Relax And Stay Positive
Trying to relax is a crucial part of easing the pain as muscle tension caused by worrying about your condition may make things worse.
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Although it can be difficult, it helps to stay positive and recognise that your pain should get better. People who manage to stay positive despite their pain tend to recover quicker.
Can Back Pain Lead To Complications
The good news is that most people recover from back pain within a few weeks.1 See your doctor if you experience additional symptoms, such as:
- loss of bowel and/or bladder control
- severe pain that gets worse instead of better over time
- problems with passing urine or bowel movements
- numbness or a pins-and-needles sensation in your legs, back or elsewhere
- unexplained weight loss
- back redness or swelling
For some people, back pain becomes an ongoing problem. Around 1 in every 2 people who experience back pain will experience it again, and for 1 in 5 people, back pain may last beyond 8 to 12 weeks. Possible complications that result from persistent, long-term back pain include:
- dependence on strong pain medicines, such as opioids
- reduced quality of life
- more difficulty finding work and keeping active
See your healthcare professional if your back pain is unresolved and limits your movement and activities. A health care professional can help you find ways to manage your pain and regain a better quality of life.
The Supermarket Approach To Back Pain
Experts estimate that up to 80% of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives.* But where do you go for care when back pain hits?
You might choose your primary care provider , the chiropractor or physical therapist. If the pain was very bad, you might go to the ER. Its really the supermarket approach to back pain, says Rae. There are too many options, which can be very confusing to the patient looking for guidance on how to manage their condition.
The problem with all these options? The care you receive might be more dependent on where you go than what you truly need. Your PCP might prescribe you pain medicine the chiropractor might manipulate your spine to relieve the pain the physical therapist might teach you how to stretch and strengthen your back muscles the ER doctor might perform an MRI and recommend surgery.
Although all of these options are appropriate for the right patient, notes Excellus BCBS Medical Director and chiropractor, Dr. Brian Justice, the challenge is in decreasing variation in care delivery among various providers and helping patients find the right care.
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Treatment For Acute Low Back Pain
Learn about the first aid steps you can take when you first get back pain, such as using heat or ice, taking medicine, and not resting too much.
Sometimes acute low back pain lasts longer than a few days, even after you try first aid steps. In such a case, you might add another treatment, such as acupuncture or manual therapy.
If your pain is very bad, your doctor may recommend short-term use of a muscle relaxant. Some people consider epidural steroid shots.
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Answers From an Expert: Stay as active as you can. Doctors used to say to rest, but it turns out that this is not the case. The more active you are, the better you will be, and the faster you will heal.âDr. Robert Keller |
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If over-the-counter medicines combined with these treatments have not helped, your doctor may recommend another medicine. In some cases an antidepressant such as duloxetine can help. If pain is very bad, your doctor may have you try a week or two of an opioid pain reliever such as tramadol. Be sure to discuss the risks and the possible benefits of all medicines with your doctor.
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For Nighttime Relief: Motrin Pm
Dosage: 200 mg ibuprofen and 38 mg diphenhydramine citrate
Why experts recommend it:
The two active ingredients in Motrin PM help when you have trouble sleeping due to pain.
How it works:
Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine used to help relieve allergy symptoms. There is evidence that Some types of antihistamines can cause drowsiness, whichhelps a person sleep better or fall asleep faster.
How to use Motrin PM:
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Use as directed on the label or as instructed by your doctor
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If NSAIDs cause you to have gastrointestinal problems try taking them with food
Precautions when taking Motrin PM:
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Do not take Motrin PM for longer than 10 days or at higher doses unless instructed by your doctor
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People who take NSAIDs may have a higher heart attack or stroke risks than people who do not take these medications
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Do not drive or operate heavy machinery due to drowsiness from diphenhydramine
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There are increased risks of falls for those over 65 years of age do not take unless directed by your doctor
Common side effects of Motrin PM:
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Nausea
More serious side effects of Motrin PM:
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Dizziness
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Blurred vision
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Doctors Have Been Treating Lower Back Pain All Wrong
When Julie Price threw out her back for the second time in December, she knew she needed help.
It was immobilizing and intense, Price, a 37-year-old New York City-based accountant, told The Huffington Post.
Price, a former athlete, felt she had lost a lot of strength after two pregnancies. She also has flat feet, alignment issues and bad knees, so she realized she couldnt take care of everything alone.
Although the pain started to lessen on its own, Price went to see Allen Chen, director of physiatry at NewYork-Presbyterian/The Spine Hospital, who specializes in treating spine injuries.
Chen, after ruling out structural problems with her spine, prescribed physical therapy once a week and home exercises. She doesnt have any pain now, and she feels stronger, not just in her back but also in her core and legs, she said.
Last week I was able to squat without anything hurting, which I never thought would happen, she said. The physical therapy has made a world of difference.
The American College of Physicians, in new guidelines released this week, says a lot more patients should receive the type of treatment Chen prescribed for Price.
Doctors need to educate their patients that lower back pain is like a common cold unpleasant but hard to treat and likely to go away on its own. And chances are painkillers wont do much to help.
How Orthopedic Treatment Can Help
Orthopedic spine specialists who don’t have a specialty in orthopedic surgery use non-surgical methods to treat patients who suffer from lower back pain. They specialize in musculoskeletal disorders that affect the lower back in people with sports injuries and other traumatic injuries, as well as disorders and diseases of the spine. They may work with other spine specialists mentioned above to manage the lower back pain and restore movement.
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Tips To Strengthen Your Back
Flexion and extension exercises are commonly used to prevent low back pain. Be sure to review with the doctor any program you are considering.
Easy Low Back Exercises
- Ankle Pumps: Lie on your back and move ankles up and down.
- Heel Slides: Lie on your back and bend then straighten the knees one at a time.
- Wall Squats: With your back flat against a wall, sit like you would in a chair with your knees lined up over your ankles. Gently press against the wall, keeping your abdominal muscles tight. Hold for five seconds.
- Single Knee to Chest Stretch: Lying down with back flat, pull your knee into the chest.
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How Is Lower Back Pain Diagnosed
The most common cause of low back pain is a mechanical back injury. This means an injury that occurs to the spine, back muscles, nerves, or bones near the back that may cause you to become unbalanced. Common causes for back injuries can include bad posture, improper lifting, arthritis, a ruptured or herniated disc, fractures, falls, and more.
Typically, back pain of any kind is self-diagnosed. Low back pain is especially easy to diagnose because its an easily recognizable location. However, you should still see your primary care physician or another back pain specialist for a thorough review of your medical history and a physical exam to identify any serious conditions that may be causing the pain and to assist you in seeking treatment.
Patients should know that lower back pain can be caused by many different things and that they should have a proper evaluation by a physician before going off on their own to find someone to treat them, said Amy Sedgwick, MD of Yoga Medicine.
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What Are The Best Home Remedies For Lower Back Pain
Depending on the severity and cause, you may be able to reduce or eliminate your lower back pain at home. Many of these remedies are short-term solutions, but can help you avoid medications while you wait for your next doctors appointment. After consulting a healthcare professional, you may be able to rely on these solutions entirely for minor pain.
Traction Ultrasound And Tens
If your back pain doesnt respond to conventional treatments, you may need to consider alternative options.
Traction uses a system of weights to align your spine and possibly help slipped discs move back into place.
Ultrasound involves massaging the soft tissues around your back injury with sound waves that warm the muscles, causing them to relax and heal more quickly.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is electronic stimulation of the nerves through electrodes placed on your skin.
The electricity blocks pain signals that travel through the nerve paths.
Ask your doctor about these treatment methods.
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What Is The Treatment For Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain
Initial treatment is similar to sudden-onset attacks. That is, aim to keep as active as possible. Also, painkillers can help. In addition to the painkillers listed above, your doctor may advise a course of an antidepressant medicine in the tricyclic group – for example, amitriptyline. Tricyclic antidepressants have other actions separate to their action on depression. They are used in a variety of painful conditions, including back pain.
Also, a national guideline , referenced below) recommends one or more of the following treatments should be considered. Each of these treatments has some evidence from research trials to suggest that they will help to ease symptoms in some people :
- Structured exercise programme. This means a programme of exercise supervised by a professional such as a physiotherapist. This is likely to be in a group setting. Exercises may include aerobic activity, movement instruction, muscle strengthening, posture control and stretching. It typically consists of up to eight supervised sessions over 8-12 weeks with encouragement to keep on doing the exercises at home between sessions.
- Manual therapy. Typically this includes several sessions of massage, spinal mobilisation and/or spinal manipulation. With spinal mobilisation the therapist moves the joints of the spine around in their normal movement range. In spinal manipulation, the therapist moves joints beyond the usual range of movement.
- A course of acupuncture. It is not clear how this may work.
Back Exercises And Stretches
Simple back exercises and stretches can often help reduce back pain. These can be done at home as often as you need to.
For information about exercises and stretches that can help, see:
A GP may be able to provide information about back exercises if youre unsure what to try, or you may want to consider seeing a physiotherapist for advice. Read about how to get access to physiotherapy.
Doing regular exercise alongside these stretches can also help keep your back strong and healthy. Activities such as walking, swimming, yoga and pilates are popular choices.
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Back In Action: Updated Treatment Recommendations For Lower Back Pain
That dull ache when you go for your morning jog. A sharp pain when you lift a heavy box. For some people, back pain is just an annoyance that comes and goes. For others, it can be a devastating hindrance to everyday life.
Back pain affects 80 percent of people at some point in their lifetime. Each year, lower back pain causes about 149 million lost days of work in the U.S. and costs $100 billion to $200 billion mostly in lost wages and productivity.As The New York Times reported in February 2017, the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society have released updated back pain treatment guidelines that are similar to the evidence-based approaches weve used at UT Southwestern for many years. Many people expect their pain to be treated with a doctors visit and a prescription for medication. But we know thats not how back pain works. And with an opioid epidemic ragingin America, prescribing medication as a first-line treatment for back pain is not the safest approach for patients.
Lower back pain often can be resolved by staying active without pain medication. But there are times when thats not enough. Lets discuss when you might need to visit the doctor and when back pain is manageable at home.
Best Painkillers For Severe Lower Back Pain
If it lasts three months or longer, back pain is taken into consideration persistent. It can go as well as come, frequently bringing momentary alleviation, adhered to by disappointment. Handling persistent back pain can be especially attempting if you do not understand the reason. Best Painkillers For Severe Lower Back Pain
Below are some easy manner ins which you can use to treat your back pain.
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What To Try First For Your Back Pain
Cleveland Clinic spine experts support the following ACP recommendations, he says:
Common Causes Of Chronic Back Pain
Chronic back painis usually age-related, but can also result from a prior injury. The mostcommon causes include:
- Arthritis of the spinethe gradual thinning of the cartilage inside the spine
- Spinal stenosisnarrowing of the spinal canal that may lead to nerve pain
- Disc problems, such as a herniated or bulging disc
- Myofascial pain syndromeunexplained muscle pain and tenderness
In some cases, its difficult to pinpoint the cause of chronic back pain.If your doctor has exhausted all diagnostic options, its time to seek asecond opinion from a back pain specialist, recommends Nava. Itsimportant not to make rushed decisions or undergo extensive medicalprocedures until the origin of the pain is found. Not only may they nothelp they could make the pain worse, warns Nava.
If the source of the pain is not known or cant be treated, your bestoption may be to work with your doctor on reducing the flare-ups and makingthe pain manageable with nonsurgical treatments.
Back Pain Causes and Treatments Webinar | Stephanie Van, M.D.
Chronic back pain is a persistent source of discomfort for many adults. In this webinar, our expert Stephanie Van, M.D., discusses common causes of back pain along with strategies for relief.
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When Opioids Are Appropriate
If you have moderate to severe back pain or neck pain, have exhausted all other viable medication options, an opioid may be an effective treatment for you. Before your doctor prescribes an opioid pain reliever, he/she will likely evaluate your current medical condition by performing a physical and neurological examination. The assessment focuses on your painincluding the location, intensity, frequency, and treatments youve tried.
What Is The Outlook
Most of us will have a bout of nonspecific low back pain at some point in our lives. The severity can vary. However, it is difficult to quote exact figures as to outlook . This is partly because it is so common and many people with back pain do not consult a doctor. Roughly, it is thought that:
- Most nonspecific back pains ease and go quickly, usually within a few weeks.
- In about 4 in 10 cases, the pain has completely gone within four weeks.
- In about 7 in 10 cases the pain has completely gone within one year.
However, once the pain has eased or gone it is common to have further bouts of pain from time to time in the future. Also, it is common to have minor pains on and off for quite some time after an initial bad bout of pain. In a small number of cases the pain persists for several months or longer. This is called chronic back pain.
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