Back injury Talk - main page
HEALTHBEAT: Lower back pain a common ailment
By Suneetha Nuthalapty
Ouch, my back! If this phrase sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Eighty-five percent of all Americans suffer lower back pain (LBP) some time in their life.
According to American Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the cost of LBP is a staggering $75 billion a year.
Cause of back pain – A majority of the time, back pain is due to some type of trauma to the ligaments or muscles in the back. Another common reason is the undue pressure on the nerve root in the spinal canal. However back pain can also be an early warning sign of serious problems such as appendicitis, kidney disease or urinary tract infections.
The strain to the ligaments or muscles can occur during accidents, falls, injuries or just plain wear and tear from normal activity. Compression of the nerve root can be caused by a herniated disc (disc bulge), Osteoarthritis, slipped vertebrae, arthritis, and other factors.
LBP is normally classified into three categories: acute, recurring, and chronic. Most back pain will fall under the acute category, which is the pain lasting less than three months. Overall 60 to 70 percent of people recover within six weeks.
Once you have hurt your back, the likelihood of recurring pain increases. More than 50 percent of people who are recovering from LBP will re-experience LBP within one year. Chronic pain is the type of pain that is constant for long periods of time, and makes you tired and affects your activity negatively. Chronic pain can also trigger other problems in your body as your body tries to re-adjust to the pain, such as depression, anxiety, knee pain, hip pain, etc.
What do you do if you have LBP – If the LBP occurs with any type of chest pain, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room – you might be having a heart attack. Another instance that might require immediate attention is when spinal injury occurs with LBP. Symptoms include, new loss of bowel or bladder control, sudden and complete weakness in the legs, severe numbness or tingling in the buttocks, genital area, or legs. Note: If a person is suspected to have a spinal injury, only move the person if he/she is in immediate danger. Make sure the head, neck, back are aligned when you move the person out of danger. Otherwise call emergency personnel to come and take the individual to the emergency room.
If you have none of the above symptoms, and the pain is not severe, then perform home therapy for one or two days before contacting your primary physician or a specialist that specializes in low back pain.
Home treatment – When you first feel LBP, apply ice or a cold pack 10 to 15 minutes every hour to the injured area. If a cold pack doesn’t help, try an over-the-counter heat pack. Relax and lay down for a couple of minutes with a pillow under your knees.
You can also do pelvis tilts: Lie on your back with your knees bent, tighten your stomach muscle as if someone is punching you. Pull your belly button in and up toward your ribs. Hold for 10 seconds while breathing smoothly. You can also take five-minute walks on level surfaces. In addition, you can use nonprescription pain relievers such as Tylenol, Motrin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Most importantly ease back into your daily activities.
Physician treatment – Seeing a doctor is important so that tests can be done to rule out serious conditions such as disc bulge, spinal cord injury, nerve injury, appendicitis, kidney disease or urinary tract infections.
With the help of a physician you have several options available for treating LBP. They range from physical, psychological, and experimental therapies as well as medications. For a person suffering from chronic pain a comprehensive treatment would be beneficial, such as having physical therapy, along with managing pain using medication, exercise and other treatment modalities, while teaching the person how to take care of the back and how to avoid re-injuring the back.
Suneetha Nuthalapty, MD, is the medical director of inpatient rehabilitation at River Park Hospital and she also has an outpatient practice. She can be reached at 815-1616 or by e-mail for questions at healthbeat@regionrehabcenter.com.