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Natural Relief from Back Pain |
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FREE! NEW! Natural Weight Loss
Program recommended by The Share Guide
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There is rarely only one reason for back pain, and almost never one silver bullet fix. You may need to try several approaches until you find what works for you. Sometimes we blindly follow recommendations by individuals who have good intentions, but may not be recommending the best option. It’s never too late to seek out new and more encompassing information about your condition. Don’t say you’ve tried everything because you haven’t--your solution is out there and you just have to find it. Mainstream Solutions Are Often Lacking One of the first places many people go when they experience back pain is the Orthopedic specialist (surgeon). Unfortuantely, a visit often lasts only 10 minutes. They will typically look at the problem/symptomatic area and often fail to look at the body as a whole. A full-body physical evaluation would take 30 minutes or more, and typically they don’t spend that much time with patients. To follow are some of the common treatments prescribed by orthopedic specialists. Cortisone Shots - Cortisone is a catabolic steroid which is intended to reduce inflammation by killing off the tissue in the inflamed area. Not only are these injections quite painful, but they rarely result in any pain relief and if they do it is short lived, usually 1-2 weeks. Plus, this treatment does nothing to identify or address the CAUSE of the pain--it is only intended to treat the symptom. Anti-inflammatory Drugs - These medications do not identify or address the cause of your pain. For many people, they do not even deliver much pain relief, and may also cause serious side effects. There is no way a medication can fix your back; at best they just mask the symptoms. Back Surgery - Surgery for back pain is very common and more often than not, the individual still has pain afterwards (or it returns within weeks). Sometimes even new problems arise after surgery. In my opinion, very rarely is surgery the answer, and it should always be the last resort. Physical Therapy - This is traditionally the next step after seeing an Orthopedic specialist if surgery is not recommended. Normally, the doctor has to write a prescription with a diagnosis on it in order for your insurance to cover this therapy. Unfortunately, the physical therapist will only address the area covered by the prescription. Thus they are often not addressing your whole body or looking for the root cause of your pain. So without a comprehensive evaluation to identify the root cause of your pain, they will simply treat your symptoms. There are physical therapists who are holistic minded and effective, but you need to be careful when choosing a therapist. For example, ask about their training, and how many patients they see in an hour. Chiropractic Care - One of the most common treatments for back pain, this approach consists of physical manipulations of bones and joints in an attempt to line things back up, and it’s recommended typically 2-3 times per week. Once again the selection of a therapist is critical. Many chiropractors will spend 15 minutes with you if you are lucky. The only way chiropractic care makes sense is if they are addressing the muscle imbalances that are pulling the bones and joints out of place to begin with. That requires strengthening and stretching exercises that are chosen specifically to correct your muscle imbalances. Alternative Treatments for Back Pain Massage Therapy - If done correctly, massage therapy can work wonders for people with back pain. This is not to say that it will work for everyone. However, many people will get great results from it if the massage therapist has a good understanding of muscle imbalances and how to work on them. Remember, not all massage therapists are the same; there are varying degrees of training and qualifications. When selecting a massage therapist, check to see if they are licensed and insured in your state. Also ask if they have a comprehensive knowledge of muscle imbalances relating to back pain. It’s helpful if they have training in orthopedic massage, medical massage, or St. John’s technique. Post-rehabilitation Fitness Training This is another overlooked form of treatment that is very effective. It includes targeted strength and flexibility work to correct/improve the individual’s muscle imbalances. This service can only be performed by certified post-rehab fitness trainers and there are limitations to what they can do for you. They cannot diagnose a condition, prescribe any medications, or take x-rays. However, if they are well trained they can pinpoint your muscle imbalances quickly and get you started on a fitness program that will restore balance to your body and likely eliminate your back pain. Often times this can be combined with massage therapy and/or manual physical therapy for a total solution. Manual Physical Therapy This is not the same as regular physical therapy. It primarily consists of hands-on muscle work, whereas traditional physical therapy consists of heat, ice, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, etc. These therapists will normally perform a more thorough physical evaluation, and will spend more time with each patient. This is a more holistic approach, focusing on the body as a whole--something lacking from many traditional treatments for back pain. Traditional treatments are the mainstay of modern medicine, but are not necessarily the best approach. The system will not change until it’s confronted with a very powerful competitive force--which may well be alternative care from the likes of personal trainers, acupuncturists, massage therapists, manual physical therapists, and other holistic practitioners. Jesse Cannone is a Personal Fitness Trainer and former back pain sufferer. In his quest to rid himself of back pain, he became a post-rehabilitation specialist, creating an innovative treatment for back pain and sciatica. To learn more visit www.losethebackpain.com. NEW! Natural Weight Loss Program recommended by The Share Guide: learn more MORE
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