Chronic back pain can be debilitating and may make it difficult to accomplish even the most ordinary of daily tasks. The situation gets compounded when false information gets spread on the Internet, and people become confused about their options when it comes to back pain relief. We are going to take a look at a few of the common misconceptions so that you don’t get fooled. Then we will discuss a natural therapy that has been a significant help for some patients.
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Doctors always call surgery the last resort, but very often, the option is presented while there are still other things you could try. Surgery is rarely the real answer for back problems. In fact, back surgeries often have long recovery times that involve as much or even more back pain than the original issue. Some patients have ended up on pain killers or muscle relaxers for an extended period of time following surgery, and this may lead to dependency. Also, a surprising number of patients find that an operation doesn’t actually correct the issue and the back pain returns later.
There are two reasons that bed rest is such a common form of care when a person is experiencing back pain. First of all, many doctors recommend it. Second, we don’t feel like doing too much when we are in pain, so bed rest sounds good. However, there is a problem with this approach.
According to one study involving 134 back pain patients, it takes an average of 29 days longer to return to normal activities when on complete bed rest versus gradually returning to your normal activities as soon as possible. So laying in bed until your back feels better may cost you an extra month of work and other activities. That makes bed rest both a slower and less economical way to recover from back problems in most cases.
Very often, the opposite is true. Back pain can be related to inflammation. Ice is the natural enemy of inflammation. So icing your back may help to relieve some of your pain. On the other hand, using heat may feel good at the time, but it may also increase inflammation later on. This is because heat draws blood to the area, which is suitable for repair but also causes an immune response. The increased inflammation can actually make the pain worse.
In the case of an accident, it is true that your back problems may have a sudden and acute onset. However, most cases of back pain, especially chronic back issues, are the result of months or even years of back problems. The pain main arise suddenly, perhaps while you are lifting, bending, or twisting, but the issue that caused the pain may have been in the works for quite some time.
Take an upper cervical misalignment as an example. You don’t usually have a neck misalignment one day and lower back pain the next. The neck issue may occur in an accident, fall, or sports injury. It may also happen due to poor posture, long days sitting at a desk, or overuse of mobile technology. The misalignment gradually causes shifts throughout the spine that the body makes in order to keep the head properly balanced.
Over time, one shoulder becomes higher than the other. Next, the level of the hips gets thrown off. Finally, you may notice differing leg lengths. This can lead to premature degeneration of the discs, pinched nerves, or other issues that cause pain where the most considerable changes take place. Therefore, your “sudden” back pain may be the result of months or years of changes caused by a slight misalignment in the top two bones of the neck.
In reality, there are many ways to get help for your back pain. You just have to be careful and include your physician to help you make good decisions. For example, stretching and exercise can be useful for your back. However, if there is structural damage that needs to heal before you do any heavy lifting, you need to know, so that means getting some tests done at the doctor.
Another thing you can do for your back pain is to see an upper cervical chiropractor. Why is this specific form of chiropractic good for chronic cases of back pain? As we mentioned earlier, when a slight misalignment occurs in the top two bones of the next, changes will take place along the spine to maintain the proper balance of the head. Where the most significant changes take place, it can lead to chronic pain issues.
To stop the pain long-term, you need to get to the underlying problem. Correcting the upper cervical misalignment may allow the body to restore a normal position to the rest of the spine and the surrounding soft tissue. As healing takes place and the soft tissue stabilizes, this can remove pressure from nerves and help the spine get out of a stressed position that is causing premature wear and tear.
To learn more, contact an upper cervical chiropractor in your area. You may have just found the natural way to deal with pesky back pain without having to take pain relievers for the rest of your life.
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TV show host Montel Williams describes how specific chiropractic care has helped his body.
The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present.
