Thu, 07 Jul 22 12:25:14 +0000

What you need to know about back pain

Dana SantasParticipate in a four-part series to learn how to recover and prevent back pain Please look. Known as the "mobility maker," Santa is a professional sports certified strength and conditioning specialist, mental and physical coach, and author of "Practical Solutions for Back Pain Relief". .. 11}

(CNN)If you are suffering from back pain or have had back pain in the past, you are not alone.

As many as 757 million people worldwide experienced back pain in 2017, as evidenced by a 2020 study cited by the International Association for the Study of Pain. In fact, according to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention

, back pain causes more disability than any other condition worldwide. In the United States, 80% ofAmericans suffer from at least one episode of back pain in their lifetime, with an additional 50%chance of recurrence within a year.

It is understandable that you feel helpless when you have back pain. Acute seizures can make you feel immobile for days or even weeks and wonder if you feel better again.

There are multiple herniated discs on the back, so you can see how it feels. But as someone who has healed my own back pain and now has a painless and active lifestyle, I also aim to provide people with the information and resources they need for painless recovery and life. .. Therefore, we share this four-part series.

Part of my job as a mobility coach in professional sports is to create protocols for the treatment and prevention of back pain. So, my advice in this series of articles is not only based on medical research and my own back pain journey, but also to help hundreds of professional athletes overcome and prevent back pain over the last two decades. It is also based on my work experiencethat I helped. ..

In this first article, find your personal experience with back pain, why aggressive techniques are more effective than passive approaches, and find relief now and future pain. I will prevent it. The second part looks at exercises for sustained relief and strength reconstruction, and the third article focuses on relieving sciatica. In the previous article, we'll help you create your own back pain prevention plan.

Join this series when you're out of pain and ready to go out.

Understanding your pain as your experience

Back pain is a very individual with a myriad of causes and symptoms that affect recovery and prevention strategies. Problem.

Fortunately,most cases of back pain are not due to serious conditions such as fractures or cancer, and according to theAmerican Association of, 90 without surgery. % Will improve. Neurological SurgeonsThe following is a list of common causes. Consider which ones may be related to your lifestyle and may contribute to your pain.

Poor breathing mechanism and posture

Because the thoracic spine is attached to the spine and the diaphragm, the main respiratory muscle, is attached to the lumbar spine. The method of breathingaffects the position of the spine, overall posture, and thus back pain.

Waist tension

The hips are designed to be more stable than movable, so if your hips are tight and you don't have enough rotation, you can supplement your hips. Returning to the back during a twisting motion can lead to muscle and disc damage.

Physical trauma

"Fractures" with spinal fractures are rare, but can be caused by serious trauma such as a fall or a car accident. I have. In general, these incidents result in hernias and / or muscle damage, as opposed to fractures.

Age-related degeneration

Back pain is not a normal part of aging. However, after the age of 30, as bone density and muscle mass begin to decline, disc health also deteriorates, which can lead to back pain problems, especially if you do not exercise regularly.

Sit-down life

As mentioned above, regular exercise is the key to our muscle and bone health. Because our bodies are designed to be mobile, a tendency to sit creates stiff and weakened muscles that reduce joint lubrication, including disc dehydration. All of these can lead to back pain.

Excessive weight or pregnancy

Extra weight in the abdomen increases the risk of back pain and causes muscle tension by exerting additional pressure on the spine There is a possibility. Nerve and herniated disc sandwiched.

Stress

When you feel chronic stress, the body's stress response causes muscle tension and increases sensitivity to pain, causing back pain.

Back pain is usually classified as acute, chronic, or subacute, depending on the duration.

• Acute lasts less than 4 weeks.

• Chronic, even intermittent, is 12 weeks or longer.

• Subacute is 4-12 weeks.

Understanding the potential causes of pain and their classification enables more effective conversations with doctors and other healthcare professionals.

Seeking safe and effective remedies

Studies are increasingly supporting that movement is the key to healing and prevention. A 2016 meta-analysis published in JAMAcovered treatments for more than 30,000 patients, with active use of exercise commonly prescribed such as medications and support belts. It has been found that the relief of back pain and the reduction of risk are significantly improved over the passive method used. , Equipment and rest. In addition, the combination of education and exercise reduced the risk of back pain recurrence by an additional 10% compared to exercise alone.

When back pain first begins, or when chronic pain worsens, just thinking about exercise can be painful. do not worry. In future articles in the series, we'll share safe exercises that can help alleviate certain types of back pain. So far, here are two familiar, science-backed techniques. Neither is contraindicated in any condition, so it's easy to use for some peace of mind.

Mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness meditation is effective in relieving back pain, especially chronic illness, and many studies have shown. .. In a recent meta-analysis published in the journalPainMedicine, meditation is safer and more effective in managing back pain by reducing pain intensity and improving quality of life than non-meditation therapy. We have decided to provide a unique method.

Breathing

Proper diaphragmatic breathing practice is the basis of all back pain treatment and prevention programs in professional sports. This is because deep breathing not only helps reposition the thorax and pelvis to relieve pressure from the spine, but also stresses by activating the "rest and recovery" aspect of the parasympathetic nerves of the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes recovery. It also helps to calm the reaction. To relieve tension, start by trying this simple 5-7-3 breathing method.

Additional analgesic options include massage, acupuncture and chiropractic care. Talk to your doctor before trying these treatments to make sure your condition is not contraindicated.

When seeing a doctor, be sure to share your personal experiences and thoughts about potential causes of your pain and lifestyle goals after getting out of pain. Listen carefully, take notes, and ask questions as an active participant in your care plan. For example, if your doctor ordered an image scan such as an MRI or CT scan, don't be afraid to ask what you are looking for. When your doctor provides a diagnosis, ask why your condition indicates that diagnosis and what the prognosis is. If your doctor recommends extreme measures such as rest only or surgery, explain why they believe it is the best approach and ask your doctor to get a second opinion.

Finally, if your doctor is prescribing opioid analgesics, ask if there are alternatives other than narcotics, and if so, you need permission to replenish. Request. As of 2017, theAmerican College of Physicianshas set new guidelines to support exercise-based treatment and all other treatment options before prescribing opioid medications for non-neuronal low back pain. I urge my doctor to run out of.

Build a positive path to recovery and prevention

Remember that words and thoughts are powerful when working towards recovery. .. Too often, when someone suffers from an acute attack of back pain, they describe it as their back "going out" to them. This kind of negative and passive wording conveys a lack of understanding and responsibility that can hinder healing. Therefore, it is important to have the right information and resources to be positive and proactive.

Our bodies are wonderful vehicles that have been blessed to navigate our lives. We have a duty to take care of them and the only way to do it effectively is to educate ourselves, harness the resources of health professionals and take action. By reading this article, you are already on the positive path. Look for the next article in the series and provide a guide to determine the best exercise to create a long lasting relief.