Report on Choices considered by Back Pain suffererers
This is a free report on choices considered by back pain sufferers. Pain of any kind is a warning sign from the body to alert us to the fact that something’s wrong. The body is experiencing some problem and needs some help. The first line of natural assistance is to help the body do its natural job of healing itself, by ensuring that there are no blockages to the brain and central nervous system communicating with the various muscles, tissues, organs, systems and cells of the body.
Some people ask “isn’t it simpler to just pop a few pain killer drugs to stop the pain”? When you accept that the pain is simply the messenger, then you realise that just stopping the pain with drugs is worse because there is still a problem but now you don’t even know about it. If your smoke detector alarm goes off the first thing is to find the fire not remove the battery to stop the alarm! Further, people are now generally much more aware that putting chemical drugs into the body is often times fraught with danger, hardly a month goes by without further reports on the negative effects of overuse of many drugs on the body.
Some people are taking drugs and pain killers because they have some degeneration in their vertebra (protective bones of the spine) or joints. Degeneration sounds frightening but it is a normal part of aging and these days it is widely accepted that the best medicine is mobilisation and alignment of the spine and other joints followed by as much normal activity as is possible. Your chiropractor with 5 years of university training, is especially qualified to help with alignment of the spine and mobilisation of the spine and joints.
I’m reminded of a poster I’ve seen which says “First natural healing by the body with chiropractic help, then natural supplements, then medication and last of all surgical intervention”
So what are the 7 choices you have when you are in pain?
Ignore It
Ignoring the problem tends to be the most common initial choice. Initially the body is whispering to you that something is wrong, at this stage correction of the underlying problem usually tends to be easier. Ignoring the underlying cause can often result in further deterioration and further pain. Often time’s people wait until the pain is chronic before they seek help for the underlying problem.
Chiropractic
Chiropractic has been proven to help with the relief of pain sometimes a single adjustment makes an instant world of difference to the patient. The chiropractor identifies areas where the spine is not right or a subluxation exists. Highly specific chiropractic adjustments can help correct the spine’s position and remove the subluxation and its interference on nearby nerves. By restoring the way your spine works and by removing the subluxation and associated nerve interference, chiropractic serves as an enabler to allow the brain and nervous system to better communicate with very part of the body and heal the body naturally.
Exercise / Physiotherapy
Exercise is great especially after any misaligned spinal joints or indeed other misalignments have been corrected. More exercise could result in more irritation of the nerves and indeed more pain if the misalignments have not been corrected. In the rehabilitation phase of an injury i.e. after the misalignments have been corrected by a chiropractor, physiotherapy also can be helpful.
Medication
Mostly in our society, the second common choice tends to be to medicate, this is so because most people generally think that there is some chemical drug which will help the condition. Unfortunately often times this is not the case and the drug merely numbs the pain and may do nothing to address the underlying problem. Medication tricks the body into thinking there is no pain, when in reality there is an underlying problem responsible for the pain. Each person is unique and the underlying cause of their pain may be very different, it needs examination, diagnosis and natural treatment wherever possible. The drugs may mask the pain, once you stop the drugs the underlying problem will most likely resurface.
Bed Rest
Bed rest may provide some very short term relief. Unnecessary and prolonged bed rest can actually slow down the healing process. Bed rest for more than a day or two at most is the worst possible treatment, as it promotes stiffness, muscles and bones become weaker and it makes it more difficult for you to get moving again. The sooner you have your spine and joints aligned and mobilised, and you get moving and doing your normal activities, the sooner you will feel better.
Surgery
Very few back problems ever need surgery and for most people surgery is the very last resort, i.e. they have tried everything else. You need to make an informed decision, so make sure you have tried all the natural non-invasive alternatives first and do your research on the likely rate of success of your surgery. Back surgery is drastic and invasive; it may involve permanently cutting away parts of spinal structures, removal of discs and even the fusion of joints. Furthermore success is not guaranteed and it is not unusual for back pain surgery to have only a 50% success rate. The surgery may not be necessary and cannot be undone afterwards.
Activity
Activity is very important to health. After the misalignments have been corrected, movement should be much less painful and indeed normal movement and activity is more helpful for proper healing. People who are active and who maintain their spines and get on with life tend to cope best. Activity is great for the whole body and helps us keep healthy. Regular activity makes you feel good and releases natural chemicals that reduce pain, besides maintaining your muscles, bones and suppleness. Do not fall into the trap of thinking it will be easier next week or next month, maintain your spine, joints and nervous system, adopt wellness rather than sickness and enjoy a better quality of life – after all we all deserve the best life possible!
If you wish to be seen by our doctors at Greensborough Family Chiropractic, please contact us on 03 9432 4644. Also feel free to check our doctors’ areas of additional post grad study and special interest on chironeurorehab.com.au website. We are a very warm and friendly practice in Melbourne with some patients travelling far for our care. We look forward to helping many more on their journey of wellness and a better quality of life.
IMPORTANT - SOME THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR AS A BACK PAIN SUFFERER:
See your doctor or chiropractor if you have back pain and also experience any of the following
- Referred pain and/or numbness or pins and needles
- Difficulty urinating
- Chronic pain
- Unsteadiness or balance issues
- Numbness around genitals or anus
The Chiropractic Approach to treating Back Pain, Lower Back Pain and Sciatica
Chiropractic care restores the spine to more normal position, motion and function; Chiropractic care reduces symptoms of pain and improves function. Chiropractors have helped millions of people with low back problems, often making the difference to enable a life of ease, better health and comfort. Spinal manipulation applied by highly trained chiropractors is shown to be more effective than alternative treatments for low back pain. The Royal Commission (New Zealand) has found, it established beyond any reasonable degree of doubt that chiropractors have a more thorough training in spinal mechanics and spinal manual therapy than any other health professional (ref 2).
The percentage of chiropractic patients ‘very satisfied’ with the care they received for low back pain was triple that for patients of family physicians (see ref 3).
Back Pain References:
ref 1 Deyo RA. Description epidemiology of lower back pain and its related medical care in the United States. Spine. 1987;12(3):264-268.
ref 2 Royal Commission of Inquiry on Chiropractic in New Zealand, 1979.
ref 3 Meade TW, Dyer S, et al. Low back pain of mechanical origin, randomized comparison of chiropractic and hospital outpatient treatment. British Medical Journal. 1990;300:431-437.
