Don’t Suffer in Silence – Lower Back Pain Treatment

01 Nov Don’t Suffer in Silence – Lower Back Pain Treatment

Beautifully engineered with interlocking muscles, joints, bones, ligaments and nerves, the lumbar spine provides strength and flexibility of movement. Occasionally, the lower back may experience an injury of sorts and there are many reasons as to why low back pain can suddenly occur. Pain may be fleeting or constant. There may be nerve damage, disc degeneration, or muscular issues. The lumbar spine is designed to support the upper body and there must be flexible so that twisting and bending movements can occur. It is the lower muscles that rotate the hips when walking and these also support the spine. Nerves located low on the back also provide the sensations for the legs, pelvis, and feet. Once an injury occurs, inflammation begins which can also create pain.

There are many nerves attached to the spinal column, as well as, discs, ligaments, and muscles and so, it can be very difficult to pinpoint the exact area of injury. A disc injury is always going to take longer than if a muscle has been strained or pulled. As back pain is one of the main causes of sick leave in a work environment, medical advice is important. It is essential to fully comprehend why the injury happened and what can be done to prevent it from recurring.

Low back pain can happen to anyone and without warning. There are many common reasons as to why lower back pain is experienced including:

• Degenerative disc disease
• Lumbar Strain
• Spinal arthritis
• Infection
• Sciatica
• Soft tissue strain
• Osteoarthritis
• Compression fracture
• Damaged ligaments – joints and bones etc.

The symptoms of lower back pain can be extremely painful and have a significant impact on day to day life. There may be chronic aching sensations, tender areas, muscle spasms, difficulty moving, sitting or standing and pain can be acute. To aid any diagnosis, doctors will want to know the level of pain, when it began, whether consistent and what makes it feel worse. Low back pain can be treated in numerous ways, firstly, pain relief for lower back pain can help to alleviate some of the symptoms. Anti-inflammatory medicine is common in the first instance including topical preparations to soothe muscular aches and pains and as severe back pain can be overwhelming, it may be useful to try a heating pad or ice pack and apply it to the painful area as this may also help with muscular spasms. Rest is also important. Some people will find that massage helps to alleviate the pain and to relax the muscles. In addition, there is support for stem cell treatment as many occurrences of lower back pain are connected to the intervertebral discs and structural damage – this may be through degenerative disc disease or a herniated disc. Stem cell treatment can increase the healing of any damaged areas. You can find out more here.

Chiropractic sessions can be useful for spinal manipulation and acupuncture treatments have also been proven to be beneficial. It is likely that posture – both seated and standing will be considered along with any lifestyle changes to help in a preventative manner. Severe back pain should be avoided where possible and sometimes, small changes are all that is required. Increasing core strength can certainly reduce the potential for lower back pain.