Effective Lower Back Pain Treatment

I first recall having back pains in October of 2004. On the outset it was nothing more than a minor irritant after having sat for too long. It is now become much more than that. I am definitely in one of the risk groups for needing lower back pain treatment. My problem is pretty much brought on by my own doing. I am only and I do not exercise nearly as much as I should. Add to this the fact that I work at a desk all day, and you have a recipe for disaster. Intellectually, I probably knew this, but it was easy to ignore the risk signs until it was too late and I needed to get lower back pain treatment myself.

In the beginning I thought I could tackle the problem stretching thoroughly and sleeping on a firm mattress. It actually does help alleviate the pain as the mattress supported my back a little better, and I'm sure that the stretching exercises that I did helped out.

But once again the fault lies with myself because I was never disciplined enough to stick with my exercise regimen in order for it to be effective as a lower back pain treatment. So, you can probably guess what happened next, the back pain just became worse And worse when, one day, I finally did it.

I completely threw out my back and couldn't move for four days. It was awful. I went to a chiropractor after that, and he straightened me out, but no matter how many lower back pain treatments I received, I still was plagued with pain on a regular basis.

I finally reached the breaking point where I had to do something. I decided that the best lower back pain treatment I could provide myself would be to live a much more healthy lifestyle. I had an uncle who was severely overweight, and was plagued by horrible, persistent health problems which lasted until the day he died. I did not want to suffer the same fate whether it be my heart or my back.

The first thing I did was take up jogging. As you can imagine it was a struggle just to get around the block. I would puff and wheeze, and be sore for days. But I didn't give up, and soon I could jog for half a mile without stopping. I know that may not sound like much but for me it was quite an accomplishment.

But wouldn't you know it, I then sprained my ankle and experienced pain in my knees, but by that point, my lower back pain treatment had been a complete success. It was a pretty fair trade-off altogether. Once the new knee cap that they had to install settles, I am going to begin a routine of water aerobics as my new lower back pain treatment. Take it all the pressure off my joints is the ticket. It's time to get wet.

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Back Pain Facts?

There are several causes of back pain: mechanical causes, eg lumbar disc disorders; degenerative conditions, eg degenerative disc disease; inflammatory conditions, eg ankylosing spondylitis; infective causes, eg osteomyelitis; neoplastic causes, eg primary benign or malignant tumours; metabolic bone disease, eg osteoporosis; referred pain, eg from duodenal ulcer; psychogenic pain - originating in the mind rather than the body.

Back pain is one of humanity's most frequent complaints and does not usually reflect any underlying disease. However, anyone with back pain that does not improve after a few days should first consult a Physician, as back pain can sometimes indicate significant and serious conditions which might not otherwise be diagnosed. Back pain is very rarely a sign of a serious medical problem. It is however important that the treatable medical causes are identified early on.

Back pain affects 50 to 80 percent of people in the U.S. at some point in their lives. In any given year, 10 percent of adults experience back pain or other symptoms, such as limited mobility or stiffness. Each year, Americans spend an estimated $24 billion on treatments for back pain - not including missed time from work nor the emotional costs of enduring pain and not being able to participate in daily activities. Imagine what it would be like to have problems working, golfing or enjoying playtime with children!

Back pain can be mildly uncomfortable, excruciating or anywhere in between. It can start slowly, sometimes a result of poor posture, or come on suddenly because of injury. If your question is not answered here, please contact one of our information specialists. Back pain can last for a few short days or can linger for weeks, months and even years. Arthritis is a common form of back pain. The earlier arthritis is diagnosed, the more steps can be taken to reduce disability in the future. Other factors that aggravate back pain include suffering from stress, not getting enough sleep, being overweight, having poor posture or not being physically fit.

Back pain should not be considered a normal part of aging; it is a chronic condition that calls for similar lifestyle changes as diseases like arthritis and diabetes do.