Back Pain

There are many medical diagnoses attributed to low back pain and sciatica, yet how relevant are they?When it comes to conservative treatment, I would suggest that it is not really that important, as these medical diagnoses identify the source of the pain, but not necessarily the cause of it.For arguments sake, let’s say you have a herniated disc/slipped disc. While I accept that this may well be the source of your pain, it is not really going to help us if we are to set out a treatment strategy to resolve your pain, We need to find out why the disc herniated in the first place i.e. what caused the disc to herniate in the first place.Non-Specific Low Back PainIt is widely accepted throughout the health profession that nearly all low back pain suffered by the general population is non-specific low back pain (NSLBP), where no single structure can be truly identified as the source of pain.Therefore, I believe we should concentrate on a functional diagnosis as opposed to a medical one, as it is typically our functional day-to-day activities which lead to NSLBP.I believe we need only concern ourselves with two diagnoses:Flexion Dominated Pain (FDP)Extension Dominated Pain (EDP)FDP refers to pain which is aggravated by the movement of leaning forward (flexion) or any movement or posture which has a similar influence on the spine.EDP refers to pain which is aggravated by the movement of leaning backwards (extension) or any movement or posture which has a similar influence on the spine.So are you suffering with FDP or EDP?If a position such as lying on your stomach helps ease your pain (maybe place a pillow or two under your stomach, because if your pain is quite sensitive laying on your stomach alone may aggravate your pain a little) it is likely you are suffering with FDP.Alternatively, if sitting down and leaning forward to rest your forearms on your knees or maybe lying on your back and gently hugging one or both knees to your chest eases your pain, your functional diagnosis is probably EDP.NB. If your pain is still quite acutely inflamed, then it is likely that most positions and postures will increase your pain. Under these circumstances, the first thing to do is to settle the inflammation present.As always with the human body, it is not quite as black and white as this and some postures of flexion or extension can be quite subtle and not always that easy to identify straight way. Nevertheless, nearly all NSLBP can be given a functional diagnosis which will allow you to specifically treat the cause of your problem and consequently resolve the pain you are suffering with.You will also need to take note of your aggravating and easing factors, but that’s for another article…

Everyone who is suffering from back pain should ask themselves why? Why are you suffering with back pain? Why are you putting up with the discomfort, sleepless nights and inability to enjoy simple activities? Now I now this seems harsh. If you are currently suffering from back pain you what help. you want it to end now? You don’t have the time or energy to waste on stupid questions.But the answer is you don’t have time not to ask yourself the question: Why Suffer? If your like most people you will take some pain pills, get some bed rest and more than likey the pain will go away in a few days. However if you do not ask yourself this question you are at a risk of having more pain in the future.The point of this question is to get you to start looking at why your getting those annoying pains in your back and legs in the first place. What we are talking about hear is Prevention! Understanding the underlying causes of your back problems and finding ways to prevent it from recurring again.To often we are quick to grab a pain pill, ease the pain enough to continue with our daily activities and ignore the reasons we get back pain. In a lot of ways it’s like an over weight person who complains about being over weight but continues to ignore the fact that he or she over eats.More and more it is important that we become advocates for our health. Finding waysto stay healthy, active and pain free is critical to our well being especially as we get older. When it come to all the problems and issues that involve back problems prevention really is the key. Here are a few preventive things we can do to reduce the danger of recurring back pain.1. Stay in shape! Keep those core muscles strong. There are numerous exercises you can do to strength core muscles. Of course if you haven’t exercised in a while get your doctor’s okay and find a trainer that can help you with the right exercises. Even daily walking can make a difference.2. Watch your weight! Just a few pounds over your ideal weight can put lots of pressure on your spinal column and cause pain especially if you are also over weight.3. Get plenty of rest! Along with exercise we also need rest.There is nothing like a good night sleep to heal what ails you.4. Know your triggers! Certain exercises, movements, sports, etc can trigger a back ache. Knowing your back pain triggers can help you avoid suffering an aching back.So back to our question: Why are you living with back pain? Understanding what causes your back problems and taking steps to prevent the pain from coming back will go a long way to insuring that you stay pain free. Of course if the pain persists be smart and see a doctor. Presistence back aches can be a sign of more serious back issues.