There is no single option that can be considered the best treatment
for back pain. Talk to doctors and the only thing they can tell you is
that the specific condition ultimately dictates the best treatment
option. If one were to prescribe epidural shots or therapy or surgery
without knowing the severity of the condition in question, then the
patient could receive treatment that was either too excessive or too
underwhelming and therefore cause even more problems.
To
understand this better, let us look at three of the most commonly
prescribed treatment options for back pain - rest, therapy, and surgery -
and analyze the conditions where each one is deemed the best treatment
for back pain.
· Rest - Rest is often prescribed for back pain in
its early stages. This is true when you are in pain on a regular basis
but the pain is tolerable enough that you often push through it because
it is not enough to hamper your daily activities. Early-stage back pain
can often be caused by tension in the back muscles or is potentially a
precursor for a herniated disc. In these cases, the best treatment for
back pain is to take time off of work and refrain from doing physically
intensive activities like lifting heavy weights or even sitting in-front
of a computer for extended periods with no stretch breaks every relax
time
.
· Therapy - Therapy is prescribed when some mild degree of
disc herniation is observed and is determined to not be severe enough to
require immediate surgery. A mildly herniated disc causes back pain
because it presses on the nerve roots around the spinal column. Therapy
including, but not limited to chiropractic sessions, stretches the back
muscles to loosen the tension and naturally push the herniated disc back
into place. Because this is a delicate procedure it requires the
services of a chiropractor, which is a doctor skilled in physical
therapy and the use of manipulative therapies to adjust the
musculoskeletal structures of the back. Your doctor may also recommend
physical therapy with a licensed physical therapist that will put you
through various exercises to strengthen the back muscles. There are
other treatment methods that may be used when back pain is at a moderate
level and though regularly felt, is not so severe as to impair walking
and other physical activities. In most cases these treatment options
will be accompanied by medication to help relieve the pain involved with
the condition.
· Surgery - If the condition is not treatable with
rest, therapy, medication, or other treatment options, herniated disc
back surgery may become the last resort. It should always be remembered
that surgery carries its fair share of risks, so it is not the best
option to use when back pain first begins. However, it is most effective
when all other procedures have failed. The specific type of surgery
will depend on the nature of the herniated disc as well as the severity.
In some extreme cases, the herniated disc will have to be removed and
the remaining discs cemented together to provide mechanical rigidity to
the spine. In milder cases, shimming or lightly scrapping the protruding
disc to minimize the pressure on the surrounding nerves is already
sufficient. There are other surgeries that may be used according to the
condition.
Remember; there is no universal option that can be
considered the best treatment for back pain. Always take let your
physician take into account the true nature of your condition and follow
their advice as to the prescribed treatment so you know that it is
catered to your specific needs.
If you are having regular bouts
with back pain you may want to browse through the over 100 articles on
the subject we have on our website. Many of the articles are concerning
herniated disc back surgery and recovery from it, but many others deal
with back problems in general and the best treatments for back pain.
