Bones, joints, and muscles

Three common back pain questions answered

By Steve Hefferon, CMT, The Healthy Back Institute
www.losethebackpain.com

Millions of people struggle with back pain and fail to get lasting relief. The primary reason is a lack of knowledge and understanding of back pain.

In working with more than 20,000 back pain sufferers, we at the Healthy Back Institute have identified several questions that are common among nearly all patients. Unfortunately, many of these people continue to struggle with back pain because their questions never get answered or because they get the wrong information.

Here are some common questions I hear from patients.

Question

Is my excess weight causing my back pain?

Answer

While excess body weight is a factor, it by itself typically isn't enough to create a condition that would cause back pain. Excess body weight in the form of excess body fat can worsen a pre-existing condition and can also make recovery more difficult.

Also, it's important to understand that if you are overweight, it's very likely that your muscles are out of balance. When your muscles are out of balance, it forces your body to function and move in an unbalanced way; this places uneven pressure, strain, and wear and tear on your body. It's this process that is responsible for creating any conditions or physical dysfunctions that are causing the pain. Unfortunately, most people aren't even aware that this is happening with their bodies.

Action to take

First, focus on eliminating your back pain by identifying the muscle imbalances that are throwing your body out of balance and work on improving and correcting them by talking to a physician who specializes in back pain treatment. Then, once your back is feeling better, you can focus more on losing weight.

Question

I've tried everything but nothing has worked, what should I do?

Answer

First off, while it may seem like you've exhausted every possible treatment, it's not likely that you've tried everything. Unless you've given up and plan on living the rest of your life in pain, you need to make the decision to be open-minded and to continue to identify and experiment with other available treatment options. However, before you try any other treatments, it's important that you understand why what you've already tried hasn't worked.

The reason nearly all back pain treatments fail to deliver long-term relief is because they treat just the symptoms and fail to address the actual, underlying cause. For example, let's talk about back surgery. While removal of a piece of a herniated disc may, if you're lucky, reduce or eliminate your pain, the fact is that it didn't deal with what caused the disc to herniate in the first place.

In fact, a study published in the June 2004 issue of Spine, an international journal for the study of the spine, found that 40 percent of people who underwent back surgery had no decrease in their pain even though their doctor/surgeon had assured them of the results.

For you to get long-term, lasting relief, you need to identify and address the underlying cause of your pain.

Action to take

Identify the underlying cause of your pain by identifying the muscle imbalances that are creating your physical dysfunctions and conditions. Make sure any treatment you are prescribed or that you perform addresses both the symptoms (condition and pain) and the cause (muscle imbalances and dysfunctions).

Question

My doctor says not to exercise, what should I do?

Answer

Find a new doctor. Too many research studies have shown that people with back pain who avoid exercise and activity end up suffering longer and have a more difficult time finding relief.

While you may need to rest for a few days initially to let things settle down, after that, you will get better results by staying active because by continuing to move, you keep your blood circulating and your muscles active, thereby preventing them from getting weaker (atrophy).

But that's not enough.

Even though staying active may help, it's not enough to get rid of the underlying cause of the pain. In order to do that, you must identify and address your muscle imbalances and dysfunctions.

The generic exercises that almost every back pain sufferer is prescribed by their healthcare professional may or may not help; they can even worsen the patient's condition. The reason is that these exercises do not address the specific muscle imbalances and dysfunctions responsible for the pain.

Action to take

If your doctor or healthcare professional hasn't taken the time to educate you about the effects of muscle imbalances and about the importance of performing targeted and specific, corrective exercises and stretches, it's time to look elsewhere.

Unfortunately, the number of healthcare professionals who are educated and trained in the art of identifying and addressing muscle imbalances is small; finding one knowledgeable in this area can often be difficult.

Conclusion

If you're a back pain sufferer, you know that these are just a few of the many questions you may have. The fastest way for you to get lasting relief from back pain is to become an expert on it and on your body; you can do that by educating yourself.

I strongly encourage you to learn as much as you can about back pain, how it develops, and the various treatment options available. Lastly, stay focused and don't give up looking for permanent relief.