Back pain comprises of neck pain or cervical pain, upper back and lower back pain. The incidence is increasing mainly because of the life style, long sitting hours and hardly any time for walk and exercises. Many causes of back pain and spine degeneration can be avoided by regular exercises and posture management. 

Now back pain is not considered as an old age related problem as significant number of younger population is suffering from chronic low back pain or chronic neck pain. 

What is best solution for back pain?

Starting from Conservative treatment in the form of physiotherapy under qualified doctor’s order, to surgical management, many solutions are available. But the most exciting are the minimally invasive spine interventions, which gives the best solution for back pain. More than 70% of spine surgeries can be avoided now with spine interventions.

How do I get rid of lower back pain?

If your doctor permits, the long term solution is to go for regular walks and exercises. Depending on the type of symptoms and whether nerve compression is involved, pain specialist will prescribe medications and may suggest for some minimally invasive spine Intervention, which usually gives long term relief.

What are the causes of back pain?

Back pain may come from Disc, facet joints which are small joints in spine, muscles around spine, bones of spine and nerves coming from spine. You pain specialist after physical examination makes a provisional diagnosis and may order MRI/ CT Scan or X ray to confirm the diagnosis.

What kind of work out is recommended for people with back problems?

• We cannot avoid working but we can modify our lifestyle to prevent and manage our back pain. It is more commonly seen with prolonged sittings. We need to stretch and get out of our chair after every 30-40 min, just a min or two to avoid constant loading on spine.
• Workouts depends on the type of back disorder. Rest is not advisable for most of the back problems. Infact, in some cases, rest aggravates the spine problem specially lower back and neck pains.
• Rest is only indicated in severe conditions like sciatica, pinched nerves, severe disc bulge, spine fractures.
• Your spine doctor or spine specialist will advise you stretching or strengthening exercises depending on the type of spine pain.

What is the best non-surgical solution for lower back pain?

• Depends on the pathology. Many minimally invasive and target specific spine interventional techniques are now available and can prevent more than 70% of spine surgeries. Surgery at times is required to prevent a permanent damage to the nerves. Severity of pain is not directly related to severity of the problem.
• Biacuplasty or cooled Radiofrequency or Annuloplasty are the proven procedures for disc repair. Vertebroplasty for spine compression fractures and metastases of spine. Endoscopic discectomy for slipped disc or disc bulge which causes sciatica and radiating leg pain.

How do I treat back pain without dangerous drugs?

• Medications are required in acute phase to prevent you from landing into chronic pain states. Prevention is always better than cure. But once back pain develops, follow the pain and spine specialist advise on medications.
• Medicines are not dangerous. Their misuse or overuse of drugs without doctors consultation may lead to side effects. Medicines are approved for clinical use only after their research on efficacy and safety profiles.