Treat Back Pain Without Dangerous Drugs

Back pain is a common health issue today that affects at least 8 out of 10 people. It is a prevalent problem among Americans. In fact, statistics from the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) reveal that at least 31 million Americans experience lower back pain at any given time. Chronic back pain has become such a debilitating problem – and it’s costly, too. According to the ACA, Americans spend at least 86 billion dollars each year on back pain—and that’s just for the more easily identified costs! I cannot stress enough that preventing or treating disease is possible without the taking medications. The same is true for back pain. You only need to address the root cause of the problem and improve your lifestyle and the way you eat and move. Below is a discussion of the potential causes of back pain, my recommendations for back pain treatment, and how you can alleviate this problem without putting any additional burden on your health. What Are the Common Causes of Back Pain? - Accidents and sports injuries are the most common causes of chronic back pain. But sometimes, even simple activities or movements – like bending over to pick up an object from the floor – can trigger pain. There are also a number of other factors that can increase your risk of back pain, such as: poor posture, inactivity, poor physical conditioning, internal diseases, obesity, stress and osteoporosis. A Sedentary Lifestyle and Too Much Sitting Put You at Risk of Back Pain. - There is one common denominator among most patients who suffer from severe cases of chronic pain: sedentary lifestyle. A majority of back, neck, and other muscle pains are related to imbalanced distribution of force throughout your body, which is created by working or staying in unnatural positions for extended periods. What’s more, prolonged sitting and poor posture are major risk factors of not only back pain, but also of weight gain, obesity, joint problems, nerve problems and other debilitating diseases. In fact, mounting research found that prolonged sitting is now an independent risk factor for poor health and premature death! The Price You Pay for Poor Emotional Health. - There’s increasing evidence that back pain and other types of pain may be exacerbated by psychological or emotional issues. It is my experience that emotional health and your ability to effectively address your stress is an essential component for optimal health, and can have a major influence on whether or not you're effectively eliminating your pain. The Dangers of Drugs for Back Pain Treatment. - Conventional health care practitioners are quick to prescribe medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen, and even opioids for chronic pain. But even if these medications can provide immediate back pain relief, their effect is only temporary – the pain will come back sooner or later and in some cases will cause increased sensitivity to pain! What’s more, medications touted to provide back pain relief are saddled with severe side effects. For example, NSAIDs, one of the most commonly prescribed drugs on the market, not only put you at a two- to four-fold higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems, but may also cause: • Severe gastrointestinal problems, like digestive tract bleeding • Increased blood pressure • Kidney problems • Poor tissue healing Be mindful that these side effects of painkillers are not restricted to prescription drugs, but also come from over-the-counter drugs like aspirin, Advil, and Motrin. Opioid painkillers like OxyContin, which are also commonly prescribed for back pain relief, also have a highly addictive nature. In fact, opioids are among the most commonly abused prescription drugs today, and are a leading contributor to the increasing rates of fatal prescription drug overdoses. This is why back pain is now one of the primary reasons why so many American adults get addicted to painkillers. The bottom line is that painkillers always come with risks. Unfortunately, if you consult your conventional physician about your chronic back pain, they will often prescribe a long-term treatment plan that may include anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants and other types of pain medication or even anti-seizure drugs – a poisonous chemical cocktail that will put your health at severe risk! Is Your Physician Prescribing This Expensive But Dangerous Drug for Back Pain? - Big Pharma recently began promoting Humira, an expensive drug with a price tag of nearly 20,000 dollars a year. Humira is touted to help treat ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the axial skeleton, which includes the spine. It is outrageous how drug companies promote this dangerous drug for an exceedingly rare cause of low back pain – one that is only responsible for less than a tenth of a tenth of one percent of low back pain! What’s more, Humira may cause severe side effects, such as: tuberculosis; serious infections; risk of lymphoma and other cancers; hepatitis B; allergic reactions; liver, nervous system, and blood problems; heart failure; immune reactions, such as lupus-like syndrome; and psoriasis. This is just the short list; Humira may have even more damaging effects on your health only to emerge later through post-marketing surveillance in exposed populations who are being forced to act as living guinea pigs. Cut Your Risk of Back Pain Right from the Start! - As with any health condition or disease, preventing back pain is better than trying to cure it after it has set in, and may be too late. So even if you’re not experiencing back pain symptoms, I would recommend you follow these simple tips: 1. Always stretch before any strenuous physical activity. 2. Do not slouch when standing or sitting. 3. If you spend most of your time sitting, pay careful attention to consciously sucking in your belly and rotating your pelvis slightly up. At the same time, you should keep your head back, with your ears over your shoulders. This posture will keep your spine in proper alignment. Do this every hour you’re sitting, holding the muscles tight for several minutes. 4. Sit in chairs or car seats with good lumbar support. 5. Switch your sitting positions often. I would also recommend periodically walking around. 6. Avoid bending over without supporting your back. 7. Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes. 8. Sleep on your side or back. You should also sleep on a firm surface. 9. When weight-lifting using your legs, always keep your back straight. 10. Maintain an optimal weight. 11. Quit smoking. 12. Get enough vitamin D from sun exposure daily, as vitamin D helps keep your bones, including your spine, strong. 13. Drink plenty of water. Since your body is composed mostly of water, staying hydrated will keep you fluid and reduce stiffness. How to Relieve Back Pain Naturally. - If you are already suffering from chronic back pain or pain of any kind, you should understand that there are many safe and effective alternatives to prescription and over-the-counter painkillers, though they may require some patience. Here are some strategies I highly recommend: 1) Chiropractic Care - One of the best tactics to help treat back pain is to see a qualified chiropractor. I am an avid supporter of the chiropractic philosophy, which puts great emphasis on your body's innate healing wisdom and does not rely on “Band-Aids” like drugs and surgery. The problem is that a lot of people ignore chiropractic care, thinking that it’s just “pushing bones into place.” However, there’s a whole lot more to chiropractic care. Qualified chiropractors are reliable, as they have received extensive training in the management of musculoskeletal disorders during their course of their healthcare training, which lasts between four to six years. Many studies have confirmed that chiropractic management is much safer and less expensive than allopathic medical treatments, especially when used for low-back pain treatment. What’s more, researchers have also found that chiropractic adjustments may affect the chemistry of biological processes on a cellular level. Chiropractic care can affect the basic physiological processes that profoundly influence oxidative stress, immune function and DNA repair. This means that aside from addressing any immediate spinal misalignment that might cause back pain, chiropractic care can also help address, prevent and treat deeper dysfunctions in your body. 2) Exercises for Back Pain - Exercise and being physically active help strengthen and stabilize the muscles of your spine, radically reducing back pain. In almost all cases I give exercises to patients to help increase pain-free range of motion, strengthen and stabilize their spine. Patients that do these exercises usually have less flare-ups in the future. 3) Yoga - Yoga may be an effective strategy for alleviating back pain by making people more aware of how they move their bodies. 4) Massage - Getting a massage is another simple strategy I recommend to help ease not only your back pain (and other types of pain), but anxiety as well. Massage releases endorphins that help induce relaxation, relieve pain, and reduce levels of stress chemicals, such as cortisol and noradrenaline. It also reverses the damaging effects of stress by slowing your heart rate, respiration, and metabolism and lowering raised blood pressure. 5) Other Strategies to Eliminate Chronic Back Pain - In addition to the tips above, I also recommend these simple and natural ways to prevent and relieve back pain: • Get sufficient high-quality, animal-based omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fats are precursors to mediators of inflammation called prostaglandins. • Reduce your intake of grains and sugars, especially fructose. Excessive intake of grains and sugars will elevate your insulin and leptin levels primarily through causing your body to be resistant to them, resulting in the increase of inflammatory prostaglandin production. • Optimize your vitamin D through regular and appropriate sun exposure. These nutrients will help prevent the softening of your bones that can often lead to lower back pain. I strongly advise you to try these simple but successful back pain relief alternatives, especially Chiropractic care. Not only will they treat the underlying causes of back pain, but they can also spare you from additional harm, unlike potentially dangerous prescription or over-the-counter drugs. Source: mercola, 4/29/15.