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People in pain will look to just about any solution to make the "ouch" go away. While back pain is one of the most difficult to cure, surgery is not the most effective treatment. Yet, more and more doctors and patients are turning in massive numbers to unnecessary surgical options.
The most common back surgery is spinal fusion, and the rate in which it was performed has tripled since the 1990s. Last year alone, there were 300,000 spinal fusions surgeries in the United States, up from 250,000 the year before.
A recent study reported in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) found that patients that have undergone herniated disc surgery were no better off in two years than those who opted to go with a more conservative treatment.
There are conditions where surgery is not only appropriate but necessary. But, more importantly, there are also many conditions that don't respond to surgery. The plain truth is that the knife doesn't fix everything, and many people who have surgery could achieve the same level of health and healing without choosing the costly, painful and often times unsuccessful surgical option.
For those with injuries, consider the following no-risk to moderate-risk alternatives treatments first, before going under the surgeon's knife. Additionally, here are some key don'ts.
No Risk Options
Modify activity. Most people who have bad backs or back pain don't modify their activities. Plainly said, if it hurts when you do a specific activity, stop! Or at least cut back. It is important to keep moving. So, substitute an activity you can do comfortably.
Reduce stress. Back pain isn't just about your back. It is also about your head. Stress and pain management don't mix well. Learn to reduce and manage the stress in your life. Look into counseling, develop meditation and breathing techniques, try tai chi and stretching.
Get a better nights rest. Sleep deprivation exacerbates pain. Research and purchase a proper mattress, clear sleeping areas of unnecessary distractions such as blinking clocks, unwanted noise, or even lights. Develop and stick to a standard sleep routine, including same sleep time and evening rituals.
Lose weight. Try carrying an extra 20 pounds around for a few days. The heavier you are the harder your spine has to work to keep upright. According to the American Obesity Association, episodes of musculoskeletal pain, and specifically back pain, are prevalent among the nearly one-third of Americans who are classified as obese. Look into effective weight loss programs, such as Weightwatchers.com. Contact a registered dietician. Check out EatRight.org for tips and information.
Stop smoking. Smoking can cause premature degeneration of the discs in the back. There are many effective smoking cessation aids, such as nicotine patch and nicotine gum, or medications such as Zyban, Wellbutrin and Chantix. Hypnosis and acupuncture are also effective options for some people.
Small Risk Options
Develop and stick to an exercise routine. While it is possible that pain can be exacerbated by exercise, it is much more likely that some pain will be alleviated. That makes it foolish not to try it. There have been numerous studies investigating everything from yoga to weight-lifting, and almost all of them show some benefit for chronic back pain. Begin a regular, focused exercise program with a trained professional. Look online at yogajournal.com, or go for free daily yoga classes at YogaToday.com. Try up-right biking, a non-weight bearing fun activity.
Give alternative medicine a chance. Try acupuncture and herbal medications. Although the effectiveness is still being debated, a study completed a couple years ago concluded that acupuncture did work, at least in the short run, for low back pain. There is very little in the way of well-conducted research on the effectiveness of most herbs, but most are low-risk, so it can¹t hurt to try them. Make sure you check their credentials to get an accredited acupuncturist.
Try a chiropractor. For chronic low back pain, physical manipulation alone is not as effective as exercise alone, but the combination of the two can be slightly more effective than exercise alone. Always make sure they are licensed and check their credentials.
Pick the right personal trainer and physical therapist and build a healing team. A personal trainer should have a background in exercise physiology and have the American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM) and National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) accreditations. Make sure your physical therapist is a licensed therapist. Your personal trainer should work in tandem with your physical therapist. And, it is important to make sure the bulk of you time with your physical therapist is doing psychical activity.
Significant Risk (Don¹ts)
Avoid using braces, corsets, and lumbar supports! If your spine is immobilized, or its movement is restricted, you don't use the muscles, ligaments, and tendons around your spine. If you don't use them, they get deconditioned. When you remove the "device", you'll be back to where you were before or even worse off!
Do not rely on bed rest! Prolonged bed rest has gone from being the treatment of choice for many back ailments to being Spine Enemy Number One. Simply put, bed rest does not work. Study after study has shown that getting out of bed is the best bet for back pain. So, get up, get moving and take charge of your healing.
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