Back Pain

If you have yet to experience a bout of back pain consider yourself amongst the lucky few. It is estimated that 80 percent of the population will have an episode of back pain at least once in their lives. Often, these episodes are recurrent, and can last for days.

Since the likelihood of having back pain at some point is so high, it is important to have an accurate perception of what abnormal pain is and to know the proper way to manage it. It is natural to think that rest is the answer when you are in pain, however bed rest is the last thing a back pain sufferer should do. Stiffness is quick to set when our bodies are static for prolonged periods and our muscles atrophy and lose flexibility. Movement enables the synovial fluid found between the joints to flow, keeping joints lubricated and nourished. Trying to find postures, stretches and movements, within your pain tolerance will go a long way in expediting your recovery.

Preventing low back pain likely requires some lifestyle modification. Something as simple as increasing exercise frequency, or adapting a not-so-postural-friendly work-station into a more ergonomical one, can go a long way in keeping you symptom free. A study published last year demonstrated that a simple walking program can help adults strengthen an aching back as much as a more complicated series of back exercises. Other studies have found benefits in chiropractic treatments, physiotherapy treatments, Pilates, stretching regimens and acupuncture each providing some people with pain relief, while no particular option proving to be superior to the other in head-to-head studies.

In the end, an individual’s back pain is just that-individual. Everyone is different, and therefore effective treatments need to be individualized. As a chronic back pain sufferer, it is all too easy to become exasperated, but instead be patient and pro-active. There are many non-invasive options available to help remedy your pain. Working with a trained health care professional can help you to understand your specific condition and develop the right plan of management-enabling you to beat your back pain once and for all.