The best way to deal with back pain - Get Back Active
Jun 16, 2008
Dealing with an attack of back pain
Most people can deal with an onset of back pain depending on how bad it feels. You can usually use something to control the pain, modify your activities for a time, but stay active and get on with your life.
Control of pain
There are many treatments which can help, even if there is no miracle cure, it should help to make you feel better, able to carry on.
Pain killers can be used under the advice of your pharmacist or GP. There are a few contraindications, such as if you are pregnant, have asthma, indigestion or an ulcer, however most over the counter painkillers can be very effective. Always read the instructions.
Heat & Cold can be used for short-term relief of pain and to relax muscle tension. In the first 48 hours you can try a cold pack on the sore area for 5-10 mins at a time. Heat is also a great way of relaxing muscles and can be used as well after the first few days.
Massage is one of the oldest treatments for back pain. Gentle rubbing of the area ease the pain. This stimulates the Pain gate, when the nerves are aware of a different sensation to pain, this is read and often over rides the sensation of pain.
Manipulation has been agreed as an evidence based treatment and provided it is performed by skilled practitioners then can offer great benefit. You should always check that the professional is qualified and registered with the Health Professions Council.
Other treatments which can also provide relief include acupuncture, TENS and numerous other methods.
Anxiety, stress and muscle tension
Anxiety and stress can increase the amount of pain we feel, tension causes muscle spasm and the muscles themselves become painful. Stress can aggravate or prolong pain.
If stress is a problem you need to recognise it at an early stage and try to do something about it. You cannot always avoid stress but you can learn to reduce it’s effects by controlled breathing, muscle relaxation and mental calming techniques. One of the best ways of reducing stress and tension is exercise.
The Swedish relaxation exercise
- Don’t try too hard to relax
- Find a comfortable position, sitting or lying down, somewhere quiet
- Take deep breaths “slow and steady”; hold for about 15-20 seconds and exhale
- Focus your mind on something calm and repetitive
- “Let go” when exhaling, imagine and concentrate on breathing – not relaxing
The “relaxation response” can sometimes be achieved quite quickly, but deep relaxation may take 10-15 minutes
By Rachel Royer
The New Approach to Back Pain
May 02, 2008
Back pain is very common and causes a great deal of suffering, however it is rare for the pain to be assosciated with permanent or serious damage.
A great deal of research has been put into this area over the last few years and the way we deal with back pain has changed considerably. You might already have experienced this with the way your GP “treats” you.
An attack of back pain can be very frightening, even a minor strain can be very painful and it is natural to think that something serious might have happened, however it has been shown that there are lots of things that you can do to help yourself.
What you do about back pain yourself is actually more important than the exact diagnosis or treatment. With acute back pain, rest for more than a day or two usually does not help and may actually prolong pain and disability. Your back is designed for movement, the sooner you get it moving the sooner you will feel better.
The acute pain usually improves within days or a few weeks, the long term outlook is good.
Your spine is one of the strongest parts of the body, it is made of strong bony blocks joined by discs to give it strength and flexibility. It is reinforced by strong ligaments and surrounded by large powerful muscles that protect it. Most simple back strains do not cause any lasting damage.
Most back pain comes from a simple strain to the “working” parts of your back, for example a ligament, muscle or small joint. Ideally, you start to move correctly to get the part working properly again which, stimulates the body’s natural ability to recover. It is when we compensate and move abnormally that a vicious circle starts resulting in chronic pain and dysfunction.
Rest or stay active?
If you rest for too long when you are in pain you feel stiff, the muscles get weaker, you lose general fitness and feel down, this is turn can make the pain feel worse and therefore it is harder to get going again. It really is “use it or lose it”!
The advice now is to keep going and rest for short periods only.
Your whole body must keep active to stay healthy, with activity the body releases natural chemicals which reduce the pain.
Activities that are good for you include walking, swimming, the exercises bike, dance, pilates, yoga, and most everyday activites and hobbies.
Different things suit different people, try out and decide what is best for you. Your goal is to get moving and increase your level of activity.
It goes without saying that if you suffer from recurrent episodes of back pain, then the interval between exacebations is a great time to try and avoid a future onset of pain.
It is worth while having an assessment to determine the probable reasons for your back to be prone to problems. For example restricted range of movement and specific weakness of muscles – in particular the core.
These are all areas that can be worked on with a specific exercises programme or by joining in one of our beginners Pilates sessions, which is tailored to suit people who do not feel confident to start an exercise programme without being supervised by a Physiotherapist who has knowledge of the factors that will benefit or cause harm to their back.
So if you suffer from episodes of back pain or are currently struggling with back pain then please feel free to contact me if I can offer any further advice or information. All of the advice that I have written above can be found in “The Back Book” which you can obtain from your GP. So take control,
“The sooner you get active – the sooner your back will feel better”By Rachel Royer
Welcome to the first blog!
Mar 10, 2008
I have enjoyed developing the website over the last few months, although it has taken a lot longer than planned! I am slowly trying to get to grips with technology and drag myself into the here and now, a bit scary when my son is better on the computer than me!
It’s my intention to use this space to keep you up to date with changes at the clinic and report on any general information that is passed onto me from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. I value any comments and feedback so please feel free to email or call me.
By Rachel Royer