Back Pain Basics (continued)In the case of back pain, the treatment of choice is dependent on the exact cause of the pain.
It the pain is an immediate result of a particular movement such as lifting an object, you first order of relief should be cold therapy.
Cold applications will immediately restrict blood flow to the aggravated or injured area which will reduce swelling and as such reduce pressure and pain caused by swelling.
Whereas, if you apply heat to an injury, you’ll facilitate the swelling and make the pain and recovery process even longer. On the other hand, if it is just a case of waking up in the morning with some stiffness or muscular tightness; then a warm therapy will bring the most relief.
The rule of thumb is that if you cause injury to an area with a particular event or movement; apply cold treatment for at least 48 hours to ensure you control the onset of swelling. Heat always sounds more comfortable to apply than cold - but it isn’t always the best treatment. For relief of mild to moderate back pain (and once you get beyond the cold treatment period) using a combination of alternating a hot pack and cold pack may be the best and most soothing option. After a day at work or activity, apply cold treatment to your back for 20 minutes then apply a hot for 20 minutes.
Do this alternating treatment for at least a couple of rotations of both beginning with the cold and always finishing with the cold. Other options for the treatment of back pain might be to consider light exercise and stretching. Because much of back pain is caused by a muscular imbalance, there are many people who have found relief from back pain through low-intensity exercises to treat back pain such as Pilates or yoga. Visits to a chiropractor may also be of merit as they can help to properly align your spine, causing less pain and friction between the discs of your spine. Steroid injections may also be given, as well as medications that can work as muscle relaxants or anti-inflammatory medications to reduce pain and swelling. Serious cases of back pain may require surgery. Artificial disc replacement is one medical procedure that is gaining popularity when it comes to treating those with degenerated discs. Another procedure that is often used is spinal cord stimulation, in which electrical signals are sent into the spine which causes the spine to stop transmitting pain signals into the brain, lessening the pain that one feels when they have back problems.
If you have back pain that persists beyond a few weeks, see your healthcare professional first in order to determine the cause of pain so that it can be treated appropriately. Where strict bed rest was previously the treatment of choice when caring for back pain, it is no longer the case and typically you will be prescribed a combination of therapies in order to get you functioning back at 100%.
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