Back woes, which rank second only to headaches among modern miseries, eventually afflict seven of every ten adults. Anyone from a college athlete, to a retired grandparent can suffer a back injury, but the risks increase with time as the deeper muscles and tendons surrounding the spine become less resilient. Yet age itself is rarely the only factor in a disabling back attack; almost always tense injured, or weak muscles are to blame. Other risk factors include extra pounds, particularly if stuffed into a pot belly; lack of exercise; poor posture; bending from the waist to hoist a heavy load; and sitting long hours while studying how to become a sonographer or even a while getting a political science major.
Strain from use or abuse accounts for 80% of back ailments. Most vulnerable is the lowest, or lumbar, part of the spine, which bears the greatest pressure when bending and lifting. Five to ten percent of back problems involve the discs between the vertebrae. Most common is the protrusion (or herniation) of the soft center of a disc through the casing so that it presses on spinal nerves. Another 10% of of back problems involve structural defects, which may be the result of injuries, tumors, arthritis, congenital malformations, osteoporosis (the weakening of the bones), or scoliosis (side-to-side curving of the spine). Sometimes a sore back back is a symptom of diseases of other organs, such as the kidneys, gallbladder, or stomach. A physical exam and various test, including electrodiagnostic studies, X rays, CT scans, and MRI’s (magnetic resonance imaging), may be necessary to pinpoint the problem.
Bed rest, supplemented by moist heat or other muscle relaxants, and anti-inflammatory drugs, eases most backaches. However, the days when doctors advised two weeks of bed rest for back aches are gone. After two to three days, most back patients are urged to get up, start walking, and resume light activity.
Back specialists tailor treatment programs to an individual’s needs. Different forms of physical therapy include specific exercises, massage, heat, ultrasound, and electrical stimulation, and often works to relieve pain and speed recovery. Some people successfully use chiropractic, acupuncture, hypnosis, biofeedback, or relaxation techniques to cope with back pain. Regardless of treatment, more then 85% of back-injury patients well within two weeks. Fewer then 2% eventually require surgery to repair a herniated disc.
