©OxySolution.com 1 · In 2005, it was estimated that about $86 billion was spent treating patients with back pains (Szokan, N*). This amount is equal to almost 9% of the national

©OxySolution.com 1

©OxySolution.com 2

Copyright © 2016 SuccessVantage Group Pte Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Kevin Richardson Notes to the Reader: No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded, scanned, or otherwise, except as permitted under U.S copyright law, without the prior written permission of the author. The statements found within the pages of this book have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. If a product or treatment is recommended in these pages, it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information contained herein is meant to be used to educate the reader and is in no way intended to provide individual medical advice. The publisher and the contributors are not engaged in rendering medical advice. All information contained in this book is received from sources believed to be accurate, but no guarantee, express or implied, can be made. Readers are encouraged to verify for themselves, and to their own satisfaction, the accuracy of all information, recommendations, conclusions, comments, opinions or anything else contained within these pages before making any kind of decisions based upon what they have read herein. The author of this e-book is not a licensed practitioner of medicine; therefore, the techniques, ideas, and opinions here are not intended as a substitute for proper medical advice! The information provided here is solely for informational purposes only. If medical advice or other professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The author does not accept any responsibility for any liabilities resulting from any health decisions made by purchasers of this book. The words contained in this text which are believed to be trademarked, service marked, or to otherwise hold proprietary rights have been designated as such by the use of initial capitalization. Inclusion, exclusion, or definition of a word or term is not intended to affect, or to express judgment upon the validity of legal status of any proprietary right which may be claimed for a specific word or term. Individual results may vary.

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CONTENTS Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 4

Background Of Back Pain ................................................................................................................ 6

Human Back ................................................................................................................................ 6

Back Pain Causes and Forms ....................................................................................................... 8

Assessing Back Pains ................................................................................................................. 14

Back Pain Candidates ................................................................................................................ 15

Eliminating Back Pain .................................................................................................................... 17

Natural Remedies & Strategies ................................................................................................. 18

The McKenzie Strategy ............................................................................................................. 22

Alternative Treatments ............................................................................................................. 24

Professional Treatments ........................................................................................................... 24

Surgical Treatment .................................................................................................................... 26

Coping with Chronic Back Pain ................................................................................................. 26

Latest Findings .............................................................................................................................. 28

Back Surgery Helps Society ....................................................................................................... 29

Spinal Manipulative Therapy .................................................................................................... 29

Surgery Improves Quality of Life .............................................................................................. 30

Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 32

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Introduction

Studies show that two thirds of all Americans will experience some form of back pain within

their lifetime. Despite older people being at a higher risk of getting back pain, people of all ages

can still get it. This has opened up an entire new marketplace for doctors who want to

specialize in treating back pain problems.

In 2005, it was estimated that about $86 billion was spent treating patients with back pains

(Szokan, N*). This amount is equal to almost 9% of the national healthcare bill.

What’s worse is that people often feel better for a short period of time after seeing a doctor,

and then their back pains come back again. This means they have to take more trips to their

doctor or even to the emergency room if the pain is too unbearable again.

In 2013, a study by the Harvard Medical School showed that the number of people taking

prescription medications, like painkillers, to ease their pain had gradually increased over the

years (Stern, J).

For back pain suffers not on prescription medications, it was recommended that they use over-

the-counter medications, like acetaminophen and aspirin, to relieve their pain first. Then they

should follow it up with physical therapy sessions.

Unfortunately, these methods don’t seem to be working for people and so patients are

demanding more painkillers for a quick and easy solution to their pain. Although all this is

causing people to get addicted to painkillers because eventually the positive sensation from

them will wear off, and the patient will still feel a dependency towards having them. That is

why painkillers and many other forms of prescription medication need to be eliminated from

back pain treatment. This book will show you why as you read on.

Back pain treatments, such as surgeries and prescription medications, have already been

proven to do very little to cure a person’s back pains.

Dr. Richard Deyo, a professor and physician at the Oregon Health and Science University,

reviewed various cases of back pains and came to the conclusion that 80% of patients get

better no matter what treatment they receive.

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He reviewed treatments that involved microcurrent therapy, spinal manipulation, steroid

injections and even people who attended a YMCA exercise class.

All of the treatments resulted in the same statistic; 80% of patients have fewer back pains.

Does this mean natural healing was a factor in curing back pains? Why is it always 80% who get

better while 20% don’t?

These are questions that doctors are still debating. Some doctors believe that certain

treatments work for certain people. It is just a matter of discovering which treatment works for

their particular back pain problem.

Back Pain Breakthrough is a

comprehensive guide which looks at the

definition of back pain, how it is

diagnosed, the common types of back

pain, the drugs used in the treatment,

the natural remedies and exercises, and

the lifestyle changes required to change

for the better.

By reviewing all aspects of back pain, the

reader can have a better understanding

of it and apply the knowledge to their

own back pain situation when it occurs.

Please note that this is only a case study

of back pain and the ways of treating it.

You should always rely on your own

healthcare professional’s advice if you

truly believe you have a back pain

problem and need medical advice on

what to do. The information in this case

study is only for reference and should be

used for educational purposes only.

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Background Of Back Pain

Human Back

The human back is quite large. In fact, it is larger than the chest area on the opposite side of the

body.

Scientifically, the human back ranges from the bottom of the neck down to the top of the

buttocks (Wikipedia, Human Back). A significant portion of the back contains the vertebral

column, which most people call the spine. It is supported by the shoulders and ribcage to give it

posture. The spine is also assisted by a series of muscles that surround it in the body.

One muscle in particular is called the intertransversarii muscle. This is what allows the spine to

conduct movement as a whole.

Then the other muscles that border the spine assist with additional movement for other

surrounding body parts, such as the shoulders and neck.

The trapezius muscle is a particularly important muscle that runs from the back in between the

neck. It is what allows the head to turn left and right.

The spine of the back has a feature known as the “spinal canal” that is responsible for providing

the rest of the body with nerves. The bones that make up your spine are known as vertebrae

and each individual bone of the spine is called vertebrae (Sinel, M).

In total, each person has 24 vertebrae in their spine. It is important to learn about the human

back and spinal region because these areas of the back are responsible for the back pains that

millions of Americans are facing every day. All of the treatments and studies that go into back

pain recovery are based on treating and manipulating these areas of the back.

The spine goes by many names. The vertebrae column is a scientific name that doctors use

because they like to think of all the individual bones that make up the spine.

For layman people, the spine goes by the name of “spinal column.”

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This variation of the name is used more when referring to the various curves that make up the

spine. There are three natural spinal curves which form an “S” shape when looked at from afar.

All three curves have their own individual names; cervical curve, thoracic curve and lumbar

curve.

The cervical curve concerns all of the bones inside your neck. There are seven vertebrae in the

cervical curve to be exact. Their job is to hold up the weight of your head, and to give

protection to the nerves that go from the brain and extend down to the rest of the body.

When you hear people complain about their cervical posture causing pain in their neck, they

are likely experiencing nerve damage in their cervical curve from poor neck posture.

The thoracic curve is the biggest curve that makes up twelve vertebrae in the middle portion of

the back. Despite the size of this curve, people tend to have the least amount of back pain in

this particular region.

The area where they have the most pain is in the lumbar curve, which makes up five vertebrae

in the lower back.

This region causes people so many problems and is the most fragile part of the back. Below

these three curves of the spine are two more spinal areas that aren’t technically part of the

back region, but can contribute to back pain if damaged or diseased. These are the sacrum and

coccyx.

The sacrum is a large triangular shaped bone found in the pelvis region of the body and joined

with the hip bones. It is the base of the spine and provides the most support to the rest of the

upper spinal column. The sacrum also accommodates the spinal nerves by making sure they are

protected as they flow throughout the rest of the lower body.

As for the coccyx, this is basically a scientific name for tailbone. It makes up the very last

segment of the spinal column and is comprised of between three to five vertebrae. Not

everybody is born with the same number of vertebrae in their coccyx region, which is why the

number varies.

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Besides tissue and bone, the human back consists of organs as well. The lungs, for example,

extend from inside the ribcage out through the back. This actually makes the lungs vulnerable

to damage if the back gets injured. Then in the lower back, the kidneys lie underneath the

muscle tissue at the bottom of the ribcage.

The kidneys are also vulnerable to impact when the back is injured because they are right next

to the lumbar region of the spine. As for skin tissue, this is the biggest organ of the back. In fact,

back skin is actually a lot thicker than skin found anywhere else on the torso. It also contains

fewer nerve endings, which means the sensation of pain is not as intense if the skin itself gets

injured. People often don’t realize this because their back pain problems are caused by internal

damage or disease that cannot be seen from the outside.

The anatomy of the human back is designed to give support to the trunk of the body and the

head. By support, this means it makes the trunk of the body stronger and allows it to flexible.

The anatomy of the upper back is where most of this structural support comes from, like with

the firmly attached ribcage that provides strength to the thoracic region of the spine. The only

downside to this area is that it provides limited movement, but that is why the lower back is so

beneficial. This area gives humans all of their flexibility, such as bending down to pick

something up or squatting with weights at the gym.

Because this area of the spine is rather small and consists of various movements, it is the most

likely one to get injured. If someone were to turn and twist the wrong way, especially while

carrying heavy weights, then it could easily cause them injury that would amount to chronic

back pain.

Back Pain Causes And Forms

Back pain can be difficult to diagnose because of its size and interconnecting parts; bones,

nerves, ligaments, muscles, and tendons.

Any one of these can be the root cause of a person’s back pain. This is the reason why adults

feel back pain more than any other pain, besides headaches.

The most common type of back pain that people get is muscle strain.

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This can occur from lifting unusually heavy weight

that the muscles are not used to lifting. It can also

occur from bending too far down and then trying to

lift something up.

As a person gets older, they are more prone to

getting this kind of back pain.

Doctors have classified four types of back pains

based on where they appear the most:

1. Tailbone pain

2. Neck pain

3. Lower back pain

4. Middle back pain (Wikipedia, Back Pain)

Any one of these areas can get strained at any time.

Back pain is a very sharp pain that occurs in a person’s back. The sensation often feels sharp,

burning or like an ache. There are a number of organs and body parts that may be responsible

for this pain such as the nerves, muscles, joints, bones, tendons, ligaments or spinal cord.

The direct cause of back pain can be linked to mechanical problems within the body such as

spasms, tense muscles, ruptured disks and breakdown of disks. People commonly get back

pains from injuries due to falling, sprains, accidents or fractures. This can be seen a lot with

athletes who play physically demanding sports and get injured on a regular basis.

Besides muscle strain, injuries from competitive sports can lead to much more serious back

pains involving disc problems. These include herniated lumbar disc, degenerative disc disease,

spondylolisthesis, and osteoporotic fracture (Wikipedia, Back Pain).

Below is a list of the most common medical conditions associated with back pain and what they

actually are:

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Herniated Lumbar Disc – The lumbar part of the spine is in the lower back and is often

prone to hernias from actions like lifting heavy weights or prolonged bad posture while

on the computer. It is very easy to get a herniated disc in the lower back, and you will

certainly know when you get it.

The pain will start in the lower back and then move to the buttocks, thigh and even the

genital region. The sciatic and femoral nerves are the most affected from this kind of

hernia, which is why tingly and numb feelings often occur in the extremities of the body.

Degenerative Disc Disease – This condition is actually not a disease, but rather a term

that describes the aging of a person’s spinal discs. Since spinal discs are soft and act as

the spine’s shock absorbers, they are important for undertaking actions such as

bending, twisting and flexing.

As we age, the discs deteriorate and are more prone to getting damaged from injury or

simply moving the wrong way. Even though everyone will have degenerative disc

disease when they get older, it won’t cause everyone to experience back pain. All it does

is increase the risk of it.

Spondylolisthesis – The displacement of a vertebra in the lumbar region of the spine

will cause great amounts of back pain. This often happens from injury, trauma, birth

defects and tumors. Besides back pain, the other symptoms include hamstring tightness,

and tingling or numbness in the legs. If left untreated, it can cause the spine to become

deformed by narrowing the spinal canal and compressing the nerves.

Osteoporosis – This disease is quite common in older people because of their low bone

mass and density. This makes their bones and skeleton extremely fragile, which means

they are easily prone to injuries and broken bones. All it would take is for someone with

osteoporosis to fall on the ground and they will end up fracturing their hip, spine or/and

pelvis.

Scoliosis – This condition is not a disease or injury, but rather an abnormal curvature of

the spine. A normal spine is supposed to be straight looking with three smaller curves

that we don’t see on the outside. With scoliosis, a spinal curve will form to the left, right

or both (which forms an ‘S’ shape). This is one of the few conditions that are noticeable

in younger people first, usually teenagers.


The condition occurs the most during puberty because this is when the body grows very

fast. People typically get these curves naturally through no fault of their own. Luckily,

most of the cases are mild and don’t even require treatment. But if a child experiences

severe back pain from this condition, then it will require medical intervention.

Osteoarthritis – This is the breakdown of the cartilage that acts as a cushion for your

joints, especially your hips and knees. Once the cartilage goes away, the bones in

between start to rub together while causing severe pain. If this happens to the joints

around the spine then you can be sure chronic back pain will follow. The reason this

happens has to do with aging joints not being taken care of properly through exercise

and nutrition.

Kidney Stones – These stones are hard minerals within the urinary tract and kidneys.

Not only will it cause blood in the urine, but it will inflict severe back pain as well. Kidney

stones typically form when there is an abnormal decrease in the volume of urine or an

excess in the amount of stone minerals formed inside the existing urine. Dehydration is

pretty much how you get kidney stones, so drink plenty of water and you should be fine.

Lumbar Spinal Stenosis – This is when the spinal canal becomes narrow in the lumbar

region of the spine, or lower back. The cause has to do with tissue and bone growing

between the bones in the spine, which irritates the nerves that come out of the spinal

cord. This results in severe back pain and discomfort. The reason why this happens has

to do with age and poor bone density.

Back pain has even been linked to diseases and certain health conditions such as pregnancy,

infections, and endometriosis. Often times a person will experience stress or tumor growth as a

result, which will cause the back pain to get even

worse.

When it comes to stress, there is an underlying

connection between a person’s emotional state and

the back pains they may be experiencing (Sinel, M).

Doctors have already proven that stress and negative

emotions cause the muscles in the back to tighten,

which results in painful symptoms.


Stress can even increase the amount of pain that one may already be experiencing, like from a

herniated disc or some other injury that is causing back problems. Therefore, the physical and

emotional well being of an individual need to be taken into consideration when dealing with

back pains.

The severity and duration of back pains tend to vary between individuals. For most people, they

will endure acute back pain which only lasts about three months. Acute back pain usually

occurs suddenly because of a mechanical cause or injury. This could be a sprain or strain that

travels from the spine throughout the rest of the body, particularly the buttocks, knees, and

thighs.

It is even possible to experience spasms from acute back pain. However, the upside to acute

back pain is that it is noticeable because of its effect on mechanical functions.

Once this is noticed, you can use natural remedies to treat the problem and then allow the

healing agents of the body to repair any muscles or other parts that are mildly damaged and

causing pain. That is why patients should wait before seeking medical intervention, so they

don’t have to pay doctor’s fees for something that will eventually go away on its own.

However, there are some unfortunate people who will endure chronic back pain. This kind of

back pain lasts for more than three months and the severity of the pain never seems to go

away. Not only that, but it can even radiate to other areas of the body like the hands, arms, feet

and legs.

After awhile, these areas will start to feel weaker and even get numb. In such situations, one

cannot wait for these painful symptoms to go away on their own or by using natural remedies.

Instead, the patient should seek the assistance of a medical professional right away.

Below is a list of symptoms associated with back pain that will require medical attention:

Along with weakness progressing throughout the legs, a person will endure bladder and

bowel incontinence. Not only is this a serious warning sign, but it could lead to a life

threatening problem if left untreated.


Severe back pain that never goes away is often a warning sign of something more than

just an irritation in your back. If it gets to the point where you can’t sleep and are in pain

24-hours a day, then medical treatment is a must.

Back pain sufferers who also have symptoms of fever or unexplained weight loss should

seek medical attention because this could be the early warning signs of an internal

disease.

Anyone who has experienced a serious accident, such as a car crash or fall, and is feeling

back pains as a result should seek medical attention.

Patients who have existing known medical conditions, like osteoporosis, should seek

help if they are feeling back pains.

Patients with any history of cancer should always seek professional treatment for back

pains. Many forms of cancer that can occur throughout the body are known to spread

towards the spinal region, which causes a metastatic disease in the spine.

All of these conditions are ones that patients can self diagnose themselves, so that they will

know to seek medical treatment.

However, anyone experiencing a psychological disorder will have a tougher time performing a

self diagnosis.

If a person’s back pain is caused by stress from a job or a dysfunctional family, they aren’t going

to have enough sense to seek medical attention for it. The myth behind emotional distress is

that it’s natural and everyone goes through it. People will often say you have to “man up” and

deal with it.

The truth is our bodies all deal with stress a different way because we are all different in some

aspects. Just because one person doesn’t have back pain due to stress doesn’t mean others

won’t as well. So if you have chronic back pain and you don’t have any physical symptoms to

attribute it to, then chances are there is a psychological factor causing the pain and so you

should seek medical help right away.


Assessing Back Pains

The healthcare provider examining the patient will want to know their personal history before

even starting the assessment. This means the patient will have to provide them with medical

records if they don’t already have them. The patient must disclose any other medications they

are taking and any other health issues they have. This is important because it will help

determine which treatment method is used for the back pains.

The doctor will first ask the patient a series of questions (Cowan, P):

Do the symptoms occur often? If so, how often?

When the pain occurs, does it last for a long time?

Do you have any previous history of back pain problems?

Do you have pains in any of the body’s extremities (legs, arms, feet, hands)?

Are there any factors that could contribute to your risk of getting cancer? This could be

things like unexplained weight loss, history of cancer or simply being over the age of 50.

What previous medicals or natural remedies have you taken to alleviate your back pain?

Any history of osteoporosis? Bowel or bladder issues? Do you use steroids? Any other

medical conditions known will be helpful.

Next, the doctor will want the patient to point out which area of the back has the most pain.

Patients won’t be expected to know the scientific terms of the back or anything like that. Just a

simple description like upper, middle or lower back will be enough for the doctor to start from.

The doctor will then perform a physical examination on the patient’s back in order to figure out

the exact type of pain they are experiencing. These physical exams include straight leg raises

where the patient lies down and raises a straightened leg in the air. Then the patient will be

tested on their ability to bend, walk, twist and turn.


Reflexes will also be tested along with reaction time for those reflexes. Finally, the toes, knees

and ankles will be tested for their strength. This is important because if the back pain has

spread to the extremities of the body then it could mean something worse is going on.

Once the physical examinations are complete, the doctor will either be able to diagnose the

back pain right away or will perform an x-ray imaging procedure on your back.

However, x-rays are not typically performed on most patients because the lumbar region of the

spine gets easily exposed to the radiation from the x-ray, which could risk causing a whole new

series of health problems. X-rays are mostly done in cases where injuries have occurred or if the

doctor needs to perform surgery to fix the problem in the back.

Back Pain Candidates

The number one group of people to get back pains is older people,

typically those over 40 years old. This simply has to do with the

density of their bones diminishing with age, which increases their

chances of getting spinal injuries due to broken bones. People often

get these injuries from trying to lift heavy weights or simply turning

their body the wrong way. If someone is not in good physical shape

then their chances of getting back pains are even higher.

A common myth is only older people get back pains. The truth is that

younger people can get them just as easily, but for different reasons.

Younger people tend to be more physically active, like from playing

sports, and so they risk getting back injuries from the aggressiveness

of the sports they play. The only difference between them and an

older person is that a younger person’s bone density is strong. Generally, this applies to

someone between the ages of 15-30.

As a person approaches 30-years-old, they may be able to maintain their bone strength as long

as they workout and stay physically active. But once somebody stops working out for awhile,

they will be at a variety high risk of back injury.


However, this does not mean that someone who is 50-years-old can never workout again

because they haven’t done so in awhile. A physical trainer or health expert can guide them

towards a workout regime that will involve light back workouts with only a small amount of

weight. This will train their back muscles to get stronger and counter any heavy resistance that

could cause back pain. Plus, working out and staying in shape reduces your chances of

becoming obese.

Another reason why people over 30 years old get more back pains is because the obesity rate is

higher with this age group. Most of them are working long hours and don’t have time to work

out. On top of that, any stress they endure from their jobs will cause them to gain excess

weight around their waist, which limits the flexibility and movement of the lower back.

All people are not created equally when it comes to back pain. Heredity plays a huge factor in a

person’s risk for getting back pains.

Certain kinds of back pains, especially those due to arthritis, can negatively affect the spine

because of a genetic component passed down from their parents. Then when you add on the

other factors of back pain that a person inflicts upon themselves, it can turn into a serious

problem.

One factor is working a job that requires you to consistently lift heavy weight and bend down all

day. Construction workers are on the top of this list. They are constantly lifting building

materials, bending down to nail them in and repeating this process for at least 8 hours each day

of the week. The tendons and muscles in the back can easily get strained this way.

If you are under 30 then you might have a better chance of getting away with a lot of heavy

duty lifting at work.

But if you are older than 30 and are still performing these physically exhausting jobs, then you

are prone to getting back injury the most.

On top of that, if you are overweight and a smoker, then back injury is just around the corner

whether you work a physically demanding job or not.


Eliminating Back Pain

The first step in eliminating back pain is to acquire as much knowledge as you can about it. This

includes knowing all the causes and forms of back pain that could occur under various

circumstances. By having this information, you will be able to take preventive measures to

avoid getting back pain all together.

This is truly what you want to aim for because once you get back pain then you easily get it

again in the future.

So basically, the best preventive actions you can take are:

Exercising.

Maintaining a healthy weight.

Keeping your bones strong with calcium.

Keeping your posture straight as often as possible.

Avoiding lifting objects that are too heavy (NIH).

These all might sound easy, but as life goes on, people tend to neglect one or more of these

crucial preventive measures.

After awhile, the health of their body will be deteriorated to the point where back pain can

easily occur. If it does then you can try to treat it yourself or go to a doctor.

If this is your first time experiencing back pain then you may want to consider the doctor’s

option because they will simply give you an assessment of your condition to see what is causing

the pain.

Nine times out of ten, the doctor will tell you it is a strain and will recommend natural remedies

to treat the problem. A doctor’s advice will educate the patient, so they don’t end up trying a

dozen different treatments through trial-and-error before finding the one that works for their

particular back problem.


So once the reason for the back pain has been found, then strategies can be put into place to

help get rid of that pain. There are a variety of treatment methods out there, and those with

less severe back pain, or acute pain, will probably be able to get help with natural remedies or

with mild physical therapy. But if the back pain is too severe, like from an injury or disease, then

surgery will likely be the case. The doctor will determine this from their assessment.

Natural Remedies & Strategies

A simple solution to overcoming back pains is to take better care of your body. This means

eating natural healthy foods, sleeping better, stretching and exercising; among other

alternative therapies.

The average person does not do any of these things.

For example, people have a tendency to sleep on their side in a semi fetal position, which

curves the spine all night long. Studies have shown that it is better to sleep flat on your back so

that the spine can stay straight. This helps promote good posture in your back, which in turn

reduces the chances of back pains from occurring.

Also, if you are a smoker then you should consider quitting tobacco all together because

smoking limits the amount of nutrients that are able to vitalize the disks in your back. This

means smokers take longer to heal when injured, which will cause greater pain if there is injury

to the back. These are the kinds of remedies and techniques that one needs to practice in order

to help treat their back problems.

With the increase in healthcare costs and doctor’s appointments, the average person can no

longer afford to go to their physician every time they experience back pain. Instead, they are

better off implementing these new natural techniques into their lifestyle so that the body can

repair itself and reduce its chances of experiencing pain.

The average person gives bad advice to someone experiencing back pains. They will often tell

them to lie down in bed for a few days because bed rest is supposed to cure the problem.

The truth is that too much lying down can make back pains feel worse instead of better. That is

why a growing number of health professionals will tell their patients to get out of bed and

move around as much as possible (Sayre, C).


When the time comes for you to go to sleep or lie down because

you are tired, often times a person will feel compelled to lie on

their stomach because it takes the pressure off their back.

The only problem with this is it forces the person to turn their

head to the side in order to breathe, which puts strain on the

neck and causes neck pains. Therefore, a person needs to lie flat

on their back and then place a few pillows underneath their

knees.

Sleep for the recommended eight hours a day only. Try to avoid

oversleeping and staying in bed for more than eight hours.

Also, check the condition of the mattress that you sleep on. Often times, people experience

back pains because their mattress is soft and saggy from being used so much. This causes the

person’s back to sink inward, which causes the posture of the back to curve while they are

sleeping. After an 8-hour sleep, this consistent curvature of the spine will cause back pains and

poor posture in the back.

The same applies to water beds as well. Water beds cause your back to sink immediately, so

you will want to refrain from getting any kind of water bed. As for the saggy mattress, you have

two choices to correct this problem. You can either buy a new mattress or you can place a piece

of plywood underneath the mattress to stop it from sinking so much. The plywood should only

be a temporary solution until you can afford to buy a new mattress.

If you experience a back injury then an ice pack needs to be applied to the surface of the injury

immediately in order to reduce the inflammation in the skin and ease the pain as much as

possible. The cold temperature from the ice limits the nerves from sending pain signals to the

brain, which is the reason why pain is normally felt.

If a premade ice pack is not available, just find a plastic bag and fill it up with ice cubes. Then

wrap a towel around the bag and apply it to the surface of the injury. Once 24 hours go by, the

pain from the injury should ease up on its own.

If it has been more than 24 hours and the pain is still there, then ice isn’t going to be effective

anymore in treating the pain. At this point, heat will actually help the pain more than coldness

by increasing the elasticity within the muscles (HowStuffWorks.com).


The heat can be generated from a hot bath, so fill your bathtub up with hot water and soak

your body in it for at least 20 minutes. If you are pregnant and are experiencing back pains then

you should refrain from soaking in a hot tub because excessive heat can cause birth defects or

even a miscarriage. In this case, a doctor will recommend the best heat source to use.

A major reason why more people are having back pains has to do with computer chair posture.

Since home computers hit the mainstream marketplace, millions of people have been sitting in

front of computers for many hours each day. The problem is nobody taught these people the

correct way to sit in a computer chair.

Most people slouch over in their chair because they are either looking down at their keyboard

while typing or their monitor is lower than their head level. This is often a problem with laptop

users because they have to bend their neck to look at the screen and type on the keyboard.

After enduring this kind of posture for awhile, the neck will get misaligned and start to cause

back pain. That is why a person should always sit straight in their chair when looking at the

computer.

As for their laptop and monitor, they need to be raised to eye level so you can just look straight

ahead without having to look down. A seat cushion for the lower back can also be used for

additional posture support if sitting for long periods of time. If a cushion is not available then

you can make an alternative cushion by taking a rolled up towel and placing it between the

back of the seat and your lower back. This won’t work as well, but it will relieve a little bit of

tension. However, anyone sitting for long periods of time needs to stand up and walk

periodically to get the blood flow circulating throughout the body in order to decrease stiffness

in their back muscles.

When all the natural remedies at home have been exhausted, the next step is to try outside

sources of natural healing.

Massages, for example, are great for relaxing the muscles in the back after they have been

tense for so long. People who are lucky enough to have a partner can let them perform the

massage, but it is always better to have a professional masseuse handle it because they are

experienced in massage therapy and are trained in easing back pain. The idea is to relax

because most back pain derives from stress. All that emotional tension will keep the back

muscles tense and increase the chances of back pain.


Besides massages, you can try to learn

meditation from an expert who will teach

you how to focus on only one thought at a

time. Emotional tension usually comes

from worrying about a variety of different

things. When a person carries that tension

throughout the day and night, it makes

sleeping very difficult. If a person doesn’t

get an adequate amount of sleep, then

the back muscles don’t get a chance to

heal itself.

A place where back injuries are very common is in a gym. Amateur bodybuilders and people just

looking to stay fit often try to lift more weight than they can handle, which results in a back

injury that likely makes them unable to exercise for weeks or months. Also, using correct form

during your weight workouts is essential. Even if you use the proper amount of weight, the way

it is lifted is very important.

For example, if you are doing a weight workout where you are standing up, then the knees have

to be slightly bent at all times. Do not lift weight with your legs straight and locked or else you

will risk back injury. You also don’t want to bend your waist too much, especially when doing

squats or dead lifts. However, this does not mean these exercises are bad to do. They are

actually great lower back workouts that can help prevent back injury, but you have to make

sure you keep your upper torso straight and your knees bent because that is the only way it will

help your back instead of damaging it.

Many of the natural remedies for back pain require exercise and movement, but this can be

rather difficult for people suffering from obesity. Not only that, but their excessive weight is

being carried around with them all the time while putting great tension on their spinal region.

That is why morbidly obese people tend to get back pains more than anyone else.

They get it just from doing simple things like bending down or getting up. With all that weight

they are carrying, getting up out of a seat is the equivalent of doing a squat at the gym. But

since they are not athletic and their nutrition is poor, the squat will simply tear into their back

muscles and cause them great pain.


Therefore, losing weight by eating healthy foods is the most recommended way to limit back

pains. Without doing this, all the other natural remedies will become less effective and the pain

will just continue to get worse.

Have a doctor or nutritionist recommend a healthy diet plan. They will likely have you consume

foods that have specific nutrients, like calcium, which promote healthy bone density. Foods like

this include milk, yogurt and lactose-free cheese.

As the bones get stronger while the body weight decreases, you will notice a natural decline in

back pain.

The McKenzie Strategy

The McKenzie Method is a unique treatment for back pains that was invented in the 1960s by

Robin McKenzie, who was a physical therapist from New Zealand.

The idea is that if you extend the spine of a patient suffering from back pain, the sensation of

their pain will significantly get reduced to the point where they can resume their normal

everyday activities with ease.

This method is commonly used with people suffering from chronic back pain because their pain

has spread to other areas of their body besides the back. The McKenzie Method helps

centralize this pain by moving it away from other body parts, such as the arms and legs, and

directly all the pain towards the back.

This involves exercise and physical therapy routines to help extend the spine. Once the spine is

extended, the pains will move away to the back. Even though the symptoms of back pain will

still be there, at least the pain is no longer in other areas of the body causing more discomfort.

With all the pain just in the back, doctors and specialists can then focus on treating just that

one particular area.

However, the McKenzie Method encourages doctors to simply teach their patient ways to treat

their back themselves. The use of traditional treatments like medicine, needles, cold and heat

are not used in this method.


The system of “Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy” was tailored by McKenzie to describe his

treatment method. This method is not simply a series of back exercises for a person to feel

better afterwards. Instead, the doctor studies the patient’s movements in order to classify

where their spinal problems are located, which is called a “defined algorithm” (McKenzie,

Kubey).

Once this algorithm has found the location of the problems, the doctor can then recommend

the right exercises that will target those areas within the spine so they can get treated and

relieved. The McKenzie Method evaluates the “cause and effect” of the back pains. In other

words, McKenzie specialists will study the various positions the patient normally assumes.

These include all kinds of positions such as standing, sitting, and walking.

The specialist will then ask the patient if they felt pain in any of those movements and if so,

which ones. When pain has been determined somewhere, the specialist will make the patient

perform a series of movements that correlate to the position where the pain was felt. For

example, if the patient feels back pain while walking then it likely has to do with the speed of

their pace or their posture while they walk. The painful symptoms of a patient are often made

better or worse by the active positions and movements they choose to make.

Once the specialist narrows down the exact movements that cause the pain, this will help

determine the necessary treatment that should be given to the patient to centralize their pain.

The system of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy will identify one of three syndromes for each

patient’s particular back pain problem.

The first is the postural syndrome, which results in patients who sit down a lot or stay in one

particular position for long periods of time (Spine-health.com). This is often seen in computer

users who spend hours on the computer slouched over while curving their spine in the process.

The next is dysfunction syndrome, which is seen in patients who have scarring or shortening in

their back tissue. The pain is often chronic, especially when engaging in consistent movements.

Finally there is derangement syndrome, which is sensitivity to only certain movements or

patterns of movement. This could be someone who experiences pain only when they bend

down or flex their arms straight into the air.


After the patient’s syndrome has been identified, they will be given a series of proactive

movements that will counter the painful symptoms and cause more relief. However, the

majority of patients under the Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy system are not successfully

treated for their condition, but instead are successfully assessed for their condition.

The ability to find the mechanical component of the body that is causing back pain is a pretty

significant finding in itself. Based on that information, future exercises and treatments can be

experimented on with patients using the McKenzie assessments of this method.

Alternative Treatments

Alternative treatments are basically unorthodox

methods of treating patients that have not been

endorsed or proven effective by the scientific

community. For back pain relief, the two biggest

forms of alternative treatment are acupuncture and

acupressure.

Acupuncture is an old Chinese practice that involves sticking thin needles in the patient’s back

to relieve their back pain symptoms.

The same goes for acupressure as well. Acupressure is a procedure where a therapist applies

pressure to various areas of the back and extremities of the body in order to relieve pain. These

alternative treatments might want to be considered if all other treatments have failed. There is

no risk involved with these treatments because they are safe and do not make any of the

symptoms worse.

Professional Treatments

Patients and their insurance companies are spending billions of dollars every year for treating

back pain related issues. These professional health practitioners have come to use both

nonmedical and medical treatment methods on their patients.


The most common approach is a doctor who will evaluate the back pains and then recommend

the best treatment for it. Patients often go to either a family physician or a chiropractor for this

kind of advice.

A family physician is more of a medical consultant that performs basic health evaluations, but

does not specialize in any one particular field of medicine. That is why they often recommend

patients go to a specialist that deals with specific health issues.

Chiropractors, for example, are the most common specialists that deal with back pain problems

in people. They are trained to treat and manipulate various body parts in order to restore their

natural functionality, especially with the spine because this causes most back pain problems in

people. Chiropractors will also give the patient massages and physical therapy to relax the

muscles in the back as well.

Patients suffering from chronic back pain will need more than a massage and physical therapy

to relieve their symptoms.

A family doctor will often recommend people with chronic back pain to go visit an

anesthesiologist. These doctors specialize in decreasing and even eliminating all feelings of pain

in a person. For back pain suffers, an anesthesiologist will often perform a series of procedures

that include spinal injections, medications, or surgeries with anesthesia (Sinel, M).

Anesthesiologists are merely providing treatments to a patient so they don’t feel as much pain.

They do not always try to fix or cure an actual medical problem. Instead, they are treating the

pain that is a result of the problem.

When all physical attempts fail to correct back pain, this often leaves patients to resort to

seeing a psychologist in order to figure out if emotional problems are the cause of the pain.

Psychotic behavior or emotional distress creates whole other areas of malfunction in a person’s

lives, besides back pains.

However, a person should see a psychologist if their emotional distress is causing them physical

disabilities or pains. They won’t necessarily make you talk about your personal problems and

open up in that sense. Instead, they will teach you emotional relaxation techniques such as how

to breathe properly and how to change your attitude when pain occurs.


Surgical Treatment

Surgery is always a last resort to those suffering from chronic back pain. Some patients will

have no choice but to have spinal surgery to correct their problem. However, spinal surgery is

very complex and requires the best team of surgeons available. After all, the spinal cord is a

very serious part of the body. If any mistake is made during surgery then it can leave a patient

paralyzed or even kill them.

Fortunately with the advancements of modern medicine and technology, the success rate of

spinal surgeries is higher than they have ever been. In fact, the benefits of surgical treatment

now outweigh the risks associated with it.

The most common kinds of chronic back pain that require spinal surgery are degenerative

spinal conditions like spinal stenosis and disc herniation (Cleveland Clinic). There are also spinal

deformities like kyphosis, scoliosis and spinal tumors that need to be surgically treated as well.

The exact type of spinal problem will be determined from the initial assessment and diagnosis

that comes first.

Coping With Chronic Back Pain

After all the treatments, surgeries and remedies that help weaken the sensation of chronic

lower back pain, there are some individuals who will simply never get rid of their back pain

completely. All of the solutions to weaken back pain are merely treatments, not cures. There

really is no absolute cure for lower back pain.

Some treatments work better with some people than they do with others. Sometimes a

treatment may take away all the pain, but there are no guarantees that the pain won’t come

back again. The end result is a person learning to cope with the chronic back pain the best way

possible. This doesn’t mean just suffering through the pain and waiting for a weakened

sensation. It just means that more treatments will have to be made to get the pain to

temporarily weaken.

People stuck in this predicament need to make sure they are taking all the natural actions

available to reduce back pain.


This means refraining from alcohol, tobacco and junk food. If someone fails to do this then their

back pain sensation will only get worse.

Then there is low to medium intensity cardiovascular exercises, such as walking and jogging. If

the pain is too severe then walking or a simple physical therapy session will be fine.

Once you are sticking to a natural lifestyle, you should notice the chronic pains weakening at

least a little bit. However, if the pain is still severe then it could be stress related. Make sure you

are not engaging in a lot of stressful situations, especially at a job or at home. Persistent stress

will cause persistent back pain.

This kind of stress often happens at home more than it does at work. A patient’s family often

becomes frustrated with having to cope with their love one’s chronic back pain, which often

leads to complains and arguments every so often.

That is why it is important that a patient surrounds themselves with supportive people who are

loving, caring and have patience. Social support is critical for a back pain sufferer to have, or

else they will feel like a burden and have even deeper anxiety.

Finally, a patient needs to take their prescribed medication. Normally, prescription medications

would not be the ideal solution for treating back pain. But the one exception is for people who

experience chronic back pain that cannot be helped any other way, not even with surgery. In

such a situation, a doctor prescribed medication will often be effective in relieving painful

symptoms. On the upside, the medication could make the exercise regimen easier to perform

because the movements involved will be less painful.


Latest Findings

Back pain is such a complex area that doctors and scientists continue to study it to this very

day. There are plenty of treatments available for various forms of back pain, but these are not

cures and so often times the back pains resurface again. That is why it is important to stay up to

date on the latest findings on back pain surgeries and treatments, so that way you can find new

hope for treating your own back pain.

Back pain treatments are very costly for both patients and insurance companies. Up until

Obamacare was passed, many insurance companies wouldn’t even pay the costs of certain back

pain treatments because they claimed it was a preexisting condition.

Now it is against the law for insurance companies to refuse a patient’s claim because of a

preexisting condition. But still, insurance companies don’t cover all the costs and it still puts the

suffering patient in great financial strain. That is why research into back pain is so important.

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases have made it their

duty to research cost effectiveness of surgical treatments for back pains versus nonsurgical

treatments. This is an ongoing study that is trying to determine if the more expensive surgical

treatments are actually doing more to help back pain than nonsurgical.

Many patients suffering from chronic back pain tend to have the same symptoms after getting

both kinds of treatments. If doctors can determine which symptoms of back pain don’t require

surgery then it will save hospitals and patients many thousands of dollars. When these figures

get compared to the annual national cost of treating back pains, less surgery could then mean

millions in savings for hospitals across the country.

What it all boils down to is surgery costing patients more than they can afford. Surgery may or

may not relieve symptoms of back pains, but if a patient elects to take on the cost then it

should always be an available option for them. Various other studies across the country found

back surgeries to be beneficial. Since effective back pain treatments vary per person, one

cannot fully dismiss or deny surgery as a viable option for treatment.


Back Surgery Helps Society

It is estimated that more than 10 million people in America experience back pain problems each

year.

For the ones who seek medical attention, about 200,000 of them get diagnosed with a problem

known as a herniated disc. Depending on the patient and their insurance, they can either get

surgery on their back or rest in bed until they get temporary relief from the pain. Many patients

don’t like surgery or they simply don’t have the money to get it done. This is unfortunate

because society can benefit greatly from people who have gone through back surgery.

A new study by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons revealed that people who have

gotten back surgery will earn about $2,000 more per year than people who undertake non-

surgical treatments for their back pain (ScienceDaily).

The patients who have undergone the surgery miss no more than three work days throughout

the entire calendar year, whereas the other patients without surgery miss over 30 work days

per year. For these people, their workdays are spent in bed because their back pains are so

intense that they can’t even move without it hurting.

Their only hope is to just keep resting and letting the body slowly heal the muscles and tendons

that are causing the pain. However, this is only a temporary solution that will not fix itself

completely. Surgery is a sure proof way to fix back pains for the long term.

Spinal Manipulative Therapy

Spinal manipulative therapy is a unique way of reducing centralized back pain in patients.

It is basically a combination of physical and chiropractic therapy that is used to diagnose and

treat pains in the back and neck (ScienceDaily). More importantly, it allows doctors to better

understand the pain reliving mechanisms of spinal manipulative therapy, so that they can

increase their success rate for helping future patients with lower back problems.


Centralized back pain is generally found in the early stages of back pain. It is also found in

patients who have been treated after their back pains spread to the extremities of their body.

These treatments typically take the pains away from the rest of the body and make it

centralized in the back once again. This is where spinal manipulative therapy comes into play

because it will take this remaining central pain and ease the sensation.

Critics of spinal manipulative therapy have called it another form of alternative medicine, but it

is not classified that way because there are medical professionals who endorse it as an

authentic form of back pain treatment.

The University of Florida conducted an investigation into the use of spinal manipulation

therapy, which showed that pain sensitivity decreased in patients who received the therapy.

All of the patients went under thermal pain testing and baseline pressure testing in addition to

the spinal manipulation therapy. Over 100 of the patients in this study had repeatedly been

tested for thermal pain and mechanical pain sensitivity in order to measure any immediate

changes during the session. Most of them experienced less sensitivity.

This is very good news for the scientific community and it could mean wonders for the future of

treating centralized back pains. It will also save people money on healthcare costs and limit the

amount of surgery that is acquired to treat back pains.

Surgery Improves Quality Of Life

Lower back pain prevents many Americans from living the quality of life that they want.

It is estimated that 90% of adults will experience some kind of lower back pain in their lifetime.

These pains include stenosis, spinal instability, and symptomatic degenerative disc disease

(ScienceDaily).

Generally, lower back pain is due to muscle or nerve irritation in the back. This is likely caused

by trauma or an injury to the back. For older patients, they likely get these conditions because

of diseased discs, arthritis, osteoporosis, or many other kinds of bone diseases.


For many who undergo invasive surgeries, they do very little to alleviate their painful

symptoms. However, there is a new minimally invasive surgery that provides better results.

According to a new study from the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine,

patients who receive a surgery called “minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody

fusion” will have better results towards treating their lower back pains (ScienceDaily).

The leader doctor, Dr. Perez-Cruet, concluded that minimally invasive surgeries that use small

incisions will have a better chance of reducing lower back pains that are chronic. Not only that,

but the patient won’t have to stay in the hospital for very long after the surgery and there will

be less scarring on the skin. This saves both the patient and hospital money on medical

expenses. It even lowers the chance of infection from the surgery, which gives the patient more

peace of mind.

The study into this minimally invasive surgery spanned over seven years and was used on over

300 patients during it.

All of the patients showed great satisfaction from the surgery during this study. In fact, the

majority of the patients had no back pains at all and was able to resume all the daily activities

they couldn’t do before. Also, the study showed that people between 30 and 50 years of age

were the most likely to have back pains because they are the least likely to exercise.

This is merely a generalization because there are older people who maintain their physical

health by regularly working out at the gym. However, the majority of older people do not work

out, so statistically they are still bigger candidates for back pain.


Conclusion

Back pain is a growing epidemic in America that millions of people deal with everyday. Their

pain has not been ignored though because doctors and scientists are constantly coming up with

new ways to treat both acute and chronic forms of back pain. The treatment of back pain has

always been a complex field because of the various tendons, muscles, tissues and ligaments

that could be causing people their back pain.

A treatment that works for one patient won’t necessarily work for another patient, even if they

both have the same symptoms in the same location on their back. However, a patient should

try natural remedies first before choosing surgery or taking medication. In the majority of back

pain cases, the pain is acute and will go away on its own with the assistance of natural

treatments. This is great for the patient because it saves them money on healthcare costs and

they won’t have to endure the inconvenience of a surgical procedure.

In all other cases of chronic back pain, these patients will need to try out the various

professional treatments discussed in this case study. A family physician or chiropractor will

recommend the best treatment for each particular patient after they examine them. If back

pain is experienced for more than three months, then medical help needs to be sought right

away.

Often times, there is a much bigger internal problem that needs to be corrected fast or else

more symptoms and pain will likely follow. By using the information in this case study, you now

know how to recognize the symptoms and signs of chronic back pain. You also know how to

seek treatment and what all of your options are.

As previously stated, there is no definite cure for chronic back pain. The research into it will

continue on as more treatments and procedures are developed to fight the various conditions

that cause it. The best thing you can do is take preventive action with the hopes of avoiding it

all together. Otherwise, you are in for a tough journey but one that you are not alone on.

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©OxySolution.com 1 · In 2005, it was estimated that about $86 billion was spent treating patients with back pains (Szokan, N*). This amount is equal to almost 9% of the national