Back Pain is one of the biggest causes for lost work days in the United Kingdom and America. For some people, they see it as a quick and easy way to get a day off with a problem that cannot be proved. For legitimate back pain sufferers though it is a physical nightmare that is no less serious than any other form of chronic pain. This physical aspect is bad enough but it can also be made worse by public perceptions that "most" people with back pain are layabouts wanting out of work. In this section we're going to look at the real problems of back pain, why it happens and what can be done to help ease the back pain sufferer.

Lots can go wrong with your back. It is a highly complex and intricate collection of “scaffolding” held together by various types of “wire” and “nuts” and “bolts” and “internal reinforcements” and lots of other complex parts. The basic components of the back alone offer many possibilities for the generation of pain; this includes areas such as muscles and ligaments, or the vertebrae.

Although you may feel back pain some time in your life only a small minority of people will be confronted with chronic back pain. Most acute back injuries heal quickly within a matter of weeks, with little or no loss of workdays or other activities. Sadly though Chronic back pain is a whole different kettle of fish.

Lots of back pain sufferers today seem to be expecting a quick fix for their back pain, and thus doctors often try to provide this through a combination of invasive surgery and powerful drugs. Sadly though, in a lot of cases these treatments do not work as back pain demands a comprehensive programme of various treatments which are at their most effective when a reason for the pain has been thoroughly investigated and located.

Why are the quick fixes so disappointing with results? Well maybe it’s because like a lot of “area” specific pains (ie back pain or knee paint, or headaches etc) there are numerous different types of pain that someone could be feeling in their back and a treatment that works for one may not work for the other.

Examples of the various types of back pain are: Muscle Pain, Nerve Pain, Joint Pain, and then there’s the actual medical conditions themselves that affect the back such as osteoporosis etc that the patient may just describe as a “back pain” but is far more complex than that. Because of this I cannot really give any in depth information on back pain, as there’s just too many different types to be able to cover it all in this mini article. Your Pain Management consultant or GP will be able to give you lots of information about your specific back pain and ideas on how it can be eased when times are bad.

Aside from Surgery, what can be done for back pain to ease it?

Here are some of the treatments that are available for chronic back pain – whether or not it is an option for you is down to what the cause of your back pain is and therefore I recommend you consult a doctor as to whether any of the forms of pain relief treatments listed here are available for your pain treatment regime.

TENS machines: Transcutaneous Electrical Neuro Stimulation. It’s a small pocket sized battery powered electroshock pack which has sticky pads leading off them which you stick on the area of the pain. When you switch the machine on it delivers minute electro shocks to that area which feel like a tingle. It is a pleasant sensation and within minutes that area is numbed and the pain eased. The depth of penetration offered by the shocks is not huge, but sufficient for most back areas.

Acupuncture: Again, depending on the type of back pain this could be a very effective treatment. Is it a load of “black magic mumbo jumbo”? I couldn’t really say, but lots of people find it does help and it is rapidly becoming a conventional treatment rather than an alternative treatment.

Nutritional Therapy: I bet you are thinking, “what????????!!!!!” but some doctors believe that nutrition can pay a significant part in your back pain management regime. A proper diet can help reduce painful inflammation, helps to build levels or pain-blocking serotonin, and helps to improve your pain threshold by boosting brain power. Likewise if you are overweight, losing weight can help reduce strain on your back and in turn reduce the amount of pain you feel – however Im sure we all know that losing weight is so much easier said than done. Boy, do I know that!! lol. :o) Nutritional experts believe that the following vitamins and minerals help ease back pain problems and the pain associated with them.

· Calcium

· Vit C

· Vit D

· Boron

· Zinc

· Vit K

· Copper

· Magnesium

· Silica

· Manganese

The minerals and vitamins could be taken individually ot in the form of Multivitamins and minerals “one a day” type forms. As always though you MUST consult your doctor before starting any treatments listed here. I’m not a doctor, just a pain patient like yourself, and this information is collected from various pain management books and other pain websites.

Physical Therapy: The quality of physical therapy can vary wildly. If administered via the hands of an expert it can be a tremendous help in the fight against chronic back pain. In the hands of an amateur or someone totally untrained then the chances are it will not only not help your pain but it could likely damage your back further and leave you in even more pain than when you started. If PT is an option for you your doctor or pain management consultant will be able to point you in the direction of a fully trained physical therapist to help you.

Chiropractic and/or Manipulation Therapy: This is rapidly becoming one of the biggest tools in the cabinet for Pain management consultants to use again chronic back pain. Most manipulation is regarded as painless and often provides immediate relief. One of the pain books I read while researching this site stated “if the doctor you are seeing now is still sceptical about manipulation therapy, he or she may be out of touch with current medical trends”. (The Pain Cure: Dharma Singh)

Medication: Prescription and non-prescription drugs still play a huge part in the pain management regime of most chronic back pain sufferers. Opiates – such as morphine and methadone and pethidine etc can be helpful but most pain doctors now shy away from prescribing such drugs for “just” back pain. Steroids are often prescribed to reduce the inflammation in the back region, and sometimes muscle relaxants too. Anti-depressants are sometimes used too as they help in the creation of serotonin (the natural pain blocking “drug” in the body itself, as well as helping with sleep and relaxation. Injections are sometimes used as well to provide directed pain relief in a certain area. Non-prescription drugs are also useful in the fight against back pain. Such as Ibuprofen based medications (NSAIDs – Non steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs) not only because they help relieve the pain but also because then can help reduce inflammation.

Homeopathic Remedies: Believed to be safer than NSAIDs and just more effective by some Doctors, homeopathic remedies can offer a wider range of benefits than the aforementioned NSAIDs. “They can block pain, reduce inflammation, reduce muscle tension, improve circulation, optimize the metabolism of muscles and speed the healing of injuries.” - The Pain Cure, Dharma Singh Khalsa MD.

Epidurals and Nerve Blocks: In some cases these can be used to numb nerve related pain in the back and spine. Also often referred to as a “spinal freeze” these are a series of injections made in the lower spine area. The pain consultant will usually numb the back area with a local anaesthetic, and then inject some more local anaesthetic into the area where he or she will be injecting you. Its very similar to a lumber puncture however the needle does not penetrate the spinal region as far as a lumber puncture does. The doctor will insert a large-ish needle into the part of the spine he wants to administer the drugs, during which time you’ll feel quite a bit of pressure on the spine and it can be uncomfortable although rarely painful as such. With the needle in place he or she then goes about attaching various drug syringes one at a time – this way only one needle is needed to be inserted into that region. Drugs used are usually a combination of local anaesthetic, steroids, and anti-inflammatory medications. The drugs then mix together in the body, coat the nerves and “freeze” them i.e. numb them. The process takes about 10 minutes to complete, and pain relief is usually felt between 5 and 10 days later. Once started the pain relief can last up to three months.

Did you know…?

· One-third of all people over 45 have chronic back pain

· back pain is the leading cause of disability in people under 40.

· If back pain occurs once, it’s four times as likely to occur again.

· The average cost of a back injury is $4,500 in lost earnings and $1,600 in treatment expenses

· 80% of all people experience back pain at some point in their lives.

· 22% of all work injuries are back injuries.

· In America, 7million new cases of serious back pain occur every year

(Source: The Pain Cure, Dharma Singh Khalsa MD.

Note: Please ask your doctor about its suitability for your pain regime before acting on anything featured on this site.

Written by: Jason D.
Webmaster and Chronic Neuropathic Pain Sufferer
www.chronicpainsupport.info
www.ostomysupport.info

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Published on: 2005-11-04