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Lower Back Pain
As you probably already know, back pain is a very common complaint.
About three in four adults will experience back pain during their lifetime-and that number may very well rise, given our aging population and recent trend of obesity. Low back pain (pain in your lumbar spine) is the most common.
Most back pain comes from sprains and strains caused by stressful movements: lifting something without using proper techniques or a sudden twisting motion are just two examples of how you can hurt your back.
If your back pain is caused by a muscle sprain or strain, that usually heals on its own-just give it time. Your recovery can also be helped along by modest medical attention, such as over-the-counter or prescription medications.
You could also use heat or ice packs, or even get a massage. Sometimes, though, back pain is caused by a more severe spinal condition, such as a herniated disc or spondylosis. Depending on the severity of your pain and its cause, you may require more involved medical help, such as physical therapy or even surgery.
But please keep this in mind: just because you have back pain doesn’t mean you’ll need serious medical attention or surgery. It does mean that you’re in good company and that you have an array of treatment options to get you feeling better.
The Anatomy of Back Pain
Back pain is a condition that affects many people in both childhood and adulthood. Left untreated, it can develop into a debilitating complaint that impeeds on many aspects of your life.
A major part of your treatment is educating you on how, why and where your pain originates. Learning and understanding the Anatomy of your Back Pain will provide you with a big step towards feeling better, quicker.
Back Pain and Vitamin D Deficiency Link
A recent study has convincingly shown that low vitamin D levels could be a main culprit for causing back pain in older women.
Vitamin D deficiency affects the majority of Australians, and can lead to serious illness and disease. This has been known for some time, however the relationship between back pain and deficiency isn’t well publicised. This study shows that a little extra sunshine could result in a pain and disease free life.
I’m Blaming the Olympics for My Back Pain
In a recent consultation with a patient he decided that the Olympic Games were the source of his fairly debilitating back pain. “I’m Blaming the Olympics for My Back Pain” was the quote.
Blaming back problems on the Olympics isn’t really part of the Olympic spirit. In reality, his significantly increased back pain is probably associated with watching hours of Olympic glory slumped over the couch.
