How To Prevent Back Pain At Work
September 12, 2008
You bend over to grab a folder from your filing cabinet and you feel it-a sudden flash of fiery pain that shoots through your spine. But while that motion may have set off the painful sensation, bending down was probably just the straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak.
Day in and day out we treat our backs poorly, mostly with improper and repetitive movements. It only makes sense that a big part of the problem is how we move-and, more often, don’t move-at work, where most of us spend a major portion of our lives. Other factors play a role as well, such as the number and variety of manual tasks performed on the job, along with age, genetics, your schedule, desk setup and stress load. Experts say all these things combine to create unnecessary discomfort.
«It’s important to know that aspects of the work environment can make things better or worse,» – says Dr. Jeffrey Katz, associate professor of medicine and orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School, and author of the book Heal Your Aching Back.
A Common Problem
Back pain is a much more common problem than most people realize. Lower-back pain is cited as the No. 2 reason why Americans see their doctors, second only to colds and the flu. And patients suffering from backaches consume more than $90 billion annually in health care expenses, according to 2004 research from Duke University.
On the whole, up to 80% of people will deal with this health problem at some point in their lives, Katz says. In an office setting of 100 people, he estimates that on a given day, 10 to 12 people probably have some kind of back pain.
Despite the prevalence of the problem, most people don’t put in the effort to examine and tweak their regular work habits to prevent it.
«People don’t take care of themselves until they’re in pain,» says Todd Langer, a Boulder, Colo.– ased corrective exercise expert and creator of the P.A.S.T. Functional Fitness Method, which aims to relieve pain through unique balance-board-driven exercises.
Langer, who works with back pain sufferers at One Boulder Fitness Health Club, says the biggest mistake office workers make is continuing to sit in their desk chairs for hours on end. Sitting for sustained periods of time puts too much pressure on the discs and joints in your back.
To give your body a break, Langer suggests regularly moving your rear around in your chair and shifting your weight. If you spend a lot of time on the phone, stand up occasionally during conversations and try to take a short walk at least every half-hour, even if it’s just to the water cooler or printer. Use your e-mail to send yourself reminders until it becomes a habit.
It’s also a smart idea to examine your work stations for potential causes of imbalances, says Stefan Aschan, owner and founder of Strength123, a provider of nutrition and fitness programs in New York City and online. Are the floors in your office uneven? Does your chair rest half on and half off a thick, plastic rug pad? Do you, as many men do, keep your wallet in your back pocket and sit on it all day long? Do you cradle the phone between your head and shoulder instead of wearing a headset?
If so, you may be changing the way your body weight is distributed on your discs, Aschan says. Over time, that pressure may cause a disc to bulge, which can be painful.
While you’re looking at your desk, check on the positioning of your chair, computer and phone. You may have heard this advice before, but following through is another story. Todd Sinett, owner of the New York-based Midtown Chiropractic Health and Wellness practice and author of The Truth About Back Pain, recommends asking your company for an adjustable chair that will help maintain the natural curves of your spine, supporting your lower back. (Placing a pillow behind you will also do the trick if your boss won’t spring for an ergonomic chair.)
Your feet should lightly rest on the floor or, if you’re short, on a footrest. You shouldn’t have to crane your neck forward, up or down to see your monitor, and you shouldn’t have to strain to reach your phone. The goal is to square yourself.
Emotional Element
Work-related stress can take its toll on your back too, Sinett says. While people manifest stress in different ways, it usually creates muscle tension. That constant contracting, over time, can cause muscle spasms and headaches-and possibly make you more vulnerable to injury.
If you’re too tired and stressed out after a long day of work to do anything but pass out on the couch, you could be compounding the problem, says Dr. Stephen Courtney, an orthopedic surgeon at Texas’ Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano. Just as you should be stretching your muscles throughout the day, you should also be giving them a regular workout, either at the gym, on the court or in the yoga studio.
As with any change you make to your daily habits, there’s no guarantee an exercise regime will protect you from back problems. But it might decrease the frequency of recurrent episodes, according to Katz. For people in pain, it’s a move in the right direction.
Allison Van Dusen
Source: Forbes.com
Back pain? Then take a load off
September 10, 2008
You haul 16 tons, and what do you get?
If your answer is “back pain,” the BackTpack is here to help.
The weight in a regular backpack is all behind you, causing you to hunch over to compensate. In the long run, of course, that’s bad news.
The BackTpack ($65, backtpack.com), designed by a physical therapist, aims the weight of your cargo straight down your spine, so you carry it more naturally.
Bound to your body by shoulder, sternum and hip straps, the 13-inch-by-13-inch nylon side bags have pockets just about everywhere, inside and out, including an iPod pouch with a headphone hole. Available in a variety of loud colors, the BackTpack is definitely designed more for comfort than style. And comfortable it is. Compared with a regular backpack, a loaded BackTpack is practically effortless to carry, whether walking or on a bicycle, and it promotes better posture instantly. The bags hang at the hips, where you can forget about them until you need something.
The downside? You’ll have to take it off to drive a car or sit in a chair with arms.
THE (COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) GAZETTE
Fitness, How to Avoid Back Pain Find Pain Relief Options — Best Sky Transshipment
September 8, 2008
The health of your back depends to a great extent on your posture and body movements, your ability to cope with stress, and your exercise regime.
Many types of back pain can be blamed on weak abdominal and back muscles. That’s why most doctors oppose prolonged bed rest for back pain and instead recommend light physical activity along with pain relief medication and other proactive treatments.
Physical activity may not only provide pain relief, but it can also prevent future back pain. Along with pain relief medication, many doctors and physio-therapists tailor individualized exercise routines to treat patients who suffer from various types of back pain.
A typical exercise program for back pain may involve stretching and strengthening exercises, flexing, and endurance training. A variety of exercises and techniques are available for back pain relief; your doctor can help you choose an appropriate routine, taking into account the cause and severity of your back pain.
Advantages of Exercise for Back Pain Patients
Along with a healthy diet, doctors recommend exercise as an important component of a healthy lifestyle for most people, not only those who suffer from back pain.
The potential benefits of an exercise program for back pain may include:
- Immediate, short-term pain relief
- Stretching of tight, contracted muscles
- Strengthening of weak muscles, which can contribute to back pain
- Reducing mechanical stress on the back
- Stabilizing the back
- Increasing the ease and efficiency of body movements
- Improving posture, which can guard against future back pain
- Minimizing the frequency and magnitude of chronic back pain
- Increasing the likelihood of quicker recovery from back pain in the future
- Improving fitness to prevent future injuries
A Basic Exercise Program for Back Pain Relief
A basic exercise program for dealing with back pain involves strengthening the back and supporting muscles. If you have injured your back or have other health problems such as osteoporosis, start the exercises only after consulting with a doctor.
You can start on a gentle stretching and strengthening routine if you have no serious spinal problems.
Exercise #1 For Back Pain Relief:
Abdominal contractions gently stretch the back muscles:
- Lie on your back. Bend your knees and place your hands below the ribs.
- Tighten your stomach muscles to squeeze the ribs toward the back. Do not hold your breath.
- Keep your muscles contracted for five seconds and then release.
- Repeat ten times.
Exercise #2 To Prevent Back Pain:
Even when you no longer have back pain, doctors often recommend that you continue exercising to strengthen the back. Choose exercises that help align your body correctly and improve your posture to prevent back pain from recurring. For example, curling against the wall can help improve your standing posture.
- Stand with your back against the wall, with your feet approximately six inches away from the wall.
- Bend your knees and drop your head and shoulders.
- Pull your stomach in and slowly roll up one vertebra at a time against the wall.
Exercise #3 To Prevent Back Pain
Strong abdominal muscles prevent many types of back pain so exercises that involve those muscles are often part of physical therapy programs designed to avoid back pain. For example, diagonal crunches not only strengthen the stomach muscles, but also keep the tummy from sagging.
- Lie on your back. Place your hands behind your head. Bring your knees to your chest at right angles to the waist and cross your feet at the ankles.
- Exhale slowly while raising your trunk, and move your right elbow as much as you can to the left knee. Slowly lower your trunk.
- Repeat with the left elbow and the right knee.
- Repeat ten times.
To improve fitness, you may wish to include stamina-building exercises such as aerobics. As these exercises are more rigorous, start them slowly and only after checking with your physician.
Always warm up before the physical activity and cool down afterward. Walking or light jogging, bicycling, and swimming are some exercises that can provide excellent aerobic conditioning.
Alternative Exercise Therapy Options for Back Pain Relief and Recovery
A variety of alternative exercise therapies and programs are available to help alleviate, cure and prevent future back pain. Some of the more popular programs are:
- Tai Chi Chuan: This gentle martial art form provides exercise for the body, while helping the mind to concentrate. The movements relax the muscles, free the joints, and ease tension. Some people suffering from back pain use this technique along with pain relief medication.
- Yoga: This ancient Indian tradition involves a wide range of mind-body exercises including postural and breathing exercises, deep relaxation, and meditation. Many yoga postures focus on increasing spinal strength and flexibility, which can provide back pain relief. According to researchers, regular yoga practice may also prevent some types of chronic back pain.
- Chi Kung: Also known as Qigong, this ancient Chinese system of exercise focuses on breathing and posture while teaching the mind to concentrate. Chi Kung therapists claim that this system may be used effectively for back pain relief.
- Feldenkrais Method: This exercise technique aims to increase the ease and efficiency of body movements. Therapists try to increase your awareness of body movements, while teaching you to recognize and correct muscle tension.
- Buteyko Breathing Technique: This Russian therapy involves exercises in slow breathing and holding the breath. Therapists claim that this technique reduces muscle tension and can provide back pain relief.
Note: When you perform any type of exercise, it is imperative to distinguish between pain and the feeling of exertion. Pain is a signal from the nerves that a certain activity is wrong for you. If you experience pain while exercising, including back pain, you should instead start with mild exercises that feel comfortable.
Treating AND Preventing Your Back Pain
Exercise can be an important part of an effective treatment program for back pain. Customizing an exercise program that’s suitable for you can help you safely strengthen your back, improve your stamina and fitness, and prevent future back pain.
What Causes Lower Back Pain – And What Can You Do About It?
September 7, 2008
About 80 percent of the population experiences back pain, frequently lower back pain, at some point in time. Since this is a problem which affects nearly everyone, it is important to know what the causes of lower back pain are. You also need to know how to control these factors to keep lower back pain to a minimum.
Causes of Lower Back Pain
As we age, we lose a lot of our body’s natural muscle tone and elasticity. We also tend to lose bone strength as we age. Our spinal discs lose flexibility due to the loss of fluid. This results in less protection for the vertebrae. Just the fact of getting older can play a part in experiencing lower back pain.
A strain, sprain or spasm in your muscles or ligaments can result in the rupture of a spinal disc. This in turn places pressure on the nerves in your spinal cord. Our back lets us know about this with the neural signals we know as pain. So what causes your sprains, strains and spasms? Frequently, this type of injury is caused by attempting to lift heavy objects or overstretching the muscles.
Lower back pain can also be caused by diseases like osteoporosis and arthritis. There are also causes including viral infections, joint or disc irritation and spinal abnormalities.
Lower back pain can also be caused by various physical conditions. Being out of shape or overweight, having poor posture, experiencing stress and even being pregnant are all examples of this. Hip pain and lower back pain sometimes come as a distressing package deal. Scar tissue from previous injuries can also be a cause of lower back pain – this scar tissue buildup can even cause other, more serious injuries.
When to Worry About Lower Back Pain
You should take your lower back pain seriously if it comes along with other symptoms. These might include a fever, a painful cough, loss of bladder or bowel control and muscular weakness, especially in the legs. If you experience any of these symptoms along with your lower back pain, see your doctor right away. They may indicate a pinched nerve or other underlying problem. If you suffer from diabetes, your back pain might be related to neuropathy.
Avoiding Lower Back Pain
By taking good care of your back in daily life, most lower back pain can be avoided. Poor posture is often the root cause of lower back pain that never quite goes away. You can work on correcting this. Stand straight, remember to lift with your legs rather than with your back, and do exercises to build lower back strength. Be certain that you pay attention to workplace ergonomics while on the job. This can go a long way towards preventing lower back pain.
Physical Capacity And Low Back Pain: Is there a connection?
September 6, 2008
We frequently advise patients that having strong trunk muscles and better lumbar mobility are important strategies to prevent future episodes of LBP. These types of recommendations go a long way to emphasizing autonomy versus dependence in managing this common musculoskeletal problem.
However, emerging evidence has spawned some serious questions and criticisms of our current paradigm regarding exercise and low back pain. For example, we still don’t have a clear picture as to whether specific exercise programs or just activity in general is more effective at preventing LBP. We have even less specific guidelines regarding key exercise parameters such as volume or intensity of activity.
A recent systematic review in Pain raises even more difficult questions regarding the relationship between LBP and trunk strength, endurance, or mobility. After all inclusion criteria were met, the authors reviewed 24 articles. Relevant findings provided some very interesting food for thought.
- Trunk muscle strength and low back pain: Thirteen quality studies and four low-quality studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. The authors found inconclusive evidence to support a specific relationship between trunk muscle strength and low back pain.
- Trunk muscle endurance and low back pain: Eight high quality studies and four low-quality studies were reviewed. In this case, there is strong evidence that there is no relationship between trunk muscle endurance and risk for LBP.
- Trunk mobility and low back pain: Seven high-quality studies and one low-quality study were reviewed. There was inconclusive evidence connecting lumbar mobility and low back pain due to conflicting results.
It should be acknowledged that there are some significant methodological limitations within this systematic review. There was substantial heterogeneity between many of the studies which should prompt the reader to cautiously interpret the results. However, as we are often keen to site evidence to support our interventions, we must all be prepared for the eventuality that our current paradigm may not be as rock-solid as we think.
Exercise will continue to be a significant part of my plans of care in the management of low-back pain. I doubt this will change dramatically, but systematic reviews like this have me looking even harder for the best available theoretical and clinical evidence to support my approach. Until next time!
H HAMBERGVANREENEN, G ARIENS, B BLATTER, W VANMECHELEN, P BONGERS (2007). A systematic review of the relation between physical capacity and future low back and neck/shoulder pain Pain, 130 (1-2), 93-107 DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2006.11.004
Significant Long-term Benefit for Low Back Pain Revealed
September 5, 2008
A major study led by a Southampton researcher has found significant evidence that the Alexander Technique can provide long-term benefit for people with chronic or recurrent low back pain.
The study, one of the first of its kind, is published online today by the BMJ at BMJ.com (20 August 2008).
It shows that lessons in the Alexander Technique provide an individualised approach to reducing back pain through the teaching of life-long self-care skills that help people recognise, understand and avoid poor habits affecting postural tone and neuromuscular co-ordination.
Up until now there has been no good evidence of the long-term effectiveness of Alexander Technique lessons.
But the latest research by Professor Paul Little of the University of Southampton, in conjunction with Professor Debbie Sharp, of Bristol University, shows that the technique can help long-term back pain.
The multi-centre clinical trial involved 579 patients and compared 24 Alexander Technique lessons, six Alexander Technique lessons, six sessions of classical massage and normal GP care.
Half of the patients allocated to each of these groups also received a GP prescription for aerobic exercise (30 minutes of brisk walking or the equivalent each day), followed by behavioural counselling from a practice nurse.
The study showed that 24 Alexander Technique lessons led to important improvements in function, quality of life and a reduction in the number of days the patients suffered pain.
One year after the trial started, the average number of activities limited by back pain had fallen by 42 per cent, and the number of days in pain was only three a month compared with 21 days in the control group.
Massage also helped over the three months but the effect on activities was no longer significant after one year.
Exercise prescription alone had significant but modest effects on activities at both three and 12 months. However, a series of six Alexander Technique lessons followed by GP-prescribed exercise was about 70 per cent as beneficial as 24 Alexander Technique lessons at one year.
Professor Little said: «This is a significant step forward in the long-term management of low back pain.»
«The results of this study revealed that the Alexander Technique can help back pain; it probably does this by limiting muscle spasm, strengthening postural muscles, improving co-ordination and flexibility and decompressing the spine.»
«This means that patients can have fewer activities or functions limited by back pain.»
The trial was funded by the Medical Research Council and the NHS Research and Development fund.
Source: British Medical Journal Online: University of Southampton: September 2008
When to Get Medical Help for Back Pain?
September 3, 2008
Many of us have had some kind of back pain. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, back injuries have been the most expensive health-care problem for people ages 30 to 50.
«Back pain is probably the commonest reason people seek help for pain management other than acute post-surgical pain,» says Dr. Michael Ramsay, chief of the department of anesthesiology and pain management at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas.
Yes, sometimes over-the-counter meds work. But not always. So how do you know when it’s time to move past ibuprofen?
We asked Dr. Ramsey. But first, he told us this:
«Pain is a wonderful thing. That sounds crazy, but it’s your body’s way of telling you something is going on and we need to protect this area of the body.»
Here are his suggestions and comments about when to seek professional help for pain:
1. When it’s not eased by current medications or coping techniques.
2. When it disables you to the point you can’t function. «You can’t get up, you can’t get dressed.»
3. When it has lasted more time than seems reasonable. How much time depends on the severity of the pain, he says. Allow more time for less-severe pain.
4. When it’s accompanied by numbness. «If a nerve injury is associated with the pain, time is of the essence. If the nerve is getting compromised, the chance of getting it back is smaller if you don’t seek treatment.»
5. When it’s causing stress or emotional fatigue. «We look at the effect of this pain. What is the patient’s general health? What’s their mobility? Are they depressed? Depression is a factor on the longevity of pain, on the pain continuing.»
He also has tips for avoiding back pain: Exercise, and learn how to do so correctly. Try aquatic sports. And, if the pain remains, seek help in a facility that deals with the physical, mental and emotional aspects of pain.
«The more specialties you have working together, the best outcome you’ll have,» he says. «It’s all about treating the whole you.»
BY LESLIE GARCIA / The Dallas Morning News
The 5 Myths of Pain Relief
September 2, 2008
Local pain specialist Dr. Bradley Carpentier has narrowed down what he calls the five myths of pain. The most common, unfortunately, is the myth that all pain can be cured.
«I think our expectation is all pain problems can be solved,» said Carpentier, sitting in his Salinas office. «Unfortunately, not all pain can be relieved.»
With private practices in Salinas and Monterey, Dr. Carpentier is board certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine by the American Board of Anesthesiology. His special interests include the treatment of painful neuropathic conditions — chronic pain caused by injury or damage to the nerve system — using neuromodulation techniques, including spinal and peripheral nerve stimulation.
Part of the problem, Carpentier said, is people’s insistance on ignoring pain until it’s too late. By the time they address the issue, there is little that can be done to address it.
«I have patients that come in and they can’t put their foot on the ground. They can’t put on a shoe or a sock,» he said. «If we had gotten to them earlier, we could have done something.»
Another issue is patient’s ignorance of pain specialists and what they do. Often they are lumped in with other specialists, and some family physicians will not refer their patients to see a pain specialist.
About 70 percent of the patients Carpentier works with have spinal pain or are recovering from surgeries. But he said he treats all sorts of pain, from chronic aches to repetitive motion pain.
Carpentier breaks down the five myths of pain:
- Doctors can almost always take the pain away: You hear advertisements that promise to rid you of your pain, when in reality it is rare that pain is completely cured.
«As a pain specialist, I give my patients specifics when looking at the best treatments, but I don’t over promise and I never overtreat, as this can make things worse,» he said.
- The best remedy is pain medication: It is important to treat drugs as a possible short-term solution. Long term it is much better for patients to learn how to effectively manage their pain.
«This may not be what my patients want to hear, but it is better for the body to use both short- and long-term strategies in order to heal properly,» he said. «Drugs can actually make you feel worse and can leave you feeling dopey — it is better to live life fully aware of your surroundings.»
- Alternative treatments don’t work as well as drugs: Carpentier said the right state of mind is the key to healing. Some alternative treatments work very well for patients, without the risk of dependency.
«While drugs are sometimes necessary, I encourage my patients to try things like hypnosis, meditation, biofeedback, physical therapy or specific exercises to help manage and even alleviate their pain,» said Carpentier.
- Talking about pain can make it worse: Some think that if you discuss your pain with others that it makes it harder to live with. This is only true if you continue to complain, without constructive conversations.
«I have my patients on an online journal program to help them manage their pain and explore for themselves better ways to manage it,» he said. «That way we are a team working toward the best solution. Diaries sometimes help you ‘get it out’ and keep your conversations with others more positive.»
- Exercise makes pain worse: Often there is nothing better than working out, as long as it is in proper form.
«I enjoy treating athletes because they tend to really pay attention to how their bodies work and they have a potential to heal faster and better,» he said. «Make sure you discuss your method of exercise with your physician and don’t overdo it. When you reach your goals you can be even more proud of yourself for completing your regimen with added challenges.»
For more information on pain care, visit the Web site of the American Chronic Pain Association at www.acpa.org.
Guardian: At last, the cure for back pain?
September 1, 2008
A new study has shown that the Alexander Technique may be more effective than other common methods of treating back pain. But what is it, and how does it compare with other techniques? Sam Murphy looks at the evidence.
Back pain. If you haven’t got it now, the chances are you’ve either had it in the past or will get it in the future. Statistics show that seven in 10 of us suffer from it at some time in our lives. And it is one of the most common causes of sickness absence and disability in the western world. In fact, research from the British Chiropractic Association earlier this year found that in the UK, back pain is on the increase, rising from 47% of people “currently suffering” in 2007, to 52% in 2008.
Although the days when bed rest was the standard treatment for chronic back pain are long gone, the medical profession has yet to find a single effective solution that it can uniformly prescribe, thanks to a dearth of scientific evidence and, where studies have taken place, conflicting findings. But one back-pain treatment option for which there has been little funded research in the past (and therefore, scant evidence to support its use) is now making news in the medical community – the Alexander Technique (AT).
A study published this week in the British Medical Journal reports the results of a large-scale trial on the effects of AT on back pain. The study, which took place at GP practices in Southampton and Bristol, hypothesised that AT could alleviate back pain by limiting muscle spasm, strengthening postural muscles, improving coordination and flexibility, and decompressing the spine. One year on, the results bear this out: subjects who received 24 AT lessons reported an average of three days of back pain per month, compared with 21 days per month in the control group. The AT group also reported better function and quality of life.
So what is AT? I’ve asked many an Alexander teacher this over the years, and it’s a question that even they find difficult to answer. «What AT isn’t is a series of gentle exercises,» says Elizabeth Dodgson, an AT teacher in west London, and a trustee of the charity BackCare. «It’s not about being taught fixed positions (postures) in which to hold the body and it isn’t manipulation, like, say, physiotherapy or massage.»
Dodgson is happier talking about what AT does, than what it is. «The goal of AT is to set up the right circumstances under which the body can function as it was meant to,» she explains. «You’re learning the tools you need to use your body more effectively and efficiently and getting to know your patterns and habits, so you can let go of the bad ones. The hands-on element is important because it helps you feel how a movement can be different. That’s difficult to do from a book.»
It’s no coincidence that AT talks of pupils and teachers, rather than therapists and patients: there is a strong educational element involved. AT sessions are usually one on one, and the onus is on exploration and awareness rather than on forcing and fixing things.
Many common therapies involve lying down while someone «does» something to you but AT is a practice that you «do» yourself. Does Dodgson think that this «taking part» in your own treatment is an important factor? «Definitely. By the time people walk through the door, they are usually willing to change something,» she says. «They’ve been through the ‘my back’s not working – can you fix it?’ mindset and tried a lot of other things so by the time they come to me they are more open to change.»
The difficulty in pinning down what AT is, or doing it yourself at home, is probably one of the reasons why it hasn’t been embraced by the medical profession, thus far. «With physiotherapy, you can receive some treatment and be shown all the exercises you need to do in, say, six sessions,» says Dodgson. «With AT there’s no clear timescale or end point. It’s a bit like learning a musical instrment. At what point have you ‘learned it?’» Lessons cost around ?30 each, and Dodgson says that after 20-30 lessons you should have learned enough about your body to continue working on your own.
To find an AT teacher visit stat.org.uk. Tel: 0845 2307828.
How does the Alexander Technique compare with other treatments?
Pilates
Pilates is often the first port of call for people with back pain, as far as exercise is concerned. Indeed, a study from Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, found that it was valuable in alleviating non-specific lower back pain. But Lynne Robinson, director of the Body Control Pilates association advises, proceeding with caution. «Pilates is not a treatment for back pain,» she says. «We don’t diagnose and we don’t treat – our role comes after treatment, and any good teacher will ideally work one-to-one, in conjunction with the client’s medical practitioner.»
A key element of Pilates is core stability training – exercises to work on the deep-set muscles situated in the trunk and pelvic area that have a role in protecting the spine and keeping the «core» of the body stable. A recent study from the University of Queensland found that isolation of the deep abdominal muscles could successfully improve recruitment patterns in lower back pain sufferers, reducing pain. But, contrary to popular belief about Pilates, it’s not all about the core. «Pilates is brilliant for backs because it works the spine through all its planes of movement,» says Robinson. «Extension, flexion, rotation and side flexion – as well as teaching good body awareness and use, improving breathing and posture.»
· To find a qualified Pilates teacher, visit pilatesfoundation.com.
Chiropractic
There’s a lot more to chiropractic than crunching and clicking bones and joints, according to Tim Hutchful from the British Chiropractic Assocation. «Chiropractic is wrongly pereceived to be simply a manipulative technique – that’s just like saying dentists only do fillings,» he says. «It’s actually a complete package of care, which could involve everything from hands-on treatment to postural assessment and stretching.»
«Most back pain is accumulative.» – says Hutchful. «Symptoms are the last thing to come and the first thing to go – so we tend to blame the problem on the last action we did, rather than looking at the bigger picture.» There has been some controversy about manipulative techniques, however, Hutchful argues that the chiropractic treatment package offers the opportunity to prevent the likelihood of problems happening in the first place, by addressing everything from the pen you write with to the way you pick up your baby. «When a patient walks in, yes, I want to alleviate their pain, but I also want to look at its cause and the aggravating factors, because without addressing these, the problem will return.»
· To find a chiropractor, contact the British Chiropractic Association chiropractic-uk.co.uk.
Osteopathy
While a Pilates or AT teacher isn’t qualified to diagnose your back pain or prescribe treatment, an osteopath is. In fact, osteopaths specialise in dealing with back pain – non-specific chronic cases as well as acute injuries and post-surgery rehabilitation. «The role of the osteopath is to help the individual manage themselves in ways that will optimise their recovery,» says Professor Eyal Lederman, who is registered with the General Osteopathic Council. «Treatment will likely involve a combination of hands-on treatment, movement re-education and exercises to practise at home, as well as the development of coping strategies.» Even while looking specifically at back pain, an osteopath will take into account the health of the entire musculoskeletal system and treat the whole body, rather than just focusing on a specific symptom or region of pain.
While many people find relief from back pain from osteopathy (expect to feel the benefits within two to six sessions) one study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that it was no more effective than «standard care». That’s not to say that it is ineffective – just that both approaches work equally well (and osteopathy subjects need fewer painkillers).
· To find a registered osteopath contact the General Osteopathic Council, osteopathy.org.uk. Tel: 020-7357 6655.
Acupuncture
Sceptics argue that the benefits of acupuncture are in the mind, or at best temporary, as the treatment addresses only the symptoms (pain) and not the underlying cause (for example, by addressing posture). It is based on the theory of energy or «chi» pathways throughout the body. Problems occur when there is an energy blockage, and acupuncture needles are said to help get energy flowing freely again. A study from the University of Maryland lends weight to this argument – researchers analysing the findings of 33 different studies concluded that it did have a positive effect on lower back pain – in the short term. But what about in the long term? One small British study found a modest reduction in back pain in patients who received 10 sessions over a three-month period – and pain levels were still lower than a control group two years later.
Acupuncture is also said to increase levels of the natural pain-killing chemicals in the brain, endorphins, as well as relaxing the muscles.
· For more information, contact the British Acupuncture Council: acupuncture.org.uk.
-
Recent Posts
- Spinal trap — best cures for back pain
- Scoliosis and Its Common Impacts
- Arthritis of Spine Targets Young Men
- Watchung Chiropractor Works to Ease the Pain
- Pain Isn’t Just a Symptom of Arthritis
- You Don’t Have To Be Perfect To Be Free Of Back Pain
- How to Keep Healthy Back
- O’Fallon chiropractor talks about his business and move
- VCU Researchers Seek Relief for Back Pain
- What To Expect From Chronic Back Pain Medications
-
Advertisement