 small bones (vertebrae),shock absorbing discs (intervertebral discs) that cushion the bones and allow the spine to bend, ligaments to hold vertebrae and discs together, tendons to connect muscles to vertebrae, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles.

Over Weight?

Everyone can be affected by back pain, but it's more common in those who are overweight or who sit slouching for long periods of time. Those who were persistently overweight for a period of 4 years showed an increased risk for degenerative disk disease in the lumbar area. The researchers found that the younger heavyweights placed an even greater risk on the disks of their low backs than did the middle aged men. A wide variety of factors can increase your risk of back problems: getting older; being out of shape or overweight; having a job that requires lifting, pushing or pulling while twisting your spine; having poor posture; smoking; and having a disease or condition that causes back pain.

During Pregnancy:

Women who are most at risk for back pain are those who are overweight or had back pain prior to pregnancy. Poor posture, excessive standing, and bending over can trigger or escalate the pain you experience in your back.

Relief:

Inversion therapy is useful for temporary back relief due to the traction method or spreading of the back vertebrae through (in this case) gravity. The best position for relief when your back hurts is to lie on your back on the floor with pillows under your knees, with your hips and knees bent and your feet on a chair, or just with your hips and knees bent.

Possible treatments:

Treatment options range from basic rest, ice or heat and gradually resuming activity to medication, exercise, physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, acupuncture and surgery. Not all treatments work for all conditions or for all individuals with the same condition, and many find that they need to try several treatment options to determine what works best for them.

Therapy Solutions:

Additional treatments have been more recently reviewed by the Cochrane Collaboration. Massage therapy may benefit some patients. A meta-analysis of studies by the Cochrane Collaboration concluded that heat therapy can reduce symptoms of acute and sub-acute low-back pain. The study found that injection therapy, usually with corticosteroids, does not appear to help regardless of whether the injection is facet joint, epidural or a local injection.

Exercise Solutions:

Exercise may be the most effective way to speed recovery from back pain and help strengthen back and abdominal muscles. Continue with normal activities as far as possible. In almost all cases, physical therapy and/or a regular exercise program that includes stretching, strengthening and low impact cardio conditioning will be part of the treatment and rehabilitation program.

Another in the 'By The Doc' series - an authoritative guide to the causes and remedies of <a href="http://www.backpain.bythedoc.com">Back Pain.</a> Find out how to escape from <a href="http://www.backpain.bythedoc.com/back">Back Pain</a>, its causes and the available remedies. Always seek advice from a qualified medical practitioner.