3 Major Types of Treatment for Back Pain
Not many people know it, but there are different kinds of back pain. The corresponding treatment depends on three things — the cause for pain, the severity and length of time that the pain persists.
Discomfort from the lower back is truly subjective. It varies from person to person. Hence, when seeking treatment, medical professionals often ask patients the following questions:
- How severe is the pain at a scale from 1 to 10
- How long the pain is felt
- What triggers the back pain
The responses from the queries mentioned above can help the medical professional choose what’s the very best treatment for their patients.
Understanding back pain
Back pain is generally triggered by heavy lifting, twisting, and improper posture. Low back pain is the most typical complaint even among young people that spend most of their day sitting down in front of a desk or driving. Although neck and back pain isn’t life-threatening, it is still considered a health issue for most people.
Fortunately, there are a lot of preventive measures and treatments for lower back pain. In this article, we’ll take a good look at some of them:
Self-care at home
You may not know it, but there are a couple of things that you can do at home that will help mitigate the debilitating effects of back pain. For starters, people suffering from lower back pain needs to sleep with a pillow between the knees while pushing one side. They can likewise lie flat on the bed with pillows under both knees. Both sleeping positions help ease the strain on the back and prevent additional damage.
People with lower back pain can also start doing exercises at home that specifically target lower back pain. Such exercises include back twists, pelvic tilts, hamstring stretch and many more. These exercises help strengthen joint movement and flexibility which in turn, helps ease the strain on the back
OTC (Over-the-Counter) Pain Medications
Another way that people typically manage back pain is to take non-prescription meds like Motrin and Advil, which both contains Ibuprofen. While effective, these meds should only be used as a short-term treatment for back pain. This is because taking them over a long period can increase the risk of stomach ulcers and internal bleeding.
If you’re sensitive to Ibuprofen, one alternative is to use NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). These drugs are the foundation of medical treatment for the relief of back pain as they are an effective pain reliever without the ill effects of steroidal drugs like Ibuprofen.
For even faster relief, NSAIDs also come in injectable form. The offers an increase in ease of discomfort, given that the absorption is quicker than oral. However, it should be administered with caution and should be done by an expert.
Physical treatment of back pain
If you don’t want to rely on drugs to manage your back pain, then you may want to consider a holistic alternatives such as acupuncture. The latter can help decrease pain and increase mobility in the muscles. Session must be ideally done three times a week for a start and will increase gradually.
Another option is to opt for regular massage treatments that help ease the tension on your back. This also reduces muscle spasm which often occurs as a result of stress and sitting down for long hours during the day.
If your back pain is relatively severe, then you might want to consider undergoing what is known as the Osteopathic manipulative treatment for low back pain. The latter can be done by an osteopath who will scan your back for any muscular and skeletal irregularities and make the necessary adjustment.
Conclusion
Lower back pain treatments are undoubtedly broad in scope. It caters all kinds of low back pain with different techniques. As such, there’s no reason not to take steps to relieve yourself from the discomfort. The treatment options mentioned above ought to be able to help you do just that.
