Back Pain Is The New Norm...But It Doesn't Have to Be

Posted by edwardjohnson on August 3rd, 2018

Millions of Americans suffer from back pain on a daily basis. Many of these sufferers are under the age of 45 and are dealing with chronic issues. However, not all back pain is the same and not all cases are treated the same. Some simply indicate a need for a lifestyle change and others will require serious surgeries to make life easier. 

Let’s review some of the causes of back pain and how to remedy the situation:

Lower Back Could Mean Sciatic Problems

Often when someone is suffering from lower back pain, they find that it radiates down into their legs. This is most often due to a pinched sciatic nerve. In mild cases, it makes walking and sitting uncomfortable. 

Fortunately for sufferers, there is a relief to be had. Massage therapy has been a popular method to undo the pinching and relax the muscles around the nerve. Some doctors will give their patients the okay to do a couple of acupuncture sessions to help get the relief they need. 

There are some more serious cases, however, which the patient cannot walk or sit without experiencing severe pain, and it’s creating a life that could cause other health issues due to the lack of mobility. In these cases, we can be grateful for surgery for sciatica that can help solve the chronic issue and allow for patients to get back to an active life.

Sometimes It’s Just Stress

For many Americans, stress is a normal part of our lives. We might get a little ache in the back because our muscles are tight after a rough day at work. Or, we are having a hard time with grief and we can’t get comfortable. There are tons of remedies on the pharmacy shelves that can help loosen the muscles and relax us in a healthy way. 

For many other Americans, the stress is more than what we can handle and it manifests itself into physical pain. Patients who are suffering from the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) have been linked to chronic pain illnesses such as Fibromyalgia. These patients bodies are simply staying in a state of high alert and unable to process the stress in a healthy way. Thus they struggle with physical pain, often in the back, because they are constantly stressed out. 

Fortunately, we are still learning a lot about the human brain and how we process trauma. With the help of medications and massage therapy, the patient can learn some ways to manage their pain and make it bearable while dealing with the trauma.

A Fall May Not Just Be A Fall

Sometimes our back pain is related to an injury that we sustained that may have affected another part of the body. The person who fell down some stairs and broke their ankle may have back pain from that same fall. A sprain to the muscles in the back, broken vertebrae, and strains to a ligament are all common reasons for back pain that come with a fall. Although medications are popular for healing an injury, there are newer pain management devices that can help heal the injury to the back and keep the pain at bay. All without the need for surgery!

Maybe your lifestyle needs to change a bit, or you need to manage stress a bit better. Regardless, back pain is not a laughing matter and should always be mentioned to your doctor. It is better to catch back pain early, keep an eye on it, and take care of it before things get worse.