Back pain — a common disease. Doctors divide it into several species, but most of the people suffer from the so-called "non-specific pain of the lower back". This means that the real reason for the constant pain has not been established: it may be a tumor, pinched nerve, infection, and syndrome of the cauda equina.
Medicine practically can not cope with chronic non-specific back pain. The most popular methods of treatment of such pain — bed rest, surgery on the spine, opioid painkillers, steroids — in most cases, it helps to reduce the pain just for a short time, and sometimes even harm patients.
Traditionally in the medical community, it was believed that back pain (like any other pain) is associated with a serious injury or anatomical problem. But recently, it became clear that the pain processes affects and what's going on in your head.
A new understanding of pain is associated with the concept of "central sensitisation". The basic idea lies in the fact that in some people with persistent pain occur changes in the links between body and consciousness and increases sensitivity to pain — except that the things that are not normally causing pain, are perceived as very painful. It turns out that some patients with chronic pain in the lower back can in fact suffer violations of the functions of receptors.
In a growing number of studies is recommended use in the treatment of back pain complexes of physical exercises or alternative treatments.
Alternative methods of treatment of chronic pain in the back
Studies have confirmed that active therapy (exercise, yoga, tai-chi), in fact helps people cope with pain in the back. May be effective, and alternative approaches (massage, manual therapy) — with the caveat that they are often not a panacea, and their effect will be short term and insignificant.
In general, they do not harm the body.
The main recommendations of the pain in the back — move more
If you hurt your back, the first reaction may be abstinence from any physical activity and the solutions lie on the couch until the pain does not subside.
Modern medicine against. It is believed that in most cases it is probably the worst thing you can do: physical activity can help in reducing the pain, while inaction seriously delay recovery of the patient.
Why help exercise:
- strengthen the muscle corset that supports the spine;
- increase flexibility and amplitude of movements in the lumbar, that improves the functionality of the movements of the person, and return to normal life;
- activate the inflow of blood into the soft tissue of the back that triggers the processes of recovery and reduces stiffness of the joints.
And this is only part of the reasons why practicing regular exercise into circulation on passive therapies — acupuncture or massage.
A few interesting facts:
- 20 minutes of aerobic burden on the treadmill with 70% maximum oxygen consumption reduces the perception of pain in patients by more than 30 minutes;
- increase flexibility in the lumbar spine and the hamstring can reduce the pain in the lower back on the 18-58%;
- complexes, which focus on the stabilization of the spine, reduce pain in the lower back on 39-76%, and a program to increase muscle strength, decrease pain in the back to 61%.
The authors of the study believe that the combination of different types of exercise — strength training, aerobic exercise, exercise for flexibility — can be useful for patients, and each of them has its advantages.
Such exercises do not always help in situations with short-term bouts of acute pain. But if you suffer from chronic back pain, then you certainly want to find a way to cope with discomfort and lead an active lifestyle.
Next we will look at some other specific exercises, the favorite (and well studied) in the issues of struggle with pain in the back.
Yoga
There are many studies about the relationship between back pain and yoga. By examining them, it can be concluded that yoga is not only helps to reduce pain, but also improves the musculoskeletal system muscle function.
A study that systematically explores the role of yoga in the treatment of chronic pain in the lower back, it is said of small or "moderate" improvement in the condition of the back after the regular lessons in the course of 3-6 months. In short, yoga is not a panacea, but the research still speaks of his undeniable contribution.
Tai-chi and pilates
In terms of tai-chi and pilates, then in the recently published overview of non-surgical methods of treatment of back pain included and these two systems of exercise.
Tai-chi — chinese martial art, one of the types of Wushu, popular as health gymnastics. His features — soft step with smooth continuous movements.
Stock determined tai-chi as a method that contributes to a reduction in chronic back pain and helping people recover an active lifestyle. Tai-chi is recognized more effective in relieving pain than walking and jogging, but loses in comparison to the voyage.
Pilates — a set of exercises for development of flexibility of all muscles of the body. The system combines yoga, ballet and isometric exercises.
According to the research results, pilates leads to smaller effects in the treatment of back pain and is completely ineffective in restoring the locomotor function.
Exercises for the back
Three exercises, which a professor of biomechanics of the spine, Stuart McGill recommends to patients for stabilization of the condition of the spine:
- twisting
- "hunting dog"
- the bridge on the side of the
Experts agree that you need to find an expert who will be able to design a personalized exercise program focused on addressing just your issue.
Specialist explores how you walk, sit and stand, makes conclusions about the state of your muscles, tendons and ligaments, by observing your posture and gait.
Then this is the program, functional training, in which they are included complexes of exercises, "is not addicted to pain" (also need to continue to perform even at the first signs of pain), "quantitative" (can't stop, need to finish until the end) and "regular" (to be carried out strictly according to plan, not running).
Manual therapy
Manual therapy — one of the popular methods to get rid of spinal pain. Traditional manual therapists perform a variety of surgeries, was prone to bending and setting of the joints. Experts drawing up the troubled parts of the body in the direction of or outside the range of active movements. The procedure is often accompanied by specific clicks and crackle.
Manual therapy rarely carries serious risks — complications occur only on the 10 million cases. In the treatment of pain in the cervical spine the risk of a little boost: 1.46 cases of stroke per million procedures correction of the cervical vertebrae.
Studies confirm that this approach helps people with chronic back pain — but not more, than medications without a doctor's prescription medication or regular exercise.
It is important to consciously approach the selection of a chiropractor: avoid those who sent for an x-ray or other procedures for the diagnosis of pain in the lower back (usually it is a useless clarification of clinical images), or those that recommend long-term courses of treatment.
Massage
Work massage therapists lies in the monetary manipulation of muscles and soft tissue of the back and body. There are a huge number of types of massage: Swedish, deep tissue massage, sports, myofasial relaxation, a thai. Massage is also vary in length, intensity and frequency of the sessions, which complicates the determination of the effectiveness of this method of healing.
However, the massage is virtually harmless, and scientists dealing with the problem of back pain, note that this approach makes sense, how to get rid of the pain.
According to the study, in the case of short-term (ongoing after 7-12 weeks) and chronic pain in the lower back massage has a beneficial effect on symptoms and motor function in the short term (about 1 week).
Acupuncture
One of the oldest methods of back pain treatment — acupuncture, the basis of traditional chinese medicine. According to the philosophical rationale for acupuncture, pain or disease are the result of imbalance between prisoners in the body of the "forces of yin and yang".
Life energy flows into the body through the so-called meridians, which are yin and yang properties. Use pins to stimulate parts of the body, is located on these meridians, can contribute to pain reduction or remission of the disease, says the practice.
Information about the relief of acute pain in recent studies a little more, and that in studies on the effectiveness of acupuncture in cases of chronic pain, there are contradictions. It is also reported that it is not yet clear what method of acupuncture gives the result: self acupuncture or the placebo effect.
Therefore, acupuncture is causing so much controversy. Science says that the method works, but the relative nature of the results, in combination with the lack of scientific foundations of the philosophy of acupuncture, leaves room for doubt. And skeptics can see in the results of relevant research exclusively evidence of the effect of placebo.
A comprehensive approach to the treatment of back pain
One more approach to back pain — the so-called "biopsychosocial". According to this approach, pain arises due to the interaction of physical, psychological and social factors. When this physical pain is only a small part of the problem.
Treatment is focused on what's going on in my head of the patient: how to get rid of depression or anxiety, cognitive-behavioral therapy for the improvement of capabilities to cope with the problems.
In cases, the treatment of chronic back pain multidisciplinary therapy shows more realistic results in comparison with only physiological therapy. Patients who receive a complex therapy is more likely to return to work.
Total
If you have chronic back problems, consult your doctor to rule out the most serious causes of their occurrence.
Consult with experts, to try alternative treatment: strength training or aerobics, massage, pilates, psychotherapy, chiropractic, tai-chi and other things, These lessons will bring you immediate relief, but might help you cope with pain symptoms.