As many as 8 out of 10 adults will experience back pain in their lifetime, and most of them will feel it in their lower back. When we consider that our lower back bears the brunt of our body weight, and that our back is made up of many vertebrae, a few discs to absorb shock, several major nerves and joints that allow for movement of the spine, stacked on top of each other, this statistic begins to make more sense.
Back pain is either acute, appearing quickly and intensely after an accident or injury and lasting only a short while, or chronic, recurrent pain that can come seemingly out of nowhere. The direct causes of chronic back pain are rarely obvious - simple movements, arthritis, bad posture, obesity, and internal disorders can all cause our backs to ache.
It is important to try to pinpoint the cause so you can get the most appropriate type of treatment for your low back pain. Doctors often recommend medications for lower back pain relief. Both over-the-counter and prescription medicines can ease lower back pain, and Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), which include aspirin and ibuprofen, can significantly reduce inflammation as well as back pain. Acetaminophen, available in many over-the-counter medicines, acts as an analgesic and is often used to treat acute pain. Occasionally doctors prescribe opioids or muscle relaxants for severe pain, although these can be habit-forming. Once common, doctors prescribe back surgery less often nowadays, which usually involves implanting one of several medical devices to stabilize and fuse the spine.
The medical community is now questioning the efficacy of bed rest, once thought to be essential for healing and lower back pain relief. Medical studies seem to prove just the opposite - that exercise is the real healer. Specific exercises strengthen back muscles, increase flexibility and tone, and pump fluid into back discs, alleviating soreness caused by disc dehydration. Getting up and moving or performing physical therapy can relieve back pain.
Many sufferers say they have experienced lower back pain relief through acupuncture, an ancient Chinese treatment in which needles are placed in specific points on the body. Chiropractic, whose practitioners realign the vertebrae of the spine to correct imbalances in the musculoskeletal system, provides relief for others. Whichever type of treatment one chooses, it is important to remember that there are many causes of lower back pain, and no one treatment will work for everyone.
Sciatica Pain Relief
The term "sciatica" refers to pain along a specific nerve - the sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back down through each leg. It usually caused by a wayward vertebral disc, more commonly referred to as a pinched nerve or a herniated, ruptured, or slipped disc that has shifted from it's normal position in the vertebral column and is putting pressure on the radicular nerve (nerve root), which connects to the sciatic nerve.
The intensity and duration of the pain varies with each person, and ranges from an infrequent and slightly irritating sensation to a constant, debilitating pain. It normally affects the lower back and one leg only, but pain may also extend to the feet and toes. Typical "flare-ups" last two weeks to a few months. During these episodes, sufferers have several options for sciatica pain relief.
At-home remedies such as heat and ice packs often work wonders to alleviate pain and reduce inflammation. They should be used in twenty minute intervals every couple of hours for optimum effect. Over-the-counter or prescription medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) may also bring sciatica pain relief. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be particularly helpful in reducing inflammation, but can have painful side effects.
If pain is severe, a patient may receive an epidural steroid injection. Steroids are injected directly into the painful area around the nerve and greatly reduce inflammation and pain. These injections are temporary and provide sciatic pain relief anywhere from one week to a year.
Physical therapy and chiropractic care ease the painful symptoms of sciatica and work as correctives to prevent future recurrences of the condition by helping to strengthen and tone the lower back.
If pain persists for two to three months and the aforementioned treatments have not worked, surgery may be the most effective solution. Sufferers and their doctors must choose between two surgical procedures performed to relieved the pain of sciatica. These surgeries are elective and effective, relieving 75% to 95% of patients' pain.
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