When You Should Avail Back Pain Treatment – Common Cure Methods

From upper back stretches to lower back pains, the number of issues regarding your back is very common, especially if you fall in the age group of thirty to sixty and above. Nervous irritation, inflammation, spasms and sprains on muscles, slipped disc, spinal stenosis and other spinal abnormalities are some of the common reasons due to which you might need back pain treatment. In this technology-dependent, sedentary lifestyle, back pains often occur due to bad posture while working on computer.

Back pain can be chronic, due to any recent or past accident and other recurring health issues like cancer, pregnancy etc. It is categorized under organic (attributed to any disease), mechanical (due to irregular spinal movement) and idiopathic (unknown cause). A doctor can diagnose the causes and prescribe common treatment methods in severe cases.

Symptoms When You Need Back Pain Treatment

The mild pains are often unaddressed but when the pain sources from an injury, accident or trauma and is severe i.e. constant or worsens progressively or suddenly, you need professional help. Immediate back pain treatment is needed if the patient is a kid, aged, pregnant or suffers from any acute disease.

The following symptoms are to be addressed properly for treatment –

• Your sleep is interrupted
• You have nausea or fever from pain
• You feel numbness, weakness or tingling sensation in leg, shoulders or waist
• The pain is spread below knees i.e. to one or both of your legs
• You lose bladder or bowel control

Common Treatment Methods to Cure Back Pain

Depending on the severity of the pain, the back pain treatment can be done at home or under professional guidance. A doctor can judge the root of the pain and its condition by the X-Ray, CT scan or MRI, bone scan, blood tests and nerve studies i.e. electromyography (EMG).

Sufficient Rest

The immediate home remedy would be to rest your back and reduce activities until the pain is alleviated although the resting time is not recommended for long. You should lie down on your back with a pillow under the knees or lie down on the floor while bending the knees at 900-angle in a posture resembling sitting position on chair.

Ice or Heat Therapy

Cold compress is often considered as an effective lower back pain treatment because ice packs reduce swelling and pain while increasing your mobility. If the pain is not much severe, you can wrap an ice pack in a towel and apply it on the tender areas for around 20-30 minutes.

If the pain subdues in a couple of days, you can switch to the heat therapy with a warm bath or heating pad. The warmth can soothe the tightened muscles causing pain. Make sure to turn the pad off before sleeping.

Medications

Start light activities like walking and avoid pain-inducing activities like carrying heavy things. Use of OTC (over the counter) medicines with anti-inflammatory properties prescribed by the doctor will be helpful.

Physical Exercise

Strategic physical exercise will give you relief from pains and aches without tiring your back. Core exercises like bridges and pelvic tilts, simple stretching strengthening exercises are quite effective. Indulge in yoga, walking and swimming to keep a healthy weight, improve posture, strengthen abdominal and back muscles and increase flexibility.

Alternative Therapy

Additionally, for back pain treatment, you can take help of chiropractic for spinal pain and acupuncture for manipulating pressure joints. Breathing exercises, massage and battery-operated TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) will also help in enhancing your mental health, relaxing your muscles and easing fatigued muscles.

If all these seem futile in treating your back pain or the pain becomes too severe, surgery will be the ultimate option to remove broken disc fragments and fusing disintegrated or injured vertebrae. Nerve stimulator implantation, radiofrequency neurotomy and cortisone injections are also used to gain mobility. However, let your doctor decide the treatment.