How to Successfully Manage Chronic Back Pain

Are you living with back pain on a daily basis? You’re not the only one. Back pain is one of the leading causes of chronic pain and one of the top two reasons for medical doctor visits.

Causes of back pain:


In the majority of people suffering from chronic back pain, the cause is benign in nature. This is what is called ‘mechanical back pain’, meaning the problem comes from overuse of the bones, discs, ligaments and musculature of the back. Over time, these structures can wear down, become misaligned and compress on surrounding nerves to cause that dull, achy feeling so many are familiar with. Poor posture, and lack of strengthening really contributes to this problem as well.

In some cases, back pain can be dangerous and is indicative of a more serious underlying condition. Here are some red flag symptoms you should promptly follow up with a medical professional:

•    Loss of bladder or bowel control
•    Numbness in the groin area
•    Back pain with high fever, extreme soreness and redness
•    Back pain due to acute trauma (eg. fall on the ice)
•    Back pain that is constant and unremitting, even while lying down, changing positions, stretching or after taking an NSAID

Doc. Mike Evans explains the etiology of back pain in this great video:

Chronic Back Pain Treatment:


After learning that most back pain is mechanical and not an emergency, patients generally ask “what can I do for the pain, then”. Don’t feel discouraged! There are many chronic back pain treatments that can help to relieve your pain, and reduce recurrence rates.

Acupuncture	Acupuncture and Electroacupuncture will help to relieve pain, dissolve active trigger points and reduce inflammation. It works by triggering the release of natural pain-relieving chemicals (called opiates) and by signaling inhibitory pain messages from the brain.
Massage	Massage is an important tool to reduce active trigger points and relieve muscle tension and pain. Furthermore, correcting soft tissue tightness will help to prevent any pulling or compression of muscle on underlying bone or nerve structures.
Cupping	Static and moving cupping is like a massage on steroids. The benefits are similar to massage, but the intensity is increased. This means the benefits of muscle release are achieved in a much shorter time frame.
Hydrotherapy	The use of castor oil with alternating hot and cold packs on a nightly basis will help to circulate blood flow around the painful area, relieving inflammation and pain. Alternate hot and cold packs at 5 min hot: 10 min cold X 3 cycles.
Stretching & Posture	If you work at a desk all day, you’re best chronic back pain treatment is maintaining proper posture and taking frequent breaks for stretching throughout the day. Here is a link to some awesome stretches: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/multimedia/back-pain/sls-20076265?s=1
Exercise	If you experience chronic back pain, do not fear exercise or think you need to avoid it. Regular exercise will help maintain mobility and strengthen important postural muscles. So get off the couch, and start yoga, weight training and cardiovascular exercise.
Anti-inflammatory Supplements	Natural chronic back pain treatment should include an anti-inflammatory regime to compliment manual therapies. Examples of helpful products include: ·         Curcumin ·         Boswellia ·         Fish oil ·         Ginger root ·         Glucosamine Natural supplements are a good adjunct to therapy since they have a lower risk profile and are not associated with cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and renal complications as with long term NSAID use.