Day-to-day life is difficult enough without the stresses of family, work and the global pandemic and you may be one of the unlucky few who suffer from common back problems that can be a debilitating ailment affecting all areas of your life.
Not only are back issues sore and cause a lot of pain, but this pain can result in long-term injury, psychological stress, and anxiety if not treated correctly. Treating back pain can be a long and arduous process and doesn’t guarantee results since back problems are usually a recurring issue absent proper treatment, and even then.
While there are many issues relating to the back, some of the most common include:
- Lower back strain
- Osteoporosis
- Lumbar Hernia
Lower back strain can happen for all kinds of reasons and is usually temporary but can continue for life while osteoporosis causes intense pain that can have a severe impact on everyday life and lumbar hernia is more common as we age since it becomes easier to tear spinal disks.
Lower Back Strain
Probably the most common back complaint is a simple strain, but even though it is simple in nature, a back strain can become a huge problem if left untreated or continuous pressure is placed on the back while not allowing enough time for the original injury to heal. Back strain is caused for a number of reasons including heavy lifting, sudden movement, and lack of exercise.
This common problem can be treated by resting and using over-the-counter back treatments such as pain killers, back supports, and pain relief gel. When used properly and in combination, all of these simple treatments will usually be enough for back strain but persistent pain may indicate the need to see a professional such as those at Our Family Chiropractor, your general practitioner, or a specialist.
Osteoporosis
Caused mostly by a lack of calcium, osteoporosis is a disease that weakens the bones because of lower mineral density and eventually affects the spine. Being more common in women over 50 than men, osteoporosis is thought to be suffered by around 200 million people worldwide and is mostly attributed to a poor diet, overindulgence in alcohol, and eating disorders.
While there is no cure for osteoporosis, there are many treatments available with the most common being prescription-based calcium metabolization modifiers such as Fosamax and Actonel which can treat the cause and symptoms of osteoporosis over a long term course. Using temperature as treatment has also proved effective for alleviating some of the pain associated with osteoporosis such as warm baths and ice packs.
Lumbar Hernia
One of the more serious back injuries, a lumbar hernia occurs as a result of aging when it becomes easier to tear the disks of the spine from even the simplest movement such as twist, turn or bend. This can cause the lumbar triangles of the back to be perforated by other bodily assets such as the bowels but because of its symptoms and difficulty to locate, a lumbar hernia can be misdiagnosed as something else and left with improper treatment until it is identified.
There are many ailments associated with a lumbar hernia including back pain, swelling, abdominal cramps and soreness of the back and abdomen which means that it can take a while for a lumbar hernia to be diagnosed but treatments include the usual pain relief. However, eventually, the hernia will have to be surgically corrected but until the hernia is treated, it is best advised to move as little as possible and seek OTC treatment so as not to exacerbate the condition.
*collaborative post
