|
Description
Pain in the back can develop at any stage in life, although it touches most people in mid-adult life. It is less frequent in younger people or old age. The severity of back pain can range, but as a whole it is a remarkably widespread problem. Over 80% of people will experience back discomfort at some stage in their lives. Back-related problems on the whole force people to take more days off work than any other ailment.
Some suggest that high rates of back pain are due to an inherent weakness in the spine -- that the human body, on a greater evolutionary scale, has yet to be accustomed to being upright. Others point to the daily stresses of late twentieth century life as the cause of widespread back troubles. A recent calculation suggested that the pre-Neolithic hunter-gatherer performed about fifty lifts per day, whereas an individual today will usually perform about ten times that figure.
Symptoms and Signs:
Pain is a subjective feeling. And as the terms "backache" or "back pain" denote sensations rather than mechanics, the signs and symptoms of this disorder are felt, not necessarily detected. You may feel dull pains in your lower back yet may not have any detectable mechanical trouble, or you may feel numbness or irritation along one or both legs without having "slipped" an intervertebral disk. Accordingly, x-rays may show extensive damage within your spinal column yet you may not experience back discomfort at all.
Simply put, the greatest role you can play in assessing your back pain is by listening to your body. Only you know what you feel, and there is no combinations of experts, tests, or textbooks that can prove you otherwise. It is important to keep your senses awake, and to ask yourself questions such as the following:
Is my back pain interfering with my daily routine?
Am I losing sleep because of my back pain?
Have I limited my physical activities/movements because of my back pain?
Has my back pain compromised my relationships with others?
Do I feel depressed or anxious about my back pain?
If you have answered "yes" to any one of these questions, it would be wise to seek counseling from your naturopath or other health practitioner.
Causes:
Although a sudden movement or twist can trigger the onset of pain in the lower back, do not assume that the movement was to blame. On the contrary, back pain is most often the result of gradual stresses and changes in the spine, only to be finally triggered by a movement as simple as bending down to pick up a pencil. This is especially true with a herniated ("slipped") disk. Even the impact of a fall great enough to kill someone -- say a parachuting accident -- has shown not to cause sufficient damage to herniate a disk. The human spine is incredibly resilient to such impacts. It is the wear and tear, however, after years of lifts and twists can manifest into a sudden condition.
"Slipped" Intervertebral Disk
The spine consists of bony blocks known as vertebrae which stand atop one another from your neck to your tailbone. Intervertebral disks lie between the vertebrae and act as cushions of spongy tissue, providing moveable connections between the bones.
The term "slipped" is misleading because the disk does not actually move out of place. Herniation occurs when the outer ring of the disk -- the annulus fibrosus -- ruptures or distorts, allowing the jelly-like substance within the disk to protrude and damage surrounding structures. Depending on the area of rupture and the extent of nerve damage, several outcomes may ensue.
The sciatic nerve, which is especially vulnerable as a result of disk damage, can produce unpleasant feelings of numbness and tingling in one or both limbs when irritated. This is where the term "sciatica" comes from. Nerve damage can also cause weakness in leg muscles, which require nerve impulses for stimulation. Some of the nerve roots also supply the bladder and lower bowel -- damage here can lead to incontinence and is perhaps the only reason for immediate surgery.
Degeneration of the Spine
When we are young, our spines tend to be more flexible and supple -- but with time, the intervertebral disk becomes tough and fibrous, reflecting the wear and tear changes within the spine. These changes seem to affect disks in the lower back with greater frequency, as it is that part of the spine that carries the heaviest loads. The changes in and around the intervertebral disks are known as spondylosis, and are an attempt by the body to minimize further damage to the spine as we age. Although disk herniations become less frequent as a result of these changes (frequency of cases peak at around fifty years old), the hardening and compacting of intervertebral disks causes other concerns: movement is restricted and stiffness in the lower back often ensues.
By sixty years of age, almost everyone has some signs of wear and tear that are detectable by a health practitioner. That does not mean however, that younger people are immune. As early as twenty years of age, the spine can show early signs of wear and tear -- although at that age, changes in and around the spine are rarely significant enough to warrant concern.
Non-Specific Back Pain
Although some cases of back pain (like those listed above) can be correlated to a specific mechanical problem, most occur without any detectable irregularities within the spine. In fact, the causes of most people's back discomfort is widely unknown. After all, our aches and pains do not reveal the entire story. Pain, although a concern in its own right, is a response by our bodies and is not necessarily an indication of a precise mechanical problem. As mentioned above, we all feel pain differently and react to pain in different ways; many of us feel pain for different reasons. It cannot be emphasized enough that there is no objective means by which that pain can be understood.
Back pain sufferers are too often diagnosed and categorized according to their symptoms. Yet just as not all chest pains indicate the onset of a heart attack, back troubles can be linked to more than just the mechanics of the spine: anxiety, depression, and stress, to name a few. In fact, studies of workers in major corporations have shown that the best precursor to back pain is not physical condition, heredity or examination by a specialist, but rather job stress and anxiety. Seemingly, there is a lot more to back pain than the condition of the spinal column.
What to Expect:
Here is a not-oft shared secret regarding backaches: In the majority of cases of acute back pain, discomfort, treated or not, will alleviate on its own -- and in most cases, within two months. This is due to your body compensating itself through different systems.
For the duration of your back discomfort, however, the range of resulting problems can vary. You may feel only a minor and tolerable ache, or possibly pains great enough to immobilize you for some time. The onset of back pain can also vary. Although many back sufferers recall experiencing a gradual increase in discomfort, others talk of experiencing sudden sharp and lasting pains without prior warning. Every case is different, and as everyone has their own ways of experiencing and tolerating pain, it is difficult to generalize what the back sufferer must cope with during his/her time of discomfort.
Remedies
As most cases of acute back pain cure without intervention, it is often difficult to know when spontaneous healing ends and where effective treatment begins. However, in an alarming amount of cases, certain treatments can actually make the problem worse.
Conventional Approaches
Back braces and corsets may be prescribed but can actually cause further damage to the spine by limiting motion and encouraging lower back muscles to be supported. To ensure a healthy back, muscles should be strengthened and not artificially enhanced.
In the past, it was advised that patients stay in bed until the pain relieved. However, although a short spell in bed may relieve severe lower back pain, prolonged periods of rest without exercise can actually be detrimental to the recovery process. It is advised that you stay in bed no longer than two days, after which time you should gradually return to regular activity. It is also helpful to sleep on a firm mattress and avoid sleeping flat on your back.
Foods
Drink two glasses of water when back pain hits. Dehydration can cause muscle and back pain.
Homeopathy
Certain remedies can be used in acute situations if your symptoms fit the symptom picture of the remedy. For dosages, see the dedicated section on Homeopathy. Consult your homeopath or naturopath to determine your constitutional remedy: the remedy that best fits you as a whole person. Your homeopath or naturopath will take a complete case history considering all of your mental and physical ailments and match these symptoms with the symptom picture of the remedy.
Arnica: Pain feels like a bruise and comes after heavy lifting or sudden injury.
Bryonia: Lower back pain occurs with sciatic nerve damage (sciatica) and torticollis, or stiff neck. Symptoms made worse upon movement and improve with rest.
Chamomilla: Irritation of the sciatic nerve that results in pain of the lower extremities. There is great sensitivity to pain, great irritability, aversion to being touched.
Hypericum: Useful in sciatica. Sharp, shooting pains made worse upon movement and raising of the arms.
Lycopodium: Useful in torticollis (stiff neck). Sciatica where condition is made better by walking and is worse upon lying or sitting.
Phosphorus: For lower back pain that is made better by motion, massage, and heat.
Rhus tox.: For sciatica and a neck pain. Neck feels stiff and it is difficult to turn the head from side to side. Symptoms made worse with cold, wet weather, and better with motion and heat.
Silica: Silica is useful for low back pain that comes before or during menses, or after fall. The pain is better by pressure and lying on hard surface, worse by sitting.
Lifestyle
Our thoughts and feelings can dramatically influence our physical well-being. Relief of emotional stresses can dramatically reduce recovery of all types of ailments.
Do not over exert yourself during daily activities. The timely saying of "lift with your legs, not with your back" is an ideal principle to adhere to.
If you do perform daily tasks involving the use of your lower back, purchase a lower back support.
Push large objects, do not pull them.
Minerals
Calcium helps strengthen bones. Take 1,500 to 2,000mg daily in divided doses, after meals. Use a chelated form for best absorption and avoid calcium carbonate, which may contain lead.
Magnesium should be taken to aid calcium absorption, usually in a 2:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium. Take 1,000mg daily.
Therapies, Healing Aids, and More
Acupuncture and Chinese Massage (Tuina) are very effective in alleviating backaches. They work on the spine and decrease degeneration of the nerve system.
Chiropractic, or spinal manipulation, is one possible course of treatment. Although many experts are quite cynical about the effectiveness of spinal manipulation, many people have experienced encouraging results after prolonged treatment.
Ideally, everyone should exercise. Unfortunately, many individuals cloud themselves with unattainable goals. Every human body is different and not all are built for heavy lifting or endurance. It is often an overindulgence in exercise that can either trigger back discomfort or prolong recovery from back pain. However, a healthy exercise program, working within your own goals and limitations, is the most crucial aspect of back pain recovery. Programs, that can be set up by your fitness consultant or health practitioner will vary with the individual and can help improve strength, vitality, and blood circulation in the spine. To be most effective, all other forms of treatment should revolve around a suitable exercise program.
Heat can relax muscles and is effective in helping the back sufferer engage in exercise programs. However, it is only a tool and should not be considered a treatment for back pain. Cold, normally in the form of ice or cold packs, can be effective in early stages of injury in helping to reduce swelling. It is not a long-term treatment but is helpful in getting actual treatment (such as exercise) to progress more smoothly.
Hydrotherapy -- being in water -- is often highly effective for those dealing with back problems. Swimming is an excellent source of conditioning, and provides you with an atmosphere of little pressure on the spine as well as increased resistance for strength training. It can prove to be very therapeutic and should be used in conjunction with other rehabilitation treatments.
Massage can promote an accelerated exercise program but will offer little relief on a long-term basis. It often reinforces the "sick role" of the back sufferer.
Another option is the use of TENS Therapy. The application of low levels of electricity to areas of pain can prove effective in jump-starting the recovery of weakened muscles. This treatment, much like the application of heat and cold, can be used in conjunction with an aggressive exercise program.
Traction is an ancient technique that in principle has not changed for centuries. Its goal is to stretch the spine by manipulation or apparatus in order to pull the vertebrae away from each other. It is still unknown whether this treatment is effective. Most studies, however, have shown that traction is of little or no benefit to the healing process.
Actions and Remedy Listings
For More Information ...
Jayson, M. I. V. Back Pain: The Facts. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.
Sinel, Michael S., and Deardorff, William W., and Goldstein, Theodore. Win the Battle Against Back Pain: An Integrated Mind-Body Approach. New York: Dell publishing, 1996.
See also
Anxiety Disorder, Depression, and Stress
"MY BEST REMEDIES" -- TERMS OF USE
All information contained on this website is for reference purposes only and all content should be treated as a resource. It is highly recommended that you consult with your naturopath or other health practitioner when undertaking self-treatment. For serious conditions, always seek the advice of your naturopath or other health practitioner. People taking medication should
consult with their naturopath or other health practitioner before undertaking additional regime for their ailment.
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and consistency of the information contained on this website. However, errors in copy may occur. You are advised to consult with your naturopath or other health practitioner
when applying the information contained on this website.
The MBR Team is not responsible or liable for any personal injury or related effects from applying the information contained on this website.
By browsing / printing any and all My Best Remedies articles / pages, you agree to the statements above.
To create link towards this article on your website,
copy and paste the text below in your page.Preview : |
