All You Need To Know About Back Pain Therapy

For some people it can be just a dull ache in the lower back that only happens when standing for a long time or sitting for a long time. For some people it can be a sharp pain that was triggered by a simple act of bending over or getting out of the car. Many remedies are touted as back pain therapy, but which one is the best and safest option?
Why and how it happens, the presence of back pain is always an unpleasant experience. It is estimated that 85% of people will have at least one period of back pain in their lives. That high number is understandable once you know how the back is structured.
There are 24 small spinal bones that make up the spinal column. These bones basically sit on top of each other and are held in place by muscle, ligaments and tendons. The back is our central support holding the rest of our skeleton and always under the pressure of gravity.
The lower back is at a particular mechanic disadvantage as it is always the fulcrum point when we lift heavy things incorrectly. But it also takes strain in many of our everyday activities such as walking, twisting, bending and lifting. Combine this with de-conditioned muscles, arthritic joints and poor posture and you have a recipe for lower back pain.
Besides the fact that there are lots of back pain therapy options, the other good news is that most occurrences of back pain are short in duration and will usually self resolve. It is estimated that 80 percent of back pain cases without treatment will get better in about 1 month. Within 2 months about 90% of cases will be better. But what back pain therapy should we use if we do not want to wait 1-2 months?
It really depends on the cause. Usually a thorough medical history and physical examination will be performed by your medical doctor or therapist. X-rays are used to identify fractures, degenerative changes, or bony changes that happen with arthritis. Usually unless very obvious like a fracture, x-rays are not good at identifying the source of pain.
The most common cause of back pain is a sprain or strain of the muscles or ligaments. Just like we can sprain and ankle joint, we can do the same to a joint in the back. Ceasing any aggravating or causative activity is important. The best activity is gentle walking, do not under estimate this as an effective back pain therapy. Natural anti-inflammatory substances like fish oil, cat's claw or turmeric can be used. This can help speed recovery and get you out of pain.
A common error regarding back pain therapy is resting the back. People are tempted to do nothing and just lie in bed. This is not right. Resting the back may mean discontinuing any aggravating activities such as prolonged sitting or heavy lifting. But research has demonstrated that prolonged bed rest is detrimental to the muscle strength and stability and will actually prolong recovery.
If you do a lot of sitting at your job, then make sure you have breaks every twenty minutes or so. Long sustained postures such as sitting are very bad for the lower back. Other examples can include driving. If you have any long car trips try to break them up to give your lower back a rest. When you start to feel better you can begin some core strength work such as pilates, this type of back pain therapy is great.
About the Author
For more expert advice on back pain therapy, go to author Peter Alexis' website which is all about the safest back pain remedies.

Peter Alexis

Medical Researcher, Health Practitioner and Pain Management Specialist