A Closer Look at Lower Back Pain Relief
by Eddie Tobey
As many as 8 out of 10 adults will experience back pain in their lifetime, and
most of them will feel it in their lower back. When we consider that our lower
back bears the brunt of our body weight, and that our back is made up of many
vertebrae, a few discs to absorb shock, several major nerves and joints that allow
for movement of the spine, stacked on top of each other, this statistic begins
to make more sense.
Back pain is either acute, appearing quickly and intensely after an accident or
injury and lasting only a short while, or chronic, recurrent pain that can come
seemingly out of nowhere. The direct causes of chronic back pain are rarely obvious
– simple movements, arthritis, bad posture, obesity, and internal disorders
can all cause our backs to ache.
It is important to try to pinpoint the cause so you can get the most appropriate
type of treatment for your low back pain. Doctors often recommend medications
for lower back pain relief. Both over-the-counter and prescription medicines can
ease lower back pain, and Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), which
include aspirin and ibuprofen, can significantly reduce inflammation as well as
back pain. Acetaminophen, available in many over-the-counter medicines, acts as
an analgesic and is often used to treat acute pain. Occasionally doctors prescribe
opioids or muscle relaxants for severe pain, although these can be habit-forming.
Once common, doctors prescribe back surgery less often nowadays, which usually
involves implanting one of several medical devices to stabilize and fuse the spine.
The medical community is now questioning the efficacy of bed rest, once thought
to be essential for healing and lower back pain relief. Medical studies seem to
prove just the opposite – that exercise is the real healer. Specific exercises
strengthen back muscles, increase flexibility and tone, and pump fluid into back
discs, alleviating soreness caused by disc dehydration. Getting up and moving
or performing physical therapy can relieve back pain.
Many sufferers say they have experienced lower back pain relief through acupuncture,
an ancient Chinese treatment in which needles are placed in specific points on
the body. Chiropractic, whose practitioners realign the vertebrae of the spine
to correct imbalances in the musculoskeletal system, provides relief for others.
Whichever type of treatment one chooses, it is important to remember that there
are many causes of lower back pain, and no one treatment will work for everyone.
About the Author
Pain Relief Info provides detailed information on arthritis, back, joint, lower
back, natural, chronic, neck, sciatica, knee, fibromyalgia, and muscle pain relief.
Pain Relief Info is the sister site of Acid Reflux Web.
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