Dr Joanna Lowry-Corry treating a patient
Chronic back pain relief for this winter
A few basic facts about back pain in the UK. The impact of back pain in the UK is huge. It can affect people’s everyday life, work, employers and their costs or team morale and the country’s medical costs.
Here are some facts:
- 80% of people in the UK suffer from some kind of back pain
- Back pain is the most common medical complaint after the common cold
- 180 million days of work lost each year due to back injuries
- Back injury is the cause of 400,000 people in the UK to receive Social Security payments
- 1.1 million people are disabled from back pain
- Approx £1,500 million costs to healthcare in the UK due to back pain sufferers
- The number one cause of serious back problems is bending and lifting
- The majority of back pain sufferers find their symptoms get worse in the autumn and winter months due to reduction of Vitamin D
Common causes of chronic back pain
There are a range of reasons for your back pain; some triggered by everyday activities and some triggered by injuries, which can have substantial long-term damage. Sometimes, even after your injury is healed, the pain for back pain can still remain. Sometimes, even if trauma is not caused, for example slipping and almost falling when walking in winter’s icy conditions, can cause back pains where muscles are tensed to prevent your from the fall and injury.
Other times, common causes can affect our backs and if not treated can leave your with a growing problem.
Some common causes of back pain from our everyday lives include:
- Bending awkwardly
- Lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling incorrectly
- Slouching / poor body posture when seated
- Standing / bending for long periods of time
- Twisting
- Muscle tension
- Driving for long periods of time
- Pregnancy
- Viral infections
- Stress related tension
- Arthritis / osteoarthritis / inflammatory diseases
- Trauma or injury
Obesity
Whatever the cause, it can leave you feeling like it is a nightmare and enduring the pain can turn your life into a perpetual cycle of misery.
Secure an effective therapy method to deal with your back pain
Relief from back pain can be found in many ways. Really, you can be pain free!
Two key suggestions include:
- Avoid back pain by implementing best practice steps for your everyday life situations.
- Secure an effective therapy method to deal with your back injury / pain once it has occurred.
Self help treatments for pain relief – stay active, keep mobile and use exercises to relieve your pain by strengthening the muscles in your back. You may use some painkillers to gain some immediate relief, like paracetomol.
Anti-inflammatory treatments – this is a stronger painkiller, may include ibuprofen to reduce swelling and inflammation. Side effects can give you stomach irritation and ulcers.
Manual therapy and manipulation – such as chiropractor, physiotherapy or osteopath can provide physical manipulation. These treatments have shown evidence to be effective in relieving your back pain.
Complimentary therapy and treatments – The Alexander Technique is the way of learning to use your body better and becoming more aware of your balance, posture and movement. Chiropractors are able to offer in-depth professional consultations to assist with individual improvements. Acupuncture works by stimulating certain nerves in the muscles to offer relief.
Intervention therapy – pain pathways blocked by numbing to achieve pain relief.
Chiropractic for back pain – specialize in treating conditions of the joints, tendons, ligaments and nerves of the body paying close attention to the spine. This could include physical manual treatments and consultations. Chiropractors take a holistic approach to treatments, examining your diet, lifestyle, exercise programmes and x-rays. Chiropractic treatments can be used alongside painkillers and anti-inflammatory medications.
The holistic approach means that diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal system and chiropractic techniques can be adopted. Such as: adjustments to the spine and joints, regular exercising, health and lifestyle counseling and rehabilitation to the spine and muscles.
Click here to get advice to avoid back pain in everyday life…
When I think of the treatment I have had over the years, all to no avail, and you were my ‘last resort’ in future you will be my ‘first stop.’
