Back Pain: Causes and Treatment
Back pain is not something that can be taken lightly. It affects your everyday routine and can lead to disability if not taken care of by a Melbourne chiropractor. Luckily, prevention is possible. However, a few exercises at home can heal the back pain in a few weeks.
Symptoms
Symptoms of back pain include:
- Muscle ache
- Pain like shooting or stabbing and diverging down your leg
- Increase in pain while bending, lifting, standing, walking
If you do not see any improvement in back pain with home remedies and rest in a few weeks then see your doctor.
Causes
- Bulging or fractured disks. Disks are the buffers between bones. A nerve can be pressed if the soft material of the disks becomes fractured. However, this can happen without back pain.
- Muscle or ligament strain. This can happen due to an awkward moment or imitated heavy lifting.
- Arthritis. It can affect your lower back. It can also lead to a medical condition called spinal stenosis.
- Osteoporosis. Porous and brittle bones can lead to compression fractures in bones.
- Skeletal irregularities. This normally occurs in mid-age. In this situation, the spine bends to one side and causes back pain.
Treatment
Each person has different physical conditions. In some people, home treatment works great but in some people, it does not improve for a long time. Doctors recommend different treatments as per the condition. Sometimes even seeing a chiropractor can help.
Medication
These can be included:
- Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers
NSAIDs like ibuprofen and naproxen sodium can relieve back pain. But, these should be consumed as per the doctor’s direction.
- Muscle relaxant
These are recommended when OTC fails to relieve low to mild back pain.
- Topical pain relievers
Cream, salves or ointment to use on the skin over the area of the pain.
- Narcotics
These are drugs containing opioids and taken under a doctor’s strict supervision and only for a short time. Opioids like oxycodone or hydrocodone are not good for chronic pain and are normally given for less than a week.
- Antidepressant
These medicines are given in very small doses and are useful in chronic back pain.
- Injections
When medicines fail to provide relief, cortisone (anti-inflammatory medication) may be used. This is injected around the spinal cord and relief can last for a few months.
Physical therapy and exercise
Heat, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and muscle release techniques can be used by a Network Chiropractor Fitzroy. You can learn these techniques to improve your flexibility, and strengthen your back and abdominal muscles. Back pain can be stopped from returning by regular use of these techniques.
Surgery
Surgery can be an option for back pain at times depending on the severity of the condition. It usually helps people with radiating leg pain or nerve compression that causes muscle weakness. However, surgery is normally performed to correct structural problems. These can include a narrowing of the spine or a herniated disk.