Non-Surgical
Treatments For Back Pain
By: Ron King
By: Ron King
If you suffer from
severe back pain and fear that surgery may be necessary, or if surgery has been
recommended and you question the wisdom of it, you may want to try some
non-surgical physical treatments first.
Unless your back pain is due to an infection, malformation of the back, or
tumor, some type of physical treatment can probably help it. Let's look at a few
of the more popular and effective types of treatment.
Chiropractic Therapy
Chiropractic treatment has been shown to be most effective when applied within 2
months of the onset of back pain. Chiropractors realign the spine, increase the
range of motion in back muscles, increase the flexibility of spinal soft tissue,
break down scar tissue, and reduce pressure from constricted and misaligned
spinal joints, all of which help to relieve pain. Usually treatment takes around
15 minutes 3 times a week at first. Over a few weeks sessions decrease until you
are on a maintenance program of once a month or even "come come only if it
hurts."
Acupuncture
Studies by the National Institutes of Health show that acupuncture is very
effective in treating back pain. According to the theory of acupuncture, energy
(known as chi) flows through the body along pathways called meridians. If the
flow of chi is interrupted, pain or illness can result.
An acupuncturist uses very thin needles inserted into the skin along the
meridians to correct the flow of chi. You may be surprised to learn that
acupuncture is rarely described as painful. In fact, many people find it
relaxing and even fall asleep during treatment.
Physical Therapy
A good physical therapist will combine passive and active treatments, since
exercise is essential to the long term imporvement in back pain.
Active therapy involves the patient's participation. The therapist will
determine which exercises are best for a particular condition, and supervise you
in those exercises to ensure that you are doing them correctly. They will
include:
* stretching
* strength building exercises
* aerobic exercise.
Passive therapy is done on you, usually while you are relaxing, and includes:
* heat or cold therapy
* electrical stimulation
* ultrasound
* massage
* iontophoresis (inserting a drug through intact skin using an electric
current).
Other Alternatives to Surgery
In addition to these 3 modalities, many other non-surgical treatments exist for
back pain, among them massage, and the use of herbs and natural supplements.
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