Back pain is one of the most common health issues in the United States, with up to 80 percent of the population suffering the condition at some point. “This exceedingly high number is just the beginning of the problem because multiple studies indicate that roughly 70 percent of back surgeries fail,” says fitness exert Jesse Cannone, a back-pain expert and author of “The 7-Day Back Pain Cure” (2013).
Popular treatment approaches like pain medications, muscle relaxants, steroid injections, surgery, chiropractic treatments, acupuncture and massage therapy may be helpful in relieving pain, but they often fail to deliver lasting relief because they don’t address what’s actually causing the pain. “The success rate for the most common treatments is pathetically low, so it’s no surprise people often struggle years or decades with back pain, with few ever finding lasting relief,” says Cannone who is based in Washington, DC.
Here are his smart, bio-mechanical tips for sidestepping back pain:
Take pain seriously the first time. Cannone’s mother suffered a significant bout of back pain which subsided after a few days. But two years later it came back, and the second time was so debilitating she couldn’t work. “If she had taken the first bout more seriously, she probably would have prevented the second, more debilitating bout,” he says.
Realize you are not too fit to have pain. Staying in shape is always a good idea, but it does not make you invulnerable. People who train their body can be more prone to back pain because they often push their body’s limits, says Cannone, a certified fitness trainer.
Get help everywhere. Cortisone shots, anti-inflammatory drugs, ultrasound and electrical stimulation address pain symptoms. and allow you to maintain functioning—but do not address underlying causes of ongoing back pain. He says, “If you want lasting relief, you must address the underlying causes, and it’s never just one.”
Recognize that pain is a process. In most cases, back pain, neck pain and sciatica take weeks, months or even years to develop; the problem may exist for quite a while before the sufferer notices it, except for rare trauma incidents like automobile accidents. Just as the damage was a process, recovery can be time-intensive.
Maintain your composure. Not only does back pain hurt and prove physically debilitating; it also tries the morale and determination of the patient. A sufferer can run the gamut of treatments. But, often, it takes a cocktail of treatments that address all of the underlying causes.
“Remember, you can’t really treat the root of pain until you know what’s causing it,” Cannone says.
I have been lucky to avoid back pain thus far… but talk to me about tight hips!
Tags: back pain, natural beauty, studies and research, yoga and fitness