Back Pain Constantly Making You Suffer Every Day? Here are Some Tips to Overcome
The human back has to be treated with the utmost care for proper health. Here is everything you need to know to deal with this in a detailed way.
Back Pain — It has emerged as one of the most usual reasons to skip work or book a physician appointment. The pain can be very debilitating and uncomfortable. The main reasons, on the surface level, are a pain due to an injury, sudden body movements, and previous degenerative diseases and due to some prevailing health issues and conditions. Usually, it can strike any age group but middle-aged people and senior people are more prone to get affected by it.
Lower back pain or lumbago usually occurs due to issues in the nerves, muscles, ligaments and vertebrae that are the bony structure, which forms the spine. It can also occur due to kidney problems. Chest tumours, spine inflammation and disorders in the aorta may cause the upper back pain.
Who is more prone to a backache?
Back pain can happen to anyone. Still, there are sections of people who are more prone to it. These can be
• Those approaching old age especially 40 and above
• Those living a sedentary lifestyle and may be overweight
• People who have a family history of spinal issues and back pain
• Smokers and expecting mothers
• People in jobs where they have to carry heavy objects or stand and sit for long periods
• People with poor posture
Causes of backache
1. Strain
This may include a muscle pull or spasm, disks being damaged and injuries caused due to fractures and falls. The strain may also be caused if the patient has lifted something improperly or that is too heavy or made a sudden awkward or abrupt body movement.
2. Structural problems
In many cases, back pain can also be caused by several structural problems like Arthritis, bulging and ruptured disks, kidney issues like infections and stones, Sciatica, Osteoporosis and Abnormal curvature of the spine.
3. Posture and movement
Everyday activities are sometimes hectic or carried out in a hurry. Some of the common acts like standing and sitting or driving for a long time, overstretching and awkwardly bending, muscle tension due to sudden sneezing and coughing and sleeping in improper positions.
4. Medical conditions
In many cases, past and prevailing medical conditions also cause back pain among patients. Some of these ailments are Spine Cancer, insomnia, the Cauda equina syndrome and Shingles.
Symptoms of back pain
1. Weight loss and fever along with stabbing irregular back pains
2. Pain in the legs especially below the knees and dull pain in the back
3 Recent injury and swelling on the back or a stiff back
4. Numbness around the anus, buttocks and around the genitals
5. Difficulty in urinating and urinary incontinence
In case you experience any of these then it’s high time to narrow down back pain as the most likely culprit.
Diagnosis
A through-body examination is generally carried out by the physician who will take into consideration all the symptoms and then decide the mode of treatment. In general cases, blood tests, X-rays, CT and MRI scans, EMG and bone scans are used to inspect the back pain issue. In some cases, services of a physical therapist, an osteopath and a chiropractor are brought into use if the need arises.
Treatment by home remedies
Back pain is a troublesome issue but the good news is that, in most cases,it can be treated at home. An Over-the-counter or (OTC) painkiller medication or applying a hot water bag or an ice pack around the affected area can also help to lessen the pain.
Apart from this, listed below are some home remedies that may prove useful in causing relief from back pain.
1. Mustard oil massage
It is a known fact that mustard oil, largely, helps in soothing pains and aches. The mineral called selenium is highly responsible for curing skin inflammation and joint pains. The process involves a gentle massage of the back with heated mustard oil that has three to four crushed cloves of garlic in it.
2. Eucalyptus oil in bathing water
Eucalyptus oil is known to be a great pain relief agent and therefore mixing two to three drops of it in the daily warm bathing water helps a great deal to overcome back pain. Apart from this, the scent of the oil is also very refreshing and relaxing for the body especially the muscles and the joints.
3. Coconut oil and camphor
A great relief from back pain can also be caused by adding some camphor to some warm coconut oil. The affect areas of the back can be properly massaged with this oil for some effective pain relief.
4. Proper carrying of heavy objects
The best way to lift any heavy object is to keep the feet apart, stand near the object, and bend the knees without affecting the waist and slowing lifting the weight. In this case, twisting should be avoided and a person should squat down while lifting the object.
5. Correct posture
The best way to avoid back pains is to always sit and stand in a correct posture without laying pressure on the back.
Medical treatment
Sometimes, the problem regarding back pain is too grave for it to be cured by common home remedies. In such cases, medical treatment would remain the only option available. This involves the following methods
1. Physical therapy
This concept involves applying heat and ice, electrical stimulation, ultrasound and some muscle release techniques that may lessen the pain. These include some strength and flexibility exercises that may be continued even after the problem is solved to prevent the reoccurrence of the same.
2. Spinal Fusion Surgery
This spinal fusion surgery causes considerable relief and freedom from back pain. In this procedure, rods, screws and metal plates are used to hold the vertebrae together so that they heal faster as one joint structure.
The process involves the joining of the spinal bones or the vertebrae that helps in eliminating and controlling the motion between them. The best part of spinal fusion surgery is that after the operation, none of the body movement of the patient is adversely affected and they not restricted to any limited movements.
5. CBT
CBT or Cognitive behavioural therapy helps the patient to gain and adopt a positive attitude towards living. Thus, CBT patients tend to be more energetic and that helps to lessen the occurrence the back pain among them.
6. Injections
These are induced in the body around the spinal cord. The drug used in the injections, cortisone, helps to numb the affected area and lessen the inflammation around the nerve roots.
Tips to prevent back pain
Here are some nifty tips that might greatly help in preventing back pain and the discomforts caused by it
1. Exercise
Exercise, if done on a daily basis can greatly strengthen the body and at the same time, keep the body weight in check. In this regard, it is best to take the help of a health care professional.
2. Diet
A wholesome and nutritious diet goes a long way in fighting the daily aches and pains of the body. It also helps in controlling the weight of the body.
3. Smoking
It has been observed that smokers are more prone to back pain problems as compared to those people who do not smoke.
4. Shoes
Often high-heeled shoes are a major cause of back pain among people. Therefore, low-heeled shoes are advised for walking, as they are more comfortable and cause less pressure on the back while standing and walking.
5. Travelling
Many Travellers share their past experience about how irritating back pain and neck pain is. So while you travelling or planning for travelling, a few things can reduce or eliminate your neck pain or back pain.
Conclusion
Back pain can tend to be very troublesome and painful. Nevertheless, by following some important steps like those mentioned above, the ordeal could be avoided. It is very necessary to eat good, exercise daily and stay fit in order to combat this ailment. Overall, this article covers all the aspects related to back pain such as causes, symptoms, treatment modes, both medical and home remedies and tips to fight the ailment.
