Back pain is a serious issue facing so many of us, but there are ways to life a full life with back pain.
What causes back pain?
There are risk factors that make us more disposed towards back pain, and our anatomy lends itself to pain in certain areas of the back.
But the specific conditions that cause you pain, such as herniated discs, spinal deformities, or osteoarthritis, can also provide a clue to the eventual treatment and relief for your specific experience of back pain.
Back pain treatments
When discussing your back pain with your pain doctor, talk about the benefits and risks for each of the following minimally invasive treatments:
- Pharmacological treatments
- Intrathecal pump implants
- Nerve blocks
- Sacroiliac or trigger point injections
- Chiropractic care
- Lysis of adhesions for those who suffer from post-surgery pain
Complementary therapies
While these and more advanced treatment plans, such as surgery, can help you reduce and relieve your back, there are also life changes that can help you manage your pain.
You can begin to try positive thinking practices, yoga, or other low impact exercises as all of these have been shown to reduce and help people manage their back pain. In order to help you integrate these new routines into your daily life, mobile apps can also provide tracking and measurement systems for the long-term management and care for your back pain.
At the beginning, though, the most important step is to talk to a pain doctor about your condition. They can help determine the cause of the pain and then provide resources for interventional and lifestyle techniques that can help you minimize your back pain and allow you to live a full life.
Tell us your story in the comments. How has back pain affected your life? How do you manage to live a full life even with back pain?