Ask anyone to mime an elderly person and what is the go-to gesture? Typically you’ll see hunched shoulders, one hand bracing the lower back. Many people associate back trouble with getting older. The truth is, back and neck pain affect millions of people, and a wide range of ages. In fact, over 26 million people in the United States, aged 20 to 64, are said to deal with frequent back pain. A strong spine is a key factor in allowing one to feel healthy, fit, and able. When one small thing is affected in the spine or back muscles, it can hinder so much. However there are a number of treatment options available, from physical therapy and pain medication to minimally invasive spine surgery.
How can low back pain affect me?
If you are wondering ‘how can low back pain affect me?’ you may be in the small, lucky percentage of people who have not already experienced pain or discomfort that can often be debilitating, if not just inconvenient or annoying. Causes of lower back pain could be any number of things:
- Lifting heavy objects without the proper technique or equipment
- Being overweight, or quickly putting on excessive weight
- Improper stretching
- Injury from sports or other physical exertions
There are, of course, many other possibilities when it comes to back pain causes, and it is important to work with a doctor or physical therapist to pinpoint exactly what to avoid or fix in order to steer clear of further pain in the future. So if you’d like to know ‘how can low back pain affect me?’ it’s better to be prepared and preventative so that you don’t have to find out firsthand.
Back pain solutions
One report showed that over 1.5 billion individuals across the globe suffer from ongoing pain. So what is to be done for all of these people in pain? It depends on each separate case, but many could be feeling back to normal after taking some typical pain medications, such as oral steroids, muscle relaxants, and acetaminophen. For those needing a bit more attention, physical therapy helps many get back on their feet. Back exercises build strength so as to avoid a similar injury in the future, and along with the strengthening, a program of stretching and light aerobic exercise is used to round out the therapy. And if that’s not enough, luckily there are surgeries that are minimally invasive, in which the operating doctor makes tiny incisions, and patients will typically return home that same day, with a recovery period of about three to five days at home.
Back pain is very real and very serious for a great number of people. But it doesn’t have to completely disrupt your life, if you see a specialist right away, and commit to putting in the work to staying healthy.
