Low Back Pain - Treatment Options To Relieve Low Back Pain

Over the Christmas holidays I spent many hours on several planes, and less time in the gym then I would have liked. Sure, I had two great workouts at the local Gold's but something, possibly inactivity was affecting my lower back.

Yesterday, for 36 hours I felt pressure in my lower back area. The feeling was like a consistent dull ach, which even disturbed my sleep. This was my first time feeling something like this. I am now 30 years old experiencing constant pain in my lower back.

"You will feel better when you get to the gym and workout" a friend suggested. No way, I think I need see a chiropractor since my last apt was months ago, I thought to myself.

We were on the way to the gym, and I said "if I don't feel better after this workout I am going to call a chiropractor." Walking to the gym doors from the car I tried to really tune in with what was going on inside my body. The act of walking started to alleviate the consistent feeling of pressure in my lower back.

We started with a slow walk on the treadmill and like magic my lower back was starting to feel better. I honestly thought something was very wrong with my lower back and that visiting a chiropractor was the remedy. In the past I have gone days without training and endured longer plane flights so what was different about this time?

Maybe it's a fact of my age, moving into the 30's. Or that it's my winter off season and I have not been doing much more then a five to 10 minutes warm-up on the treadmill before my weights each day. I want to prevent myself from experiencing any sort of low back pain again and provide you with information to help you distance yourself from this common grievance. In my research found that there are many different causes and treatments.

What Kinds of Problems Might Cause Low Back Pain?

The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) provided me with the following, and I can see now that I was experiencing Myofascial Pain. Treatment for any back condition is recommended as soon as possible to minimize the danger of further aggravation. The following is a list of only some of the conditions that may cause low back pain and is not a substitute for a visit to your doctor:

• Radiculopathy - A pinched nerve, also called sciatica, usually from a herniated, or slipped, disk. This can cause a shooting pain down the leg that's often described as an electrical feeling.
  
  
• Myofascial Pain - Generally an aching pain in muscles that tends to come from poor posture, sitting at a computer, or other job-related tasks. With myofascial back pain, the patient can become sore in different parts of the body like the back and legs. Often patients report that they have difficulty sleeping or feeling restored from sleep.
  
  
• Spinal Stenosis - A narrowing of the nerve openings either around the spinal cord or nerve roots that can cause symptoms similar to a pinched nerve. It can cause leg pain in anyone, but most often does so in older people. Patients with spinal stenosis can have trouble walking, and the difficulty is usually relieved by sitting down or bending forward. It can cause aching or heaviness in the back and legs.
  
  
• Tendon, Ligament and Soft Tissue Pain - Localized pain when an area is stretched or its muscles are overused. This results in tenderness.
  
  
• Non-Spinal Causes of Low Back - Pain imitating a back injury, but from another cause. Appendicitis, kidney disease, uterine disorders and urinary tract infections are a few examples of problems that can refer pain to the back.

Treatment Options
The rehabilitation of low back problems occurs in three phases. During the first phase, called the acute phase, physiatrists treat pain and inflammation. After they make a specific diagnosis and develop a treatment plan, physiatrists may offer treatment options like ultrasound, electrical stimulation, mobilization, medication, ice and even specialized injections.

In the second, or recovery, phase of treatment, flexibility and strength are developed to get the body parts into their proper positions. The goal of this phase is to get you back to your usual work, sports and leisure activities. This goal is achieved through specially designed exercises that rebuild the body.

The main goal of the third phase of treatment, the maintenance phase, is to minimize recurrence of the problem and to prevent further injury. This often consists of a total body fitness program, designed to maintain body mechanics and increase endurance after the original symptoms have resolved. These are very broad and general approaches to the treatment of low back pain. The physiatrist that you choose will develop an individual treatment plan for you.

As I type this, sitting in my chair I can feel the pain wanting to reoccur. You can bet that I will be scheduling in my workouts like clock work, and including a minimum of 20 minutes cardio daily. If you or someone you know is experiencing back pain, contact a board-certified physiatrist in your area.

By Fawnia Mondey