All Back Pains

This may shock you. There is very little relationship to how serious your back pains may be by how mild or severe the pain is.

Think about that. You may have a severe back pain such as a wry neck. This condition can cause almost unbearable pain to shoot up and down your neck when you turn your head even slightly. But the chances are this pain will be gone in a few days.

At the same time maybe you are experiencing a lower back pain but the pain is on the mild side. Well that pain could be caused by a kidney infection, a potentially serious condition.

You may decide to go to a doctor if the pain is severe but if a mild pain, such as I just mentioned, lingers, you need to visit a doctor as well.

In reality, most of us cannot totally avoid back pains in our life. Wear and tear occurs and occasionally an injury may pop up. But that doesn’t mean there are not things we can do to lower the chances of a back pain.

Among the things you can do to help prevent back pain are:

• Exercise often so you keep the back muscles strong.
• It’s important to try to keep a healthy weight or lose weight if you need to.
• Developing strong bones is important so you need to get enough calcium and vitamin D every day.
• Learn to lift properly. When you attempt to lift something heavy, be sure to bend your legs and keep your back as straight as possible.

Grab this free book and learn some facts on how you can start to relieve your back pain. If you have any back pains whatsoever, you won’t want to pass this up.

Unfortunately too many people are afraid to do things for fear they will injure their back.

OK. You work in your garden one day and the next day you feel some back pains.

Of course you do. You’re doing something you don’t do everyday and are placing somewhat of a strain on your back. But if didn’t hurt it picking up something too heavy for you or by falling, most likely that pain will be gone in a day or two.

So what?! Activities like this are not going to damage your back. If you have kids or grandkids, it is a lot of fun to do some gardening with them.

Listen. I am 63 and go sled riding with my grandson regularly during the winter. He is 8 years old and we have been going since he was 4. I know the next day there are going to be some aches and pains, not only in the back but all over. And that despite the fact I run and exercise regularly.

I don’t care! No way do I sacrifice having a good time because I’ll feel it for a day or two. And you shouldn’t either. If you get into that type of thought, you are going to bypass a lot of the good things life brings you.

You can sometimes alleviate your back pains on your own. Personally I prefer that route.

One of the most effective treatments I have found that works on not only back pains but other pains as well is a combination of hot and cold packs.

Hot or Cold Packs
A lot of times a combination of the two, can feel really soothing to a sore or stiff back.

The heat dilates the blood vessels which improves the supply of oxygen that the blood is delivering to the back. It can also help reduce muscle spasms and eases the sensation of pain. The heat feels good against your skin but don’t leave it on too long.

Cold can actually reduce the inflammation because it decreases the size of the blood vessels along with the flow of blood to the area. When you apply an ice pack or anything cold to the area, it might feel painful against the skin. But the cold numbs deep pain.

Applying heat or cold might help relieve the pain, but it is not going to cure the cause of chronic back pain.

Is a MRI going to be necessary to find out what is causing your back pains?

Obviously your doctor will determine that but I think it’s important for you to understand these pains so you can discuss options with your doctor rather than blindly accepting whatever he/she says.

If your back pains are chronic, your doctor may want to know if your pain is being caused by cancer or from an infection in your spine? That’s when the possibility of having an MRI comes into play.

You will likely need an MRI if you start showing the warning signs of a more serious cause of back pain such as:

• You are unable to pass urine or stools
• You have no control of your urine or stools
• You experience difficulty when walking and with your balance
• Your child has a severe back pain
• A fever that accompanies your back pains
• If your family has a history of cancer
• Other signs or symptoms of cancer
• If you have had a recent serious fall or injury
• If your back pains become so severe that pills or medication have no effect
• One leg feels numb or weak and keeps getting worse

If you are experiencing low back pain but you do not have any of the warning signs shown here, research has proven that getting an MRI does NOT lead to better treatment, better pain relief, or a quicker return to activities.

Taking this into account, you and your doctor may decide to wait before having an MRI done. If you find that nothing is helping alleviate your pain over a due course of time, an MRI might have to be considered.

Anyone can get back pain. Fortunately a lot of times it goes almost as quickly as it shows up. Naturally this depends on the kind of back pain you experience.

But why do some people seem more likely to get back pains?

Just like anything, there are certain times or things you do that can cause you to develop pains in the back. Here are just a few.

• If you are over the age of 30
• Being overweight can definitely greatly increase your risk
• If you are pregnant, back pain kind of goes hand in hand
• Lack of exercise – Sitting around inactive is a no no.
• Believe it or not,if you are stressed or depressed your risks increase
• I think it’s common sense that heavy lifting, bending and twisting can lead to back pains. What you might not realize is anything involving whole body vibration, for example truck driving or using a sandblaster, can cause problems as well.
• This one caught me by surprise. Smoking contributes greatly to back pain. Lower back pains and spondylosis, which is a degeneration of the spine, greatly increase when you smoke.

You can’t stop aging but if you look at some of the other possible causes, you can see you have it in your power to eliminate some of the causes.

Nowadays we are spending lots of time sitting at a desk in front of a computer. Talk about a recipe for back pains.

Your spine wasn’t designed for hours of physical inactivity sitting
and hunching over a computer. In fact it’s possible this could be almost as damaging to your back as it would be lifting an over-heavy object.

If this describes your activity, whether it be at work or at home, make an effort to stand at least once every hour. Even better would be to walk around some. Loosen up your back and give it a break from the strain.

You should also your body weight whenever possible while you sit. And it goes without saying you need to be sitting up straight and not all hunched over.

If you have low back pain, you’re not alone. Low back pain is actually the number 2 reason for Americans visiting their doctor and is second only to colds and flu.

If you get low back pain, there are some things you can do to help alleviate the pain.

When you are  sleeping, try lying in a curled-up position with a pillow between your legs. You’ll be surprised how this makes you feel. I do this a lot and it seems to take the pressure off the back. If you generally sleep on your back rather than on your side, place the pillow under your knees. Again, this helps relieve the pressure.

A common misbelief about back pain is that you need to rest and avoid activity for a long time. Wrong! This is not recommended unless you have severe back pain and your doctor tells you otherwise.

There is a good chance you will feel better within a week after the start of back pain. After another 4 – 6 weeks, the back pain will likely be completely gone.

If you find there is not a serious cause for your back pain (ie. loss of bowel or bladder control, weakness, quick weight loss, or a fever), it’s important to stay as active as possible.

For the first couple of days you may want to limit your activity somewhat. After that, slowly begin returning to your usual activities. However, don’t perform activities that involve heavy lifting or twisting of your back for the first 6 weeks after the pain begins.