What You Always Wanted To Know About Back Pain... But Were Afraid To Ask!

Did you know that back pain is:

• The second most common cause (after the common cold) of lost days of work for adults under the age of 45?
• The most common cause of disability for men over 45?
• The second most common reason for a visit to a primary care doctor?
• The third most frequent reason for surgical procedures?
• And the fifth most frequent cause of hospitalization?

Statistics show that eight out of ten adults will experience an acute episode of lower back pain at some point in their lifetime. So sooner or later, most of us will face some form of it. Fortunately for most of us, back pain is usually brief: 50% of back pain sufferers will experience relief within two weeks and 90% within three months.

Still, that does not mean you need to sit around waiting to become a back pain statistic. Learning all you can about back pain, how it is treated, and ways to avoid it, will go a long way toward reducing your chances of suffering or perhaps abbreviate your recovery time.

So what causes back pain? There are several different structures in the back and neck that can produce pain, including:

• The large nerve roots that run to the legs
• The system of connections that supply nerves to the spine itself
• A straining of the large paired back musicles
• Injury to the bones, ligaments and joints

In general, younger people (from 30 to 60 years old) tend to experience disc-related back pain (from lumbar disc herniation or degenerative disc disease), while older adults (60 and above) often suffer from back joint degeneration (as from facet joint osteoarthritis, for example). But the most common causes of back pain include sprains and strains, wear and tear associated with age, osteoporosis, and fractures or protruding disks.

If you experience back pain, be sure to consult your doctor for the proper treatment. Fortunately, most back pain does not require surgery and can be treated through medication and/or a prescribed amount of light physical activity, combined with rest, which can speed healing and recovery. Once your back pain has decreased, your physician may recommend some form of rehabilitation to help increase muscle strength and flexibility.

Perhaps the best long-term treatment for back pain is staying in good physical condition and following proper lifting and posture guidelines to prevent further pain.

Here are three easy rules to avoid back injury when lifting:

1. Keep the chest forward.
2. Lead with the hips, NOT the shoulders.
3. Keep the weight of the lifted object close to your body.

For more information about back pain, proper lifting techniques, medications, massage and other related topics, go to the following links:

www.spine-health.com

www.spineuniverse.com

www.backpain.org

www.spine.org