Help For Back Pain - Prevent Chronic Back Pain

Your back structure is made up of bones, muscles, nerves and other soft tissues. You rely on your back as the workhorse of your body. For this reason, your back is more vulnerable to injury and pain - short term and long term, if not treated in the early stages.

An estimated eight out of ten people will injure their back at some point during their lives. Some of these problems will require extended treatment, but back problems are invariably painful. If you get help for your back pain in the early stages, its less likely to develop into more long-term pain.

Managing and relieving back pain is not a simple process. The experience of pain is subjective; it cannot be measured from the outside. Health professionals who treat back pain find it challenging to obtain the objective or measurable signs that verify and diagnose a patient's painful back symptoms.

Additionally, everyone experiences back pain differently. Some types of pain people have experienced with back pain are: dull, sharp, throbbing, pulsating, stabbing and shock-like, just to name a few.

People experience and describe pain so differently partly due to its varied and complex origins. In fact, pain originates from numerous places in the body, such as muscles, bones, nerves, organs or blood vessels.

Pain is also described as acute or chronic. Acute comes from the Latin word for needles and is usually described as a severe, sharp sensation. Acute back pain typically get better quickly, within a few days or weeks with very little or no treatment.

Chronic originated from the Greek word for time. Chronic back pain typically persists after a length of time, often months to years and the healing time will be much longer. Many back injuries tend to become chronic, especially when not treated properly during the acute phase. Chronic pain is often experienced as a dull ache or constant nagging irritant.

Acute and chronic pain sensations travel through different nervous system pathways inside the body. When you injure muscles or ligaments in your back, nerve endings called pain receptors pick up the pain impulses and transmit them to the spinal cord. From here, the pain message ascends to the brain. This process takes place at varying rates of speed depending on the size of the nerve fiber involved.

Acute pain tends to travel on faster, while chronic pain prefers smaller. Experts suggest that chronic pain affects the brain's limbic system, which is associated with emotional states. Anyone who has ever had a long-term painful injury knows that negative or distressing emotions may accompany or perpetuate the initial injury.

The best way to treat chronic back pain syndromes is to prevent them. Although proficient early treatment does not always prevent an acute injury from turning into a chronic problem, it is a good insurance policy. Early treatment is especially important with injuries to the soft tissues (muscles, tendons and ligaments) to prevent them from becoming weaker, less elastic and more pain-sensitive.

Using heat regularly on the painful areas of your back and doing specific back exercises can also decrease the amount of pain you endure and how frequently.

One of the best ways to get help for back pain, in both the acute and chronic soft tissue injuries is a hands-on approach that works to repair the injured tissues. Some examples are joint and soft tissue manipulation and mobilization, typically performed by a doctor of chiropractic or osteopath. Other good options are massage and physical therapy. A formal rehabilitation program at a health club or therapy clinic may also help to strengthen weakened and damaged muscles, especially the core stabilizers of the back.

Learn More About Getting Help For Back Pain, Including The Causes, Treatment And Relief Of Back Pain.

Low Back Pain - Acute & Chronic

The most common of all the types of back pain is that of lower back pain.

As with any type of pain there are two different types (and low back pain is no exception): acute and chronic.

Acute low back pain is usually a problem that can work itself out over a period of time.

Chronic low back pain, however, can be responsible for aches and pains that last throughout your lifetime and it is the chronic back pain that lessens the quality of life for anyone who suffers from it.

In this article, we'll address the problems that are posed by acute back pain as well as chronic low back pain and we'll discuss some methods of getting rid of the pain.

Low back pain is one of the most commonly occurring medical conditions that send even the toughest among us to our doctor's office. Statistically, you have a very good chance at some point in your life suffering from some sort of lower back pain. In fact, this condition is responsible for more sick leave and/or time away from work than any other condition.

The causes of acute low back pain are often very different than the causes of chronic low back pain.

Acute low back pain (as with any type of acute pain) is usually caused by a single event or circumstance that is easily remembered and described by the afflicted.

Situations such as accidents, heavy lifting, or falling can result in acute back pain because of the trauma that incident places upon a particular part of the body.

With acute back pain, more often than not, it can be solved through physical therapy, massage, or some other type of healing process over a period of time.

Chronic back pain, on the other hand, is quite a different story. It is most often the result of long-term degeneration of the bones that make up the very foundation. There are several degenerative causes can be the reasons that one experiences chronic low back pain.

The discs that make up the spine can become herniated. This will cause rather intense chronic back pain. Many times this type of case tends to last throughout the life of an individual even though the effects on one's quality of life can be lessened via chiropractic visits, therapy and possibly even surgery.

When it comes to diagnosing a case of chronic low back pain, and assessing its severity, doctors can make use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in order to determine the extent of the damage. By evaluating the results of the MRI, physicians can better diagnose what it is that is cause of the back pain. This gives your doctor a much better idea of what type of treatment to engage in and what you can do to prevent the pain from occurring in the future.

The list of reasons that any one individual is experiencing lower back pain, and getting magnetic resonance imaging performed is very important when it comes to pinning down the problem.

Beyond the various types of physical therapies, anti-inflammatory drugs or pain medications may be prescribed by your doctor to help reduce swelling and pain. In the more serious of cases in which the discs of the back are out of alignment or bulging, surgery may be necessary in order relieve or get the pain and discomfort under control.

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What Is The Cause And Effect Of Chronic And Acute Low Back Pain

If you have ever suffered from low back pain you will know that it can be a very miserable experience. You may hurt so bad that you can't seem to do much of anything and it will set off the pain. It can get so severe, you want to tear your hair out. Low back pain can cause you to become someone you really aren't, if you don't control the pain level.

Pain can make you easily irritated and grouchy. It can cause depression which can make you want to isolate yourself from family, work and any other social activity. There are some things you can do to control the pain level and this article will talk about the different types of low back pain and how they can effect you and your loved ones.

There are two types of low back pain. One form is known as acute. This is a short term condition and will pass with time. It can be caused from numerous things such as a muscle spasm or herniated disc, but with time and treatment it will heal. The other form of low back pain is called chronic. It can last more than three months up to a lifetime. There are many things that can cause chronic low back pain that are similar to the acute causes such as herniated disc, or muscles spasms, but for some reason, these conditions don't heal quickly. It's a known fact that people can experience low back pain without any apparent reasons. Medically, the symptoms can't be explained, but the pain is very real to the person suffering.

Low back pain is one of the main reasons for missing work, and one of the leading causes for disability. Other causes for low back pain can be degenerative disc disease which can be a hereditary weakness in the spine. Obesity can also be a cause for back pain. With many Americans facing obesity these days it's no wonder that billions of dollars are spent on low back pain each year. Other causes of back pain can be stress, an uncomfortable bed and smoking. Did you know that smoking is a main cause for low back pain. That's right. Smoking causes a restriction in blood flow to the spine and can cause disc degeneration. It is important for blood to flow freely throughout the body because good blood flow promotes good cell growth, which provides healing to take place, not just from low back pain, but in the entire body.

There are many ways to treat low back pain and one of the first ways is to treat by medication, in order to relieve the pain. In order for someone to heal, they have to be able to relax. When we are tense or stressed, the muscles tend to tighten up which can cause blood flow to be restricted and not allow healing to take place. Other things such as the use of heat and cold can help inflammation of muscle tissue to be reduced. Some cases of low back pain may require surgery to repair or remove a piece of bone tissue that may have broken off from a disc. If you have low back pain and it isn't going away, you should seek medical attention because you can do more damage to the area the longer you wait. If you are experiencing numbness in the legs and feet along with low back pain, seek medical attention as without treatment, you can develop permanent damage to the nerves.

If you need more Back Pain answers then quickly head over to http://the-health-information-network.com where you will find helpful back pain tips, advice and resources including information on chronic back pain, and Low Back Pain information.

Chronic Back Pain

I had been to three different physicians. The car accident in 1990 had left me with terrible back pain. The only option offered to me was prescription medication. For three years I lived with chronic pain - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The prescription drugs helped relieve some of the discomfort, but I had to stop taking them when I began getting sick to my stomach - which was often worse than the pain itself. Time and again I thought, "This can't be the only choice. There must be another alternative."

It wasn't until 3 years later that I heard about magnetic therapy from a friend, and decided to try it. With nothing to lose, I used a magnetic pad on my back during the day and slept on a magnetic mattress pad every night. Much to my surprise, after two weeks my back felt much better. After a few months, the pain was completely gone!

My wife, who had a back problem caused by herniated disks, woke up every morning with pain and stiffness. Not long after sleeping on the magnetic pad, the stiffness began to subside, and she was soon waking up pain-free as well.

Although skeptical at first, I was amazed at the effectiveness of magnetic therapy, and began to intensely investigate the field of biomagnetics. Since my initial experience, I have had the pleasure of helping many people achieve similar results, enhancing the quality of life of those suffering from chronic conditions and injuries.

Now I'd like to take the opportunity to help those of you who may be suffering from chronic back pain, and to tell you how to better prevent it.

Back pain is the number one form of pain experienced by people in the U.S. It accounts for 20% of all injuries and illnesses in the workplace, and is responsible for as much as $50 billion in diagnosis and treatment each year [1]. The National Institutes of Health estimate that 4 out of 5 Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Not a pretty picture from any standpoint.

The majority of back pain occurs in the lumbar region of the spine [2]. Here, most of your body's weight is placed on the lowest 5 of the 24 vertebrae (bones) that make up the spine. Considering all the other muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, disks, and major nerves that are also a part of or connected to the spine, it's no surprise that there are so many ways to injure your back as you twist and bend them [3].

Pain is considered chronic if it's recurring, lasts more than three months, and can seemingly be stimulated by any small movement (for whatever reason) [4]. In the 21st century, we're finally realizing that drugs and surgery are not always the answer for treating chronic pain or other musculoskeletal conditions & injuries.

The future lies in an integrative approach to promoting the body's own healing ability by using noninvasive, safer treatments. Acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic and osteopathic care, and certain physical therapy exercises are just a few options to help with back pain.

Following an individualistic approach to treatment is key. A particular therapy that may work for one person may not work as well for another. Often it's necessary to try a combination of treatment methods to begin feeling significant improvements.

For true recovery of back injuries and disease, pain and inflammation need to be reduced, proper function and strength restored, and further injury prevented [4]. With this in mind, let's discuss how magnetic therapy can help.

One of the primary benefits of magnetic therapy is the reduction of inflammation. Localized inflammation following an injury is a natural protective reaction. It creates an imbalance in sodium and potassium ion (charged particle) concentrations at a cellular level. As a result, fluid accumulates in the cells, causing the injured tissue to become inflamed. (Think of it as retaining water after eating salty food.)

If there's no intervention, the body will eventually heal itself and the inflammation will subside. However, this process can be very slow and painful. Because of this, treatments that can safely speed the overall process are needed, particularly in the case of chronic conditions like arthritis.

Applying a bio-north magnetic field safely rebalances electrochemical ion concentrations. Excess fluids and toxins are flushed from the cells and removed through the lymphatic system. As a result, healing time is often reduced by as much as 50%.

Since major nerve bundles run through the spine, it's obvious why back pain is so common. Pain is caused by an electrochemical signal sent to the brain. The normal electric potential of a neuron (nerve cell) is around 70mV when in a resting state. When injured, a neuron's charge becomes positive due to a shift in chemical ion balances. This triggers a pain signal to be sent to the brain.

Applying a bio-north (negative polarity) magnetic field lowers a neuron's electric potential, bringing it closer to its normal, negative state. As a result, the pain signal diminishes faster, and in most cases, will eventually stop.

Another important goal when recovering from back injuries is restoring mobility. Magnetic therapy helps relax muscle tissue, thereby increasing flexibility and reducing the incidence of muscle spasms.

About four years ago, researchers in Italy tested the effects of a magnetic seating system on several volunteers. Each person participated by either driving or remaining seated at a computer workstation for prolonged periods, both with and without the magnetic system.

"The results showed a decreased myoelectric (neuron) activity both at shoulder and lumbar level by using the magnet based sitting system for prolonged seated work tasks...The system appears to be an effective tool in preventing muscle contractures secondary to prolonged, constrained positions" [5].

Because it can be so difficult and painful to move, many people feel they need to rest for a few days after injuring their back. But did you know that bed rest should really be minimized or avoided? According to David Lehrman, M.D. (chief of orthopedic surgery at St. Francis Hospital and founder of the Lehrman Back Center in Miami, FL), "for every week of bed rest, it takes two weeks to rehabilitate" [3].

A 1995 study in Helsinki, Finland found that out of 186 subjects, those who went about their daily activities as tolerated had greater flexibility and less pain than those who underwent backmobilizing exercises. The *slowest* recovery was seen in subjects that were prescribed two days of bed rest [6].

While an interesting fact, it's one that some of us may grumble about. Bear in mind we still have to sleep and give our bodies a chance to heal and recuperate. As I found out years ago, sleeping on the proper magnetic mattress pad will help speed the healing process and can significantly reduce chronic pain over time.

Back in 1990, a 12month clinical test on the effects of magnetic mattress pads was conducted in Tokyo, Japan. The study, led by Dr. Kazuo Shimodaira, involved 431 subjects. 375 of them received full-sized magnetic pads and the remaining subjects received sham mattress pads for control. (Each magnetic pad contained 124 permanent ferrite magnets with field strengths of 750950 Gauss.)

Here are the results of the yearlong test:

On average, 53.3% of the subjects realized the effect of the magnetic mattress pad within 3 days, and over 70% within 5 days. What's more is that thorough testing for side effects was conducted and none were found [7].

(Note: The magnetic mattress pads used in this study did not produce very strong magnetic fields. As stronger magnetic fields are more effective, a higher energy pad would improve results even further.)

Supporting these findings, a 1997 Johns Hopkins pain center treatment study compared magnetic therapy for chronic pain with a placebo therapy. It concluded that people using the magnetic therapy showed a dramatic improvement, whereas the placebo group improved only minimally. Again, there were no side effects detected [8].

Since the vast majority of adults are not in "ideal" physical condition, the risk of back injury for them is greatly increased.

If you're out of shape and are planning an activity that requires lifting, bending or twisting, it's a good idea to take steps that can help prevent injury in the first place. Magnetic therapy is an excellent way of accomplishing this.

There are three primary actions that take place when using magnetic therapy for prevention. The first two are its ability to increase circulation and to relax muscles. The effects are similar to warming up and stretching before a strenuous workout. It's really the third action that sets magnetic therapy apart from anything else though. Magnetic therapy can effectively control energy flow along the body's acupuncture meridians (energy channels).

Placing a magnetic pad or support over an area channels the body's energy directly to that location. Increased energy availability, combined with improved circulation, significantly extends the amount of time that one can exert themselves before muscle fatigue sets in. In turn, this reduces the likelihood of muscle strain.

The combination of improving blood flow, relieving muscle tension, and reducing pain makes magnetic therapy ideal for treating back conditions and preventing further injury. While effective on its own, magnetic therapy is also an excellent adjunct to other treatments. Whether chiropractic, acupuncture, therapeutic massage, or another method, it can help improve and prolong a treatment's positive results.

The next time you're out and about, make use of a high-energy magnetic support or back pad. It's a simple and effective way to continue through the day with less pain and a greater range of motion. Trust me. Your back will thank you!

SOURCES:

1 Centers for Disease Control - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, June 19, 1999.

2 Pain Central: What Causes Back Pain?

3 Pain Foundation: Back Pain

4 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Low Back Pain Fact Sheet

5 PubMed: Efficacy of a chair with magnets in the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders caused by prolonged sitting.

6 PubMed: The treatment of acute low back pain - bed rest, exercises, or ordinary activity?

7 Summary of a 12month double-blind, clinical test of magnetic mattress pads. Kazuo Shimodaira, M.D. Tokyo Communications and Kouseikai Suzuki Hospitals, Tokyo, Japan. 1990.

8 "Use of magnetic therapy for chronic pain" by Joseph Kandel, M.D. and David B. Sudderth, M.D. The Arthritis Solution.

TIPS & GUIDELINES FOR A HEALTHIER BACK

The National Institutes of Health provides guidelines for maintaining a healthier back. Following these and a few other tips will greatly increase your chances of preventing further injury while strengthening your back muscles.

When Standing:

o Keep your weight balanced on your feet. Your back supports weight most easily when curvature is reduced.

o Don't slouch when standing or sitting. (Keep your hands lightly clasped behind your lower back. This improves posture for your neck, shoulders and upper back, and reduces muscle tension.)

o Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes.

When sitting:

o Make sure your work surface is at a comfortable height for you.

o Sit in a chair with good lumbar support and proper position/height for the task. (Use a pillow, rolled towel, or lumbar cushion if needed.)

o Switch sitting positions often and periodically take a short walk or light stretch to relieve tension and restore blood circulation.

o If you must sit for a long period of time, rest your feet on a low stool or a stack of books.

When lifting:

o Don't try to lift objects too heavy for you!

o Pull in your stomach muscles, keep your head down and in line with your straight back, and lift with your legs.

o Keep the object close to your body.

o Do not twist when lifting.

o Do not carry an object in one hand if it causes you to lean to one side. (Use both hands, or carry an additional item to balance the load.)

Exercise:

o Always warm-up and stretch before exercise or other strenuous activity.

o Following a prolonged period of inactivity, begin a program of regular lowimpact exercises. (Ask a physician or orthopedist for recommended exercises appropriate for your age and requirements.)

o Speed walking, swimming, or stationary bike riding for 30 minutes a day can increase muscle strength and flexibility.

o Yoga or Tai Chi can help stretch and strengthen muscles, and improve posture.

Everyday habits:

o Maintain proper nutrition and diet to reduce and prevent excessive weight (especially around the waist area).

o If you smoke, quit. Smoking reduces blood flow to the lower spine and causes spinal disks to degenerate.

Therion Research

Your source for magnetic therapy news, research, and natural pain relief

Bruce Spiegler is a registered magnetic therapist and holistic health practitioner. He can be reached at TherionResearch.com - A provider of safe, natural magnetic therapy solutions for chronic pain management, sport?s injuries, sleep disorders, and natural healing.

Chronic Back Pain Limitations

Thousands and thousands of people annually seek medical care for back pain. For some, the pain is gone within 6 weeks. For others, it becomes chronic back pain.

Chronic back pain affects individuals in various ways. Most make repeated visits to physicians, seeking relief. They want to know what causes their chronic back pain. They want new tests. They want to try whatever treatment may be available.

Chronic back pain sufferers may report difficulty in performing normal daily activities. They may believe the pain is increasing. They may simply want someone to sympathize, and agree that it is not "all in your head" at all.

Although back pain is the main reason people visit orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons, and the second main reason they visit primary care physicians, an estimated 5 to 10 percent of those visitors will receive no cure. They will go from low back pain to chronic back pain.

Patients are frustrated because physicians do not cure back pain. Physicians are frustrated because they cannot cure low back pain. Many think they can do little to prevent occasional severe back pain from becoming chronic back pain.

If nothing is done, however, chronic back pain limitations can seriously impinge on daily activity.

Possible Limitations

A look at possible chronic back pain limitations reveals a long list. There are limitations placed by a physician, but there are many more limitations that patients place on themselves. They may include physical limitations, emotional limitations, or mental limitations. Of the many chronic back pain limitations we can discuss only 7 here.

1. Depression: One of the most common limitations of chronic back pain, depression affects everyone involved in the daily life of the sufferer. The type of depression experienced by sufferers of chronic back pain is not simply a matter of feeling sad or "down at the heels" for a day or so. "Major depression" and "clinical depression" are the terms used for this kind of depression.

When chronic back pain limitations include a major depression, the person feels emotionally miserable everyday for at least two weeks. He or she also may have unexplained crying spells; major appetite changes; fatigue, sleep problems; agitation; and thoughts of death or suicide. There may be little interest in activities that were normally enjoyable.

2. Social Activity: A second of the chronic back pain limitations reported is that of social activity. People suffering chronic back pain become reluctant to attend parties and other social functions. They may curtail recreational activities or outings with the family.

3. Work Time: Those who suffer chronic back pain are also more likely to take off more work time. Statistics show that back pain causes the loss of more than 83 million days of work time each year due to back pain.

4. Job Loss: Since it often means lost work time, another of chronic back pain limitations is job loss. Too many lost days, or poor performance due to chronic back pain, can result in replacement.

5. Work Ability: Chronic back pain is a leading cause of work limitations. Back pain limits workers' ability to lift, carry, and perform other duties that are required. It places restrictions on workers, and narrows the job field for many people.

6. Low Pay: Chronic back pain limitations include financial limits for some. Those who are limited in work by chronic back pain earn, on average, only two-thirds the amount of those without back pain.

7. Housework: One of the largest limitations of chronic back pain appears to hit normal activities associated with housework, gardening, and lawn work. Patients with back pain that lasted more than 60 days often report they are no longer able to do any gardening, lawn work, or normal cleaning activities such as vacuuming, mopping floors, etc.

Clinically Proven Limitations

For the patient, it is difficult to believe that chronic back pain limitations are often unnecessary. They continue to believe that the pain has a cause that can be readily diagnosed, despite their physician's repeated assurances to the contrary. They believe the physician can find a medical sure for their back pain if pressed often enough and hard enough. As for treatment, patients often believe that until the cure is found, the best treatment is bed rest and limited activity.

The result of such beliefs is that back pain that could initially be resolved with exercise becomes chronic back pain. Chronic back pain that might still be resolved if the patient were to exercise regularly gradually develops and produces chronic back pain limitations.

TIP: Back pain is very, very common in our society. Rather than let it lead to complications and limitations, you may want to ask your physician for gentle exercises that may resolve your back pain before it becomes chronic.

?2007, Anna Hart. Anna herself is a back pain sufferer, and can sympathize with your problem. She invites you to read more of her articles about back pain at http://www.backpainreliefblog.com Anna has posted additional information on that site about chronic back pain, and articles that describe back pain exercises you can do at home. Pay Anna a visit now.