10 focus - Will Rogers Pain is such an uncomfortable feeling that even a tiny amount of it is enough to ruin every enjoyment. Back Pain Focus On yourwellness.com
11 According to the ‘European Journal of Pain’, back pain affects approximately 700 million people worldwide and is the leading cause of disability globally. Says a study that appears in the journal ‘Spine’, low back pain is the 5th most common reason that drives people to the doctor’s office and, as per the Global Burden of Disease study, 2016, back pain is the number two cause of disability-adjusted life years. Back pain is extremely common and accounts for significant loss of work time. Most episodes of back pain go away within days or a few weeks - this is called acute back pain. Other pain takes longer to resolve, and if it lasts for more than 3 months, it is classified as chronic. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), USA, back pain can range from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp pain that makes it hard to move. It can start quickly if you fall or lift something too heavy, or it can get worse slowly. Back pain can occur anywhere in the spine. However, most people experience pain in the lumbar spine, or lower back. Who gets back pain? Some things that increase your risk are: Age: Back pain is more common as you get older. The day-to-day use of our backs over time can cause back pain. Bones and disks in our spines can degenerate over time, causing stiffness and soreness. Says a 2015 report published in the journal ‘Menopause Review’, women, specifically, experience an increase in low back pain with perimenopause and menopause. Your work: If your work involves very long hours of sitting in the same position, or if you have to lift, push, or pull heavy load as a part of your job, you may get back pain. Sitting forward or slouching down in a chair can overstretch the spinal ligaments and strain the discs and surrounding structures in the spine. Over time, incorrect sitting posture and poor workplace ergonomics can contribute to or cause recurrent episodes of back pain. Lack of exercise: If you lead a sedentary life, without even minimal exercise, you will find that it can cause or worsen back pain because of increased stiffness and weakened muscles. Movement and exercise keep the spine healthy, flexible and strong. Gentle forms of exercise, such as yoga, Pilates, water therapy, riding a stationary bike or walking, are especially helpful. Obesity: Extra weight places a constant strain on the back, which can eventually lead to pain, hence overweight people have an increased risk for back pain. This is especially true for people with extra weight around the mid-section, which pulls the pelvis forward, creating stress on the lower back. People carrying extra pounds also may experience sciatica and low back pain from a herniated disc or a pinched nerve caused by compensating for the weight. Maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise not only reduces existing back pain, but also can help prevent certain types of back problems in the future. For example, overweight and obese people have an increased risk for osteoarthritis as they age. Stress: Most people who are under stress and don’t manage it effectively tend to sleep badly, have a poor diet, and get little exercise. Add stressrelated muscle tightness to this and back problems can result. Smoking: Smokers are almost three times more likely to develop low back pain than nonsmokers. According to the University of Michigan Health System, the nicotine in cigarette smoke thickens the walls of the blood vessels. This restricts blood flow through the large and small blood vessels of the lower back and increases the amount of time for healing and recovery if you have a back injury. Other conditions: Fibromyalgia and diabetes can trigger low back pain as well but, in many cases, doctors cannot pinpoint any specific cause of lower back pain, even with the use of x-rays and other imaging tests. How is back pain treated? Treatment for back pain depends on what kind of pain you have - acute or chronic. Options typically fall into three categories: • medication • physical medicine/therapy and, in some cases, • surgery. Acute back pain usually gets better, but you may want to take acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen to help ease the pain. Restricting activities that aggravate pain, physical therapy, including active therapy (stretching, weight lifting, cardio) and passive therapy (heat, ice, massage, ultrasound, electrical stimulation.), Chiropractic or manipulation therapy and Yoga or Pilates, which helps stretch and strengthen muscles and improve posture, help. Following are some types of treatments for chronic back pain • Hot or Cold Packs (or both): Hot or cold packs can soothe sore, stiff backs. Heat reduces muscle spasms and pain. Cold helps reduce swelling and numbs deep pain. Using hot or cold packs may relieve pain, but this treatment does not fix the cause of chronic back pain. • Physiotherapy/Occupational therapy: Trained physiotherapists and occupational therapists give supervised exercise that can help ease chronic pain. yourwellness.com
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