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Conditions & Treatments

New Pain Relief Options to Avoid Back Pain

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

11617.14387Back pain is reported to be the most common cause of missed work, right after flu and colds. In fact, back pain is so common that many people consider it inevitable, especially with increasing age.
But it may be possible to avoid some types of back pain by better understanding its causes and avoiding or preventing them in the first place.
And while over-the-counter pain relief medications can help lessen back pain once it occurs, exercise, improved posture, and good furniture can strengthen and heal your back and even prevent back pain from occurring in the first place.
This article will guide you in both ways: how to avoid back pain and how to find back relief.
BACK PAIN CAUSES
The back is a powerful structure comprising bone, muscle, and elastic discs. This marvel of efficiency allows you to bend, twist, and carry weight. However, its flexibility makes it susceptible to injury and pain. Not surprisingly, back pain often results from neglect or other lifestyle factors such as:

  • Bad posture – A normal adult spine resembles a double ‘S’. When you slouch, the pelvis and the stomach thrust forward, the knees bend, and the back muscles are strained. This strain can easily lead to back pain.
  • Sedentary lifestyle and stress – Lack of exercise tends to weaken the muscles in the body. At the same time, stress can lead to muscle tension, causing the unprepared muscles to spasm.
  • Weak abdominal muscles – Back pain is often related to weak stomach muscles, which can place added stress on the back.
  • Obesity – Overweight people may find it difficult to maintain proper posture, and the burden of additional weight puts pressure on the back.
  • High heels – They push the body’s center of gravity forward. To offset this, people tend to bend their knees and move their torsos forward. This can exaggerate the spine’s inward curve, leading to back pain.

People can also experience back pain as a result of specific health conditions:

  • Spondylosis – Arthritis of the spine occurs due to degenerative spinal changes, and is often characterized by back pain.
  • Spondylolisthesis – This occurs when one spinal vertebra slips forward on top of another one, causing back pain.
  • Spinal stenosis – When the space around the spinal column and nerve roots is reduced, nerves are pinched or pressed, resulting in back pain. Arthritis and bone overgrowth trigger this condition.
  • Herniated disc – One of the most common causes of back pain, this condition occurs when a spinal disc presses on a nerve. It’s also referred to as slipped disc.
  • Sciatica – Sharp, shooting pain that radiates through the lower back or buttocks to the back of the leg when a herniated disc presses the sciatic nerve.
  • Spinal infection – When this occurs, back pain is often accompanied by fever and tenderness.

BACK PAIN RELIEF OPTIONS
Not every type of back pain is a condition you have to put up with. In addition to medication and home therapies, there are a variety of complementary and alternative therapies that can provide back pain relief.
Bed rest may help relieve acute, temporary back pain. But this may not work for chronic back pain, which may require long-term treatment.
Here are just some of the methods you can try to get back pain relief:

    Heat and ice treatment – For lower back pain relief, use an ice pack first to sooth the sore muscles. You can use a cold compress several times a day for up to 20 minutes per treatment. A warm compress or a heating pad loosens the muscles and increases blood flow, which can provide some back pain relief.
  • Chiropractic care – Some research on pain relief has shown that chiropractic manipulation may be as effective as pain relief medication for certain patients.
  • Acupuncture – In this alternative medicine procedure, the practitioner inserts sterilized stainless steel needles at specific points on the body. This may stimulate the brain to release natural endorphins, which can provide some level of back pain relief.
  • Electrical stimulation – Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) often works for acute back pain. In this procedure, weak electrical pulses sent to nerve pathways through specific points prevent pain signals from reaching the brain. This back pain relief procedure may be appropriate for those who prefer to avoid medication.
  • Over-the-counter medication – Drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen can help reduce inflammation and relieve back pain, while acetaminophen controls pain without addressing inflammation.
  • Prescription medication – When over-the-counter drugs fail to provide pain relief, doctors may prescribe a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (other than aspirin or ibuprofen), a muscle relaxant, or other medication.
  • Epidural injections – When other measures fail to relieve back pain, doctors may prescribe epidural injections of anti-inflammatory medication such as cortisone to provide pain relief.

BACK PAIN DON’TS

  • Do not exercise while suffering from severe back pain.
  • Do not sit for long periods when suffering from back pain. Sitting exerts more pressure on your nerves than standing or lying down. This can exacerbate back pain.
  • Do not slouch or overarch your back, as this increases pressure on the lower back and may cause back pain to become more intense.

HOW TO AVOID BACK PAIN
Many people who suffer from chronic back pain have found that a few lifestyle changes and healthy work habits can help them avoid recurrences of back pain:

  • Exercise – Exercise not only helps to maintain proper weight, but also helps build and maintain strong muscles. However, if you already suffer from back pain, consult your doctor before starting an exercise routine.
  • Good posture – A balanced posture allows the body to relax while maintaining an erect position. If you stand for long hours, avoid back pain by placing one foot on a stool or a box to avoid stressing the pelvis. While sitting, make sure that your lower back is supported and that your feet stay flat on the floor.
  • Bend and lift properly – Improper bending is a common cause of back pain. When bending down, bend your knees, separate your feet about shoulder width apart, and keep your back straight. When lifting things, let your legs bear your weight, keep objects close to your body, and ask for help if the load is too heavy.
  • Sleeping position – Sleep on your side, with your knees bent towards the chest. Place a pillow between the knees to reduce pressure on the back.
  • Heel inserts – To reduce the risk of back pain, some doctors recommend heel inserts to alleviate stress on the lower back and provide shock absorption.
  • Medium-firm mattresses – Sleep on a mattress that is firm enough to support your body but does not distort the body’s natural curves.
  • Car seating position – Tilt your car seat back slightly, so that your knees are higher than your hips. Place the seat close enough to the wheel to let your arms bend.
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Conditions & Treatments

Laser spine surgery helps seniors find relief

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

Senior ChampionTwo recent clinical studies bring good news to the aging population. If you have lower back pain, burning pain or numbness in your legs you are probably one of the many people suffering with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (LSS) – a condition affecting a vast majority of the over-60 age group – and this good news applies to you.
The condition is most often part of normal deterioration due to aging but can also be caused by osteoarthritis, bone spurs, bulging or herniated discs, or injury or trauma to the spine. It can be hereditary, too.
“It’s possible to have spinal stenosis while experiencing no symptoms at all, or the symptoms can appear slowly and then gradually worsen over time,” says Dr. Michael Perry, medical director of Laser Spine Institute.
The condition has been treated for years with invasive surgery which can be risky – especially for seniors – and not always successful.
The studies by Laser Spine Institute, published in the “Journal of Spine” in January 2013 and the “Journal of Orthopaedics” in March 2013, showed that minimally invasive surgeries are more successful than open back surgery at treating patients with LSS. The studies used real-life cases to prove that doing the procedure in an outpatient setting is a safe and effective option to treat even severe LSS conditions. The studies also found that minimally invasive surgery results in fewer risks, including lower complication rates, lesser rate of blood loss and a quicker recovery time.
What is spinal stenosis?
Spinal stenosis occurs in the spinal column, where the spinal cord, nerve roots and vertebrae are located. Over time, the spinal canal may become constricted or narrowed. This puts pressure on the spinal cord and spinal nerve roots, causing pain, numbness or weakness in the legs. The lumbar region is the lower part of the spine, and is the most common area where spinal stenosis happens.
Dr. Perry provides some guidance on how to maintain a healthier spine and possibly prevent the onset of conditions like spinal stenosis. Some of his recommendations include exercising and stretching regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, using proper posture and lifting techniques, as well as ensuring correct body postures are used while sleeping and driving. Additionally, adequate rest, anti-inflammatory drugs and physical therapy may ease your symptoms.
If you’ve tried all these and still have severe, limiting pain that is interfering with daily activities, it may be time to explore surgery.
Surgical options for spinal stenosis
In the past, a surgeon typically performed open back surgery, called a laminectomy (or decompression), which removes the bone, bone spurs and ligaments that are compressing the nerves. The doctor makes a single, large incision to access your spine.
According to the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, elderly patients, those with multiple medical problems and others, have higher rates of complications from this type of surgery. There could be nerve injury, blood clots, return of symptoms and more. A several-day hospital stay is usually required.
Additionally, a 2010 study published by the American Medical Association found that these invasive surgeries resulted in a high rate of life-threatening complications, and patients were often re-hospitalized within 30 days.
A less invasive surgery is gaining popularity. Minimally invasive spine surgery using endoscopic techniques – sometimes as outpatient surgery – is becoming more common. In this procedure, small incisions are used and recovery is often quicker, with less injury to the surrounding soft tissues. Dr. Perry says that most surgeons and medical practices are moving toward these minimally invasive techniques because patients are requesting them.
“Patients are concerned about the more invasive surgery, both its risks and potential outcomes,” he says. “At Laser Spine Institute, we make smaller incisions, have a lower infection rate and a quicker recovery. Our surgical complications are generally very low compared to open back surgery. Our surgeons have been regularly performing these procedures for eight years and are very familiar with the technique.”
The surgeons at Laser Spine Institute are industry leaders in this type of procedure. Laser Spine Institute has regional surgical centers in Tampa, Fla., Scottsdale, Ariz., Philadelphia and Oklahoma City.

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