Backache Treatments

The presence of back pain can prevent one from normal living. Slight motion can set off a spasm of pain. Many remedies are mentioned in all kinds of medical literature to get rid of it. Since the most common cause for back pain is bad posture, uncomfortable beddings, and lack of exercise, making changes to the gait, sitting, and sleeping positions can immediately get rid of it. In order to lessen back pain, it is suggested to sleep on a side of the body rather than on the back to help reduce the strain on it. Exercise can also help lessen chronic back pain. Bed rest can do wonders. When opting for bed rest, a person should not indulge in back-straining activities. Ice packs or heat can be applied to provide some relief to the back.

Many over-the-counter drugs are used to get rid of back pain due to stress. Tylenol is one such drug. It has Acetaminophen. Ibuprofen-containing drugs are also used to provide some relief. These are nonsteroids used for anti-inflammatory purposes.

A slightly expensive medication for back pain is drugs like Celebrex which have COX-2 inhibitors. These are better than the nonsteroid drugs mentioned above because they don’t cause bleeding in the GI tract, unlike the drugs which contain Ibuprofen with which the chances of bleeding are high.

Another class of analgesics is Opioids. They are specifically used for acute back pain. This class of medication can only provide short-term relief. There are many side effects of these. They can cause nausea, constipation, and sedation. These are not suggested by doctors and it has also been proven that they don’t aid in recovery in the long run.

The above-mentioned drugs can only be taken if the back pain is due to strain and work. They should not be consumed excessively. It would be useful to consult a doctor before taking any medication. If back pain is due to reasons other than stress and strain, then evaluation of it has to be done to identify the underlying cause. Back pain is only a symptom and getting rid of it alone cannot restore normalcy.

Anatomical problems of the vertebral column require surgical intervention. Herniated discs have to be corrected surgically. If a disc has prolapsed then surgery is the best option. Surgery and subsequent recovery can help alleviate back pain and normal life is possible. There are many considerations for back surgery. The patient’s age and seriousness of the problem are major ones. If the patient is too old or if pain can be relieved by medication then surgery is not done.

Apart from prescribed modern medical treatment, there are many other treatments that have reported a great degree of success. Usually, a patient is dependent on many forms of medicine to get rid of back pain. These therapies most often don’t interfere with each other. Acupuncture is one such treatment. It has reported success though many dispute it. A Chinese therapy involves piercing needles around an area of pain to stimulate it and thereby getting rid of the pain.

Stimulation through electricity called TENS is done to get rid of back pain. This technique is more effective on regular basis for chronic back pain. This technique should be used only after the kind of back pain a person is suffering with. For acute back pain, it was shown not to provide complete relief. The stimulation is done through surface electrodes.

Spinal manipulation is another technique that can provide patients with immense relief. Manipulation of the back is done only after a lot of evaluation and the patient’s physical condition. It has been shown that it is effective in the first few days after trauma or injury. It cannot be done after a long time following injury because the ligaments can get stronger preventing it. This technique is also called Osteopathic or chiropractic manipulation.

Many exercises are suggested for people with chronic back pain. They do not force the stressed part but tend to apply force only on other parts. They should be practiced with the right amount of vigor. These exercised have to be learned carefully to derive maximum gain out of them.