Is There Anything You Can Do For Back Pain In Old Age
Quick Jump Table
Many elderly people have constant back pain. The pain may be related to years of working in factories, offices, garages, or industrial facilities. Fortunately, there are various treatment options available.
But, unlike some age groups, many elderly are not healthy enough to undergo major back surgery. So, they look for other options, such as naturopathy medicine, yoga, chiropractic treatment. These are great options for treating back pain without invasive procedures. Below, you will discover more about natural back pain treatment in the elderly population.
Chronic Lower Back Pain
When back pain continues for more than three months, it is considered chronic. Although for most people an episode of back pain is over by that time, in some cases it progresses and can have a major impact on ones ability to function. For some patients, physical therapy with local heat or ice application , combined with a home exercise program and education in proper positions for lifting and other movement techniques can make a major difference. Patients must learn to tolerate a certain degree of pain, or they may allow themselves to become more disabled than necessary. Patients at the Hospital for Special Surgery have had success with graded exercise to work through the pain, gradually increasing the exercise quota at each session so they can learn to tolerate more exercise in spite of the pain, and get back to work and activities. Read more detail on this topic in .
Take It To The Next Level
If the above feels good and not like anything is being strained, you can increase the stretch and get the entire spine involved. It can help relieve pain in other parts of your back as well as increase spinal mobility.
The lower back is where a lot of people feel pain. As we age, spinal degeneration and osteoarthritis become much more common. It is also common for some of us to stand with a flat pelvis when we have poor posture, which can cause quite a bit of lower back pain. Doing Cat-Cow helps stretch the lower back muscles as well as working some of the core muscles and keeping the spine healthy.
Muscles worked: This works and stretches your erector spinae, serratus anterior, iliac rib muscle, and abdominal external oblique and rectus abdomius.
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What Is Considered The Upper Back
When we discuss the upper back, we are talking about the area between the base of the neck and the bottom of the rib cage.
While a lot of the time upper back pain in elderly people has to do with the spine, this isnt always the case. Plenty of instances of upper back pain are actually the result of a tweak in your ribs or surrounding muscles.
This is why MRIs and x-rays are done when you go to see a doctor for chronic upper back pain.
Elderly people experience upper back pain in different places like
What Causes Lower Back Pain In Older Adults
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Old Age And Back Pain
Older individuals are at risk of developing chronic low back pain as they age. The specific parameters that predict the development of this common ailment remain in question. Sakai and colleagues were intrigued with this clinical problem and designed a cohort study to identify those factors that were associated with the development of chronic low back pain.1
The authors enrolled 203 individuals with chronic low back pain, average of 79 years comprising 62.1% women, 37.9% men and an equal number of age-matched controls without back pain. Laboratory measurements included complete blood counts along with albumin, C-reactive protein, total cholesterol, creatinine, glomerular filtration rate, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. Radiographic evaluation involved conventional radiography of the standing spine measuring the forward tilt of the spine, scoliosis, and instability with movement . Body mass composition was assessed with a total body dual-energy absorptiometry scan which measures bone mineral content as well skeletal mass index. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine identified evidence of intervertebral disk degeneration along with any specific forms of back pain, such as infection or cancer.
Body composition in CLBP individuals was associated with lower extremity muscle mass, skeletal mass index, and cross sectional paraspinous muscle mass. In addition, lower extremity fat mass and body fat ratio were higher in CLBP individuals.
References:
You Feel: Stiffness In Your Lower Back When You Wake Up
Potential Cause: Arthritis or a Floppy Mattress
Arthritis is inflammation in the joints, and your spine has lots of those. In fact, each vertebra has three: the disc and two facets.
Try this: Take your index, middle finger, and thumb, and point them down like a three-legged stool, Dr. Shamie says. Your thumb would be the disc in the front, and the two fingers in the back are the facet joints.
Now do the same thing with your other hand, and stack them. Thats how the spine worksmany vertebrae stacked one on top of the other.
As the disc joints dry up over time, they shrink and get closer, putting more stress on the facet joints. This leads to inflammation and arthritic pain. The pain typically improves after about 30 minutes and may return toward the end of the day.
Dont stretchthats just as likely to hurt as to help, says back specialist Stuart McGill, Ph.D., author of Back Mechanic. Instead, try taking a morning walk. Walking can be a great pain soother.
Morning pain could also be a sign that your mattress is not supportive enough, McGill says.
What else can aggravate your back: sleeping on your stomach. Try sleeping on your back with a pillow under your knees. Check out more tips to find your best sleep position.
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Alleviate Upper Back Pain Through Movement
One of the easiest ways to see improvement in the upper back pain elderly people experience is to get moving. Even just getting outside for a walk, doing some low-impact yoga and upper back stretches, trying out Tai Chi or hitting your local gyms pool for some aerobics is all it takes to get the blood flowing.
You can follow this up with core exercises, as these muscles in your abdomen are often responsible for back pain in general.
Finish up with stretches for your chest, shoulders, and other upper body muscles. Oftentimes, back pain can be caused by tightness on the front of our bodies, so dont neglect those muscles!
Stay Physically Active To Ease Inflammatory Back Pain
Unlike mechanical back pain, which can worsen with exercise, inflammatory back pain typically improves following physical activity the right physical activity, that is. Your doctor should recommend that you see a physical therapist to learn exercises and stretches that can help relieve pain and strengthen the muscles around your back.
Certain stretches can also help.
If you have inflammatory back pain, you should remain active and engage in muscle strengthening and stretching exercises to maintain a good spinal posture, Dr. Bittar notes. However, you should avoid high-impact exercises that could potentially be harmful to your spine.
An example of a good stretch for IBP is the seated thoracic extension. To do this stretch, sit in a low-backed chair with your feet flat on the floor and your back straight against the back of the chair. Then place your hands behind your head with your elbows out . Keeping your head still, slowly lean backward, so the top of your spine extends over the back of the chair. Hold this position for 10 seconds, then return to the original position.
However, before beginning any stretching or exercise regimen, talk to your doctor to make sure you have a plan that will help reduce your IBP.
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What Are The Warning Signs Of A Serious Problem
Very rarely back pain or pain that travels down the leg is a sign of a serious problem.
If you have any of the following symptoms, you should seek urgent medical attention:
- difficulty controlling or passing urine
- loss of control of your bowels
- numbness around your back passage or your genitals
- serious weakness in your legs so you find standing really difficult
- severe and ongoing back pain that gets worse over several weeks.
The above symptoms could potentially be linked to a rare but serious condition that needs urgent medical attention.
A Natural Part Of Aging
As we age out of certain things, we age into others. Unfortunately, most people age into a bit of pain as they get older. The good news is that there are a few tried and true back pain relief options available for senior citizens seeking real relief. Because age-related back pain shouldnt prevent you from living a happy, healthy, and full life in your golden years. The next time you feel the ache start to worsen, try one of these great remedies.
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Basic Treatment Options To Treat Knee Pain In Old Age
So now lets move on to some basic treatments for treating knee pain in old age. With their help, you can achieve some relief.
* Most doctors recommend icing the knee 2 to 3 times a day for 20-30 minutes. Using an ice bag always is good to save yourself from future possibilities of knee pain in old age.
Physical Activities
* Some research suggests exercising for around 2 to 3 hours every day, especially those exercises which strengthen the upper thighs. Exercising every day can delay the development of osteoarthritis and benefit the knee joints, as its one of the most common causes of knee pain.
* Physical activities like walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, tai chi, yoga, etc. enormously boost the health of cartilage tissue. Even when a person has osteoarthritis or not, while further strengthening the way the body supports the joints. Strengthening the leg muscles is especially beneficial for the knees.
Posture and Support
One can even take the following effective measures to minimize knee strain:
* Maintain a decent sitting posture, without slouching or leaning
* Avoid low chairs and couches that you sink into
* Avoid sitting for long periods without moving, as joints are prone to become stiff and painful without movement
* Sitting on a pillow to raise your seating level, if necessary
* Avoid footwear with broken arches and wear supportive shoes
Balanced Diet and Weight loss
Drug & Medications
Medications that may help manage knee pain in old age include:
Massage
How To Cure Back Pain In The Old Age
Naturopathy Medicine
This is a fairly new type of medical treatment. It involves treating various diagnoses, such as back pain, with natural remedies. Unfortunately, way too many people are not aware of this type of treatment. So, they turn to more invasive treatments, such as surgery and spinal infusions.
These treatments are effective, but they have some harmful side effects. And then there is also the possibility of ineffectiveness. Who wants to undergo an invasive back or spine procedure to have it only to fail? No one, the treatment, would be fugal. Plus, you would be put through a lot of pain for what?
Chiropractic Therapy
Chiropractic therapy is another natural treatment alternative for back pain in elderly people. This type of treatment involves non-invasive alignment, heat, cold, and ultrasonic impact. The chiropractor will start with a head to toe assessment to determine the underlying problems you are dealing with.
Once you are given a diagnosis, you will be offered several treatment options. In most cases, the treatment will combine multiple therapies, which are believed to be more effective in the long run. You will be asked to perform a series of exercises that will help reduce inflammation and improve the range of motion.
Good Posture Alignment
Just about everyone sleeps in awkward positions. They either sleep with their head much higher than the rest of their body or legs twisted.
Heat and Cold Therapy
This article originally published in GetHolistichealth
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Spinal Arthritis And Spinal Stenosis
Disc degeneration often leads to osteoarthritis in the joints that are located at the back of the spine Along with hypertrophy and the formation of spurs, the bone-on-bone contact that results from changes in spinal alignment due to disc collapse can cause pain and inflammation in the facets. The abnormal bone growth changes the shape of your vertebrae and can encroach on the spaces and holes that are in and around the spinal column. When this happens, the spinal cord and/or the spinal nerve roots may become irritated as they come into contact with the spurs.
Osteoarthritis is a progressive disease, but you can help slow it down by working earnestly with your healthcare provider and physical therapist. The exercises they give you to do at home are particularly important for managing the rate of progression. Most likely, they’ll recommend flexibility development, muscle strengthening and no- or low-load exercise such as aquatics.
But when the disease worsens it may lead to spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces through which nerves and the cord travel, namely the spinal canal and the intervertebral foramen. Two types of stenosis in the spine are the central canal and foraminal stenosis.
What Can I Do If My Teen Has Back Pain
It has been discovered that this occurs in around half of all teens who suffer from back discomfort, and that it is typically caused by over-enthusiastic athletic activities or the usage of backpacks. If the back discomfort is persistent, it is necessary to determine the source of the problem. It is possible that simple pain relievers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen would be beneficial.
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Surgery For Lower Back Pain
Because the vast majority of patients recover from their low back pain with little help from a doctor, the rationale behind choosing surgery must be convincing. Eighty percent of patients with sciatica recover eventually without surgery.
Severe progressive nerve problems, bowel or bladder dysfunction and the cauda equina syndrome make up the most clear-cut indications for back surgery. Back surgery will also be considered if the patients signs and symptoms correlate well with studies such as MRI or electromyogram .
In the most serious cases, when the condition does not respond to other therapies, surgery may well be necessary to relieve pain caused by back problems. Some common procedures include:
- , such as a or removal of a portion of a
- a bone graft that promotes the vertebrae to fuse together
- removal of the lamina to create more space and reduce irritation and inflammation
When Should I Go To The Er For Upper Back Pain
It is pretty rare that upper back pain in elderly people justifies a trip to the emergency room. But, sometimes, this pain is an indication of something more serious.
Trust your gut when deciding if you need to go to the ER or not regarding your upper back pain. If you are considering whether or not your symptoms justify it, look for these symptoms in particular:
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Engage In Controlled Progressive Exercise
A physical therapy program that includes regular, controlled, and progressive exercise is a central component of almost any lower back pain care plan. Back pain at advanced ages is rarely remedied, rather it is reduced or brought to a more tolerable level that allows for increased function and ease with daily activities.
A general recommendation for older adults is about 1 to 2 hours of aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, and 2 days of strengthening exercises per week.1 Commitment to regular activity is important, as these exercise programs are most effective when performed for at least 6 weeks. Time to recovery is usually longer in advanced age than in youth.
Activities that are practical, easy, and effective for older adults include:
- Aquatic exercise. Exercises done in a warm swimming pool are as effective as other supervised exercises performed at home, at physical therapy, or at a gym.2 The buoyancy provided by the aquatic environment is a safer alternative for older adults. The initial pain and stiffness tend to be less intense with water exercises. Aquatic therapy has the further benefits of improving balance, flexibility, and function, while also reducing depression and anxiety.3
Specific exercises may be more or less appropriate depending on the underlying diagnosis. The following examples of exercises may not be suitable for all patients.
