Back Clinic Chronic Back Pain Team. Chronic back pain has a far-reaching effect on many physiological processes. Dr. Jimenez reveals topics and issues affecting his patients. Understanding the pain is critical to its treatment. So here we begin the process for our patients in the journey of recovery.
Just about everyone feels pain from time to time. When you cut your finger or pull a muscle, pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. Once the injury heals, you stop hurting.
Chronic pain is different. Your body keeps hurting weeks, months, or even years after the injury. Doctors often define chronic pain as any pain that lasts for 3 to 6 months or more.
Chronic back pain can have real effects on your day-to-day life and your mental health. But you and your doctor can work together to treat it.
Do call upon us to help you. We do understand the problem that should never be taken lightly.
You hear that you are supposed to stay busy through your chronic pain and you believe, “But how? Actions make my pain worse. Just getting through the day at work is agony, and today the doctor expects me to perform extra tasks?” This is the point where a physical therapist may help.
How can a physical therapist help with my chronic pain?
Physical therapists can give you a personalized strengthening and workout plan, besides helping you learn how to manage your own “daily life” chronic pain symptoms. The physical therapist will do a thorough physical evaluation to assess your chronic pain and its impact. They will also ask about your therapy goals: do you wish to learn how to better handle your pain? What would be helpful to learn from physical therapy? Using that information, the physical therapist will create a therapy plan especially for you.
Physical Therapy is Active and Passive
Physical therapy includes both active and passive treatments. Passive treatments help to unwind you and your physique. As you don’t need to actively participate, they’re known as passive. Your physical treatment program may begin with treatments that are passive, but the goal is to get into treatments that are more active. These are exercises which strengthen your body and help you handle the pain that is chronic.
Passive physical therapy treatments include:
Deep Tissue Massage: This technique targets spasms and chronic muscle strain that perhaps builds up through life stress. You could have spasms or muscular strain because of strains or sprains. The physical therapist uses direct pressure and friction to attempt to release the tension in your soft tissues (ligaments, tendons, muscles).
Hot and Cold Therapies: Your physical therapist may alternate between cold and warm therapies. The physical therapist attempts to gain more blood to the target area by applying hot treatment because an increased blood circulation brings more oxygen and nutrients to this region. Blood circulation is essential to remove waste byproducts made by muscle spasms, and in addition, it helps relieve symptoms associated with chronic pain. Cold treatment, also called cryotherapy, slows circulation, helping to decrease inflammation, muscle spasms, and pain. You might be given an ice pack or even be given an ice massage. Another alternative that is part of cryotherapy is a spray which cools the tissues. After cold therapy, your physical therapist may have you stretch the affected muscles.
TENS (transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation): A TENS machine stimulates your muscles through factor (but safe) intensities of electrical current. TENS helps reduce muscle spasms, and it might increase the own body’s production of endorphins, your pain killers. The TENS gear your therapist utilizes is big. But a more compact machine for “at home” use is also available. Whether big or small, a TENS unit may be a very helpful therapy.
Ultrasound: By increasing blood flow, an ultrasound helps decrease pain, numbness, swelling, stiffness, and muscle spasms. It does this by creating heat that enhances circulation, sending sound waves deep in your muscle cells.
At the active portion of physical therapy, your physical therapist will teach you different exercises to increase your flexibility, strength, core stability, and range of motion (how readily your joints move). Remember, your physical therapy program is individualized, taking under account medical history and your health. Your exercises may not be suitable for another person with chronic pain, especially since pain is such a subjective, personal experience.
Other Areas of Physical Therapy
You will learn to fix your posture and incorporate ergonomic principles in your daily activities, if necessary. This is all part of this “self-care” or “self-treatment” aspect of physical therapy. During physical therapy, you learn good habits and principles that let you take better care of your body. Staying active is an significant part chronic pain therapy. The therapist can help you figure out the best kind of workout for you.
7 Tips for Exercising When You Have Chronic Pain
Too much of the wrong activity can cause chronic pain to worsen. If jogging or running are out of the question, you may be able to handle and enjoy cycling, which can be easier on painful knees and hips. Other forms of physical therapy, including aerobics done in warm water, help to alleviate inflammation; plus the buoyancy of the water protects the body against the stress of gravity and from movements that may otherwise result in pain. No matter which type of exercise you choose, use caution not to move too fast or too much, or do so much that it becomes worse.
7 Tips for Exercising When You Have Chronic Pain
Talk to you doctor before you begin an exercise program.
Start slowly and gradually increase your efforts as you gain strength, flexibility, and confidence.
Move at your own pace. Never try to keep up with a class or a group if doing so is painful.
Exercise every day, if possible.
Strive for a balanced routine of cardiovascular, strengthening, and stretching exercise.
Accept that you will be able to do more on some days than others.
Be patient with your progress. Overexertion makes pain worse and can strain muscles.
A person’s sleep patterns are improved by exercise. When curative sleep patterns improve, chronic pain symptoms usually do too. Physically active individuals sleep longer and more deeply than people that are sedentary. Exercise also helps to relieve sleep apnea, a common disruptive sleep disorder that that abruptly stops the breath..
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
Many individuals in the United States suffer from chronic pain without understanding the source of their painful symptoms or why these have triggered from the start. A healthcare professional can help a patient understand their chronic pain but it’s important for the person to first comprehend the function of their own body.
Why does chronic pain occur?
To understand chronic pain, you need to comprehend the anatomy of the nervous system. Throughout the body, the nervous system transmits messages to and from the brain, and it’s a system is very complex and intricate.
The central nervous system primarily consists of the the spinal cord and the brain. Branching off the spinal cord is the peripheral nervous system; both the central or peripheral nervous systems can be impacted by neuropathic pain, a kind of chronic pain which is commonly caused by a malfunction of the nerves.
Anatomy of Chronic Pain
The peripheral nervous system has 31 pairs of nerve roots which stretch from the spinal cord to the various areas of the body. These nerves help you feel (those are the sensory nerves) and move (those are the motor nerves). Following is a graph that shows you just how many pairs of spinal nerves are at each level of the spine.
SPINAL CORD
31 Pairs � Spinal Nerves
Cervical
8 pair
Thoracic
12 pair
Lumbar
5 pair
Sacral
5 pair
Coccyx
1 pair
The peripheral nervous system is further divided into:
The somatic nervous system, which has nerves that go into the musculoskeletal system (bones, ligaments, joints, tendons) along with the epidermis. It is what helps you feel pain.
The autonomic nervous system, which operates on the “involuntary” functions of the body. That means that it makes sure that your heart keeps pumping and your food is digested by you without even thinking of it.
Nociceptors are yet another important part of your nerves, and you want to understand them if you would like to know certain forms of chronic pain. Nociceptors are receptors at nerve endings, that function when something occurs that causes pain and they’re triggered. If you slam your finger in the car door, the nociceptors on your finger will turn on and send a pain message through the nerve to the spinal cord and forth into the brain. Two minutes until you slammed your finger, however, the nociceptor was not active because there was no stimulus (or harm) to make it react.
It is believed that a single cause of chronic pain may be due to malfunctioning nociceptors. They may be constantly sending pain messages even if there is no direct cause. Continuing the above example, state that your finger is treated after you slammed it but you still continue to feel discomfort. The nociceptors in the nerves of your finger might be malfunctioning within this case. This could result in chronic pain symptoms.
Symptoms of Chronic Pain
Chronic pain, long-term, persistent pain, is a very subjective experience, however, we can’t mention something as categorical as, “all chronic pain patients will experience chronic pain this way.” Instead, it’s more likely to say that chronic pain can take on many forms and may manifest into a variety of symptoms. Such may include:
throbbing
aching
shooting
electric
burning
sharp
feeling stiff
feeling tight
feeling sore
Chronic pain may result in other issues, especially social and emotional ones. Pain may:
Result in sleeplessness,
Drain you of energy,
Lead to depression,
Make you not want to do activities you typically like,
Weaken your immune system because a lot of your body’s energy is spent dealing with all the pain.
Lots of these other issues build off each other, which means you might hear the term “vicious cycle” when speaking about chronic pain. For instance: The pain makes it hard to sleep through the night, and that means you’re excessively tired the following day. You don’t want to go to work since you’re so tired, or do anything else. Your self-esteem begins to draw out even more, as you are not too active, in the end even withdrawing from social events.
To acquire the very best remedy for chronic pain, you must take inventory of just how much it is affecting your life–outside the physical pain. You can’t simply take care of the chronic pain on your own. Seek for a solution along with the help of medical professionals and your physician can assist you to live your own life coping with chronic pain.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
From acute pain, to chronic pain and neuropathic pain, when painful symptoms begin to affect you or a loved one, it becomes a priority to seek medical attention immediately to diagnose the source of the pain and begin treatment. But with so many types of injuries and/or conditions, it may often be difficult to know the exact cause without properly understanding the different types of pain and why they could affect you or a loved one.
What are the different types of pain?
Knowing how pain is defined can be beneficial in learning how to control it even better. For the purposes of study and medical clinic, pain is usually divided into three categories:
Acute Pain is Often Temporary
Pain related to tissue damage, or pain that lasts less than 3 to 6 weeks, is known as acute pain. This is the type of pain caused by a needle prick or by a paper cut. Other cases of acute pain can include:
Touching a hot stove or iron. This pain can cause an instant, intense pain with a virtually simultaneous withdrawal of the entire body part. More of the annoyance, a few moments after the initial withdrawal and pain, another kind of pain, is very likely to be experienced.
Smashing one’s finger with a hammer. This pain is similar to that of touching a hot stove in that there’s immediate pain, withdrawal, and then a “slower” aching pain.
Labor pains. The pain during childbirth is acute and the cause is identifiable.
When pain persists, it becomes even more affected by other influences, which may increase the individual’s risk of developing chronic pain. These impacts include such things as the pain signal continuing to get to the central nervous system after the tissue has healed, lack of exercise (physical deconditioning), a person’s thoughts regarding the pain, as well as psychological conditions, such as depression and anxiety.
Chronic Pain Continues After Tissue Heals
The term “chronic pain” is normally used to describe pain that lasts over three to six months, or beyond the stage of tissue recovery. This kind of pain might also be termed “chronic benign pain” or “chronic non-cancer pain,” based on the circumstance. (Chronic pain due to cancer is more of an acute or acute-recurrent kind of pain since there’s continuing and identifiable tissue damage. There’s also chronic pain because of an identifiable cause, which will be discussed subsequently). For the purposes of the discussion, the term “chronic pain” will be used.
Chronic pain is usually less directly linked to recognizable tissue structural and structural problems. Chronic back pain without a clearly ascertained cause, failed back surgery syndrome (continued pain after the surgery has fully healed), and fibromyalgia are all cases of chronic pain. Pain is a lot less well understood than acute pain.
Chronic pain can take many forms, but is often put in one of two of these main types of its own:
Pain with an identifiable cause, such as an injury. Structural spine conditions, such as spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, and degenerative disc disease, may lead to ongoing pain until they are successfully treated. These conditions are the result of a diagnosable problem. Spine surgery may be regarded as a treatment alternative, if the pain caused by these types of ailments has not subsided after a couple weeks or months of nonsurgical remedies. This pain may often be considered as long-term acute pain, rather than chronic pain.
Persistent pain with no identifiable cause. When pain persists after the tissue has healed and there isn’t any obvious cause of the pain which may be identified, it is often termed “chronic benign pain.”
It appears that pain can establish a pathway in the nervous system in some cases, getting the problem in and of itself. To put it differently, the nervous system may be sending a pain signal although there is no tissue damage. The system misfires and generates the pain. The pain is the disease rather than a symptom of an injury.
Neuropathic Pain Differences
In a third type of chronic pain, neuropathic pain, no signs of the initial injury remain along with the pain and may even be unrelated to an observable injury or illness. Certain nerves continue to send pain messages to the brain even though there’s no ongoing tissue damage or condition which could be causing the symptoms.
Neuropathic pain could be placed in the chronic pain group, but it has a different feel than chronic pain. The pain is referred to as severe, sharp, lightning-like, stabbing, burning, or even cold. The individual may also experience numbness, tingling, or weakness. Pain may be felt from the spine, down to the arms/hands or even legs/feet.
It is thought that harm to the motor or sensory nerves in the peripheral nervous system can possibly cause neuropathy. If the cause can be discovered and reversed, treatment may enable the nerves to heal, relieving the pain. But the pain can be harder to manage, and require more aggressive therapy, if medical care for the pain is postponed.
Treatment for neuropathic pain varies significantly in the procedures used for different kinds of back pain. Opioids (such as morphine) and NSAIDs (like ibuprofen or COX-2 inhibitors) are usually not effective in relieving neuropathic pain.
Drugs made for epilepsy or depression (anticonvulsants or antidepressants) often lessen the symptoms, and topical medications are sometimes valuable. If other approaches and medications do not offer sufficient aid, spinal cord stimulation, nerve block injections, and pain pumps might be considered for pain.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
Question: My parents are elderly, and both hurt their backs. What type of doctor or physician should I look for?
Chiropractic care is safe and effective for elderly adults with back pain, according to new research. To better understand the risk and benefits of chiropractic care in elderly individuals, El Paso, TX. Chiropractor, Dr. Alexander Jimenez, answers questions regarding chiropractic care for elderly individuals with back pain.??
Q: Is Chiropractic Care Safe For Elderly People?
Dr. Jimenez: Chiropractic care is one of the safest interventions for the care of back pain. The dangers of a serious problem after a chiropractic adjustment would be like the danger of having a serious problem after an immunization–exceptionally small. However, minor side effects lasting up to approximately 3 days are very common, most commonly muscle stiffness and soreness. These side effects are similar to those you get when you begin a workout program. People have a smaller chance of severe side effects from manipulation and manual treatment than they do from medication taken for the very same ailments. You should always discuss any side effects from treatment with your chiropractor right away.
Q: What Are The Benefits Of Chiropractic Care For The Treatment Of Low Back Pain In Older Adults?
Dr. Jimenez: Chiropractic care has been used for over 100 years to assist patients with back pain. One of the best benefits of trying chiropractic care first is that you can avoid the risk of side effects from taking medications for pain. Opioid drug addiction is a serious crisis in America. Trying non-drug therapies, such as chiropractic care first may help to reduce the high rates of opioid dependency in the USA.
Actually, the most recent treatment principle for low back pain (from the American College of Physicians), specifically states that people should attempt non-drug options first. The health dangers of pain medications are even greater for older adults compared to younger people, since many older people have other illnesses that affect their wellbeing, and their own bodies process drugs more slowly. Also, many drugs, particularly opioids, increase older people’s risk of falls, which is a very considerable risk in this age group.
Q: What Questions Should I Ask My Chiropractor Before Receiving Treatment?
Dr. Jimenez:�When first talking with a chiropractor, inquire which sort of treatments he or she may use for back pain. Chiropractic care incorporates many different non-drug approaches in addition to spinal manipulation, including other kinds of manual therapy in addition to exercise. �Ask the chiropractor to explain or illustrate the type of spinal manipulation he or she uses (many chiropractors have photographs or can demonstrate what they do), so that you feel comfortable with it. Should you feel uncomfortable with the therapy, feel free to ask whether there are alternate kinds of manipulation he or she may use as there are many different ways to perform spinal manipulation for optimum patient comfort, and also achieve the same targets.
Q: What Should I Tell A Chiropractor About My Medical History, Medicines, & Spinal Condition?
Dr. Jimenez: First of all, since chiropractors are trained to choose a thorough patient history, including questions regarding medication, past injuries or surgeries, and any recent changes in your health, most likely you won’t have to volunteer this information. You’ll be asked about your health history on a patient intake form. Then the doctor will ask you more questions in person. Make sure to talk about all health information about current and previous conditions, drugs, history of accidents and surgeries or alternative therapy, and current changes in your health, even if you think they are not important, they may be.
The chiropractor will also inquire what makes your pain worse or better, and if you have had changes in strength, recent falls, or balance issues, changes in your bowel or bladder function along with other relevant health factors like eating and sleep habits. The chiropractor should then perform a thorough physical examination, including your neurological system, to be certain that spinal manipulation is ideal for you. He or she’ll also see what kinds of adjustments will make your pain better or worse. The chiropractor will use all of this information to develop a treatment plan that’s specific for you to help you fulfill your goals for returning to a normal lifestyle.
The Narrative Of JFK Shows The Difficulty In Diagnosing & Treating Spinal Disorders.
At age 43, John F. Kennedy was the youngest president elected into U.S. workplace, and has been depicted as full of youth and vitality. But he was far from healthy, and spent most of his adult life fighting with many medical issues, including back pain which started during college and continued until his death, according to a recent review article from the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine.
John F. Kennedy’s back pain is thought to have started following a football injury, while Kennedy was in undergraduate school at Harvard, clarified coauthor Justin T. Dowdy, MD, who is a neurosurgeon at Hot Springs Neurosurgery Clinic, in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Based on 10 years of study on Kennedy’s medical documents and reported symptoms, senior author T. Glenn Pait, MD, believes Kennedy had discogenic disease stemming from an accident in his childhood that began a cascade of problems in his low back. Dr. Pait is Director of the Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Kennedy was originally rejected when trying to enlist in the Army due to his medical issues, such as back pain, but was eventually accepted in the U.S. Naval Reserve during his dad’s connections. “This is a testament to his decision to serve his country,” Dr. Pait said. “Kennedy was originally given a desk job, but that was not enough for him, and he was later admitted into a patrol torpedo program.”
Kennedy’s back issues worsened when his naval boat was hit by a Japanese destroyer, and Kennedy drifted for 5 hours to a nearby island while towing an injured crewman to shore by holding the ring of the man’s life jacket between his teeth, Drs. Dowdy and Pait noted in their newspaper.
The review article refers to a series of 4 ineffective surgeries, including a sacroiliac (SI) and lumbosacral fusion. Various doctors who treated Kennedy had different theories about the reason for his back pain, also suggested a variety of different treatments ranging from trigger point injections and an exercise program (swimming and weight lifting), to massage and a back brace, to methamphetamine-containing shots. The exercise program, started later in his life, produced “dramatic” improvement, according to the researchers. The program consisted of weight lifting three times each week and everyday swimming plus massage and heat therapy.
“JFK’s narrative illustrates the difficulty and complexity in diagnosing and treating spinal disorders, especially in the context of chronic pain,” Dr. Dowdy advised SpineUniverse. “Our spines age as we age if it’s degenerative disk disease, pinched nerves, or spinal stenosis–imaging abnormalities are certain to appear later in life. Treating and preventing these disorders is just as much of an art as it’s a science, particularly in determining those individuals who will probably benefit from surgery.”
Dr. Dowdy noted that much progress has been made in how spinal conditions are diagnosed and treated as the time when Kennedy sought attention, such as “that the refinement of both less-invasive spine surgery methods and diagnostic imaging.” Dr. Dowdy also emphasized an important point that applies to any era: “the significance of having a trusted spine surgeon who is prepared and capable of supplying the right surgery in the appropriate conditions.”
John F. Kennedy’s story also suggests that “the most beneficial methods to prevent chronic back pain may be accessible and affordable,” Dr. Dowdy stated. “Often the most appropriate strategy for chronic low back pain is actively pursuing proper spine hygiene: maintaining healthy body weight, refraining from smoking, and pursuing a nutritious diet and exercise–especially workouts comprising yoga-style stretches,” Dr. Dowdy emphasized. “It boils down to pursuing a healthy and active way of life.”
“Individuals who suffer from chronic pain may hopefully be inspired to know that Kennedy remained physically energetic and driven to accomplish his goals despite his annoyance,” Dr. Dowdy concluded.
Backpack pain is an all too common condition of school-age children. While back pain is a known and widely-studied issue in adults, its prevalence in school-aged children has received relatively little scientific attention. Elementary, middle, and high school students must often carry backpacks that weigh enough to trigger chronic back pain, bad posture, and even decreased lung volume. I have written about this issue earlier, but lately, several studies reveal the truths behind childhood back pain and ways to mitigate it.
Are Backpacks Too Heavy For Kids?
Recent research supports that children carrying backpack loads of over ten percent of their body weight have a greater chance of creating back pain and related difficulties. An global study found that an alarmingly large percentage of school-age kids in Australia, France, Italy, and the United States often carried backpacks weighing more than the ten percent threshold.
In a second study involving a sample of 1540 metropolitan school-aged children, more than a third of the children surveyed reported backpack pain. Along with carrying heavy backpacks, female students and those diagnosed with scoliosis had a larger association with back pain pain. Children with access to lockers reported less pain.
The number of straps on the back had little effect on the respondent’s replies. Children also reported restricted physical activity due to back pain, and some took drugs to alleviate the pain.
Girls who transported bags in addition to wearing a backpack reported considerably greater back pain. Adolescents with back pain spent more time watching television than their peers. More than 80 percent of the surveyed thought that carrying a heavy backpack due to their back pain.
Backpack Pain Solutions
The research revealed several things that might help reduce back pain in school-aged children. The best way to prevent back pain is to refrain from carrying heavy loads.
Kids ought to make the most of locker breaks and only carry items necessary for a couple of courses at one time. When lifting a back pack, children should crouch down and bend their knees rather than curve the spine.
Backpack Safety
Appropriate Backpack Carrying Techniques
While not conclusive, research also supports that carrying the weight otherwise, e.g., by hand rather than by back pack, may help stop or reduce back pain. The American Occupational Therapy Association and the American Chiropractic Association provide these additional safe backpack etiquette tips:
Children should avoid carrying over 10 percent of the bodyweight in their backpack. For instance, an 8th-grader weighing 120 pounds should take no more than 12 lbs.
Place the heaviest objects at the back of the pack.
Make sure the items fit as snugly as possible to minimize back pain due to shifting weight.
Adjust the shoulder straps so they fit snugly over your kid’s shoulders and the back pack doesn’t drag your child backward. The bottom of the pack ought to be less than four inches under your child’s waist.
Children should avoid carrying backpacks slung over one shoulder, as it could cause spinal pain and general discomfort.
Encourage your child to carry only necessary items in their own backpack. Extra items can be carried in hand.
Look for backpacks with useful features like multiple compartments for even weight distribution, cushioned straps to protect the neck and shoulders, and waist belt.
If your child’s school permits, think about a roller pack, which rolls on the floor like luggage.
If problems persist, talk to your child’s teacher or principal about implementing paperback textbooks, lighter materials, or electronic versions.
Chiropractor, Dr. Alexander Jimenez�Finds Prescription Painkillers Most Common Treatment for Patients Seeking Care for Back Pain More than half of Americans suffer from back pain, as well as for those that seek treatment, doctors turn most often to prescription drugs
Ann Arbor, MI, May 19, 2017 � Many Americans (51 percent) have experienced back pain in the last 12 months, and of the 58% of those who sought treatment from a medical professional, 40 percent said they were recommended prescription painkillers, according to the Truven Health Analytics-NPR Health Poll.
Truven Health Analytics�, element of the IBM Watson Health business, and NPR run a national poll that is bimonthly to gauge opinions and attitudes on a broad variety of health�issues.
Following Are The Poll�s Findings:
Back Pain Plagues�Americans: Fifty one percent of Americans said they’ve endured from back pain in the last 12 months, and 46 percent of people who experienced pain said they are still in distress. Over half (58 percent) of back pain sufferers sought attention, with 70 percent visiting a medical doctor and 14 percent seeing a chiropractor.
Prescription Pain Killers are the Most Common Treatment: Of the 70 percent of back pain sufferers who sought care from a medical doctor, 40 percent were prescribed prescription pain killers, a rate that tended to decrease with increasing age of the patient. Other treatments prescribed were exercise/physical therapy (31 percent), shots (20 percent), massage (17 percent), steroids (17 percent), over-the-counter painkillers (13 percent), operation (12 percent), or another form of treatment (37 percent).
Almost a Third Stay in Pain with Treatment: Among all respondents, 25 percent said their back pain remained the same and five percent said their pain got worse. Forty-five percent said their pain improved, and 25 percent said it went away entirely.
�Experiencing back pain is extremely common among Americans, and there are a number of factors that may contribute to it, some of which are treatable without prescription pain killers, � said Anil Jain, MD, Vice-President and Chief Health Informatics Officer, Value-Based Care, IBM Watson Health. �These data reveal that when care is sought by the patients, they are generally prescribed painkillers. Compounding this challenge, back pain sufferers that are prescribed opioids for pain may be particularly at risk for dependency and addiction. Checking inappropriate opioid prescriptions for long-term pain is a focus of efforts by suppliers to fight the current opioid epidemic.�
To date, the Truven Health Analytics-NPR Health Survey has investigated numerous health topics, including vaccines generic drugs, data privacy, narcotic painkillers, and sports-related concussions. NPR archives reports on the surveys online in the Photos health blog here. Truven Health keeps a library of survey results here.
The Truven Health Analytics-NPR Health Poll is powered by the Truven Health PULSE� survey, an independently funded, nationally representative, multimodal poll that collects information about health-related behaviours and approaches and healthcare use from 80, 000 U.S. homes annually.
The results represent responses from 3, 002 survey participants interviewed from March 1 � 16 , 2017. The margin of error is /- 1.8 percentage points.
About NPR
NPR is an award winning, multimedia news organization and an influential force in American life. In collaboration with more than 900 independent public radio stations nationwide, NPR strives to generate a more educated public�one challenged and invigorated by way of a deeper understanding and grasp of ideas, events and cultures.
About Truven Health Analytics, section of the IBM Watson Health Company
Truven Health Analytics�, a part of the IBM Watson Health� company, supplies market-leading performance development solutions built on advanced analytics, data integrity and domain expertise. For over 40 years, our insights and alternatives have already been providing hospitals and clinicians, employers and health plans, state and government services, life sciences companies and policymakers, the facts they must make confident choices that directly alter the health and well-being of people and organizations in america and around the world. The firm was acquired by IBM in 2016 to help form a new business, Watson Health. Watson Health aspires to improve lives and give expectation by presenting innovation to deal with the world�s most pressing health challenges through cognitive insights and data.
IFM's Find A Practitioner tool is the largest referral network in Functional Medicine, created to help patients locate Functional Medicine practitioners anywhere in the world. IFM Certified Practitioners are listed first in the search results, given their extensive education in Functional Medicine
Are Backpacks Too Heavy For Kids?
