What to do if you suffer from back pain

If you suffer from back pain, your prescription is stretching exercises, lifting weights, exercising on simulators, serious aerobic exercises and even running. Get your back to work - even if it hurts first. The best thing you can do with pain in the lower back is to get off the couch and start moving. And the sooner, the better.

We mean nf just a couple of light stretching exercises. Studies show that power and even aerobic exercise are more effective than almost all other drugs in the treatment and prevention of back pain. Thus, in a 2003 study at Simmons College in Boston, 26 volunteers with chronic low back pain began exercising on exercise bikes 3 times a week. After 12 weeks their physical shape improved by 11%, the psychological health indicators improved by 14%, and the pain decreased by 8%.

And these results were long. A year after the start of the program to strengthen the lower back, the volunteers of the study conducted by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology felt much better than the members of the control groups. According to scientists, even 10 years after the beginning of the study, their state of health did not deteriorate.

Control of consciousness

The new approach reflects an entirely new way of thinking about back pain. For a long time, researchers have tried in vain to find the cause of this agony. They studied intervertebral discs, spinal muscles, ligaments, but could not get a clear picture. Even when you feel very severe back pain, x-rays and other studies usually do not detect a source of pain.

How is this possible? Experts suspect that back pain begins with some minor injury, for example, stretching the tendon or muscle. But prolonged pains are the result of the processes that occur in your head.

Studies show that emotional stress increases the risk of back pain. A British study conducted in 2001 by the London College shows that people who have experienced a high level of psychological stress 20-25 years, more than two and a half times more often faced with back problems than people who are not stressed.

Anxiety can also heighten the perception of pain. Imagine that you go through the day through a small town, and someone grabs you by the shoulder. Most likely, you will turn around to find out who it is, and what it wants. Now imagine the same situation in a troubled area at night. The same happens with people when they are too worried because of their back. Fear intensifies the pain.

In the worst case, people who are constantly in a state of anxiety turn the pain into a disaster. They immediately begin to think about the worst, and come to the conclusion that they have caused themselves serious trauma. For fear of making themselves worse, they unconsciously strain the aching muscles and reduce their mobility. In extreme cases, fear of pain and subsequent trauma can lead to kineziophobia or fear of movement.

When you have a part of your body hurting, you naturally try to use it less. This is good in case of an ankle sprain or a broken leg. But not in the case of a patient with a back. Strain of some muscles and ignoring others interfere with proper posture and movements, increasing the risk of further muscle spasms and sensitivity to pain. Over time, pain signals can start to bother you all the time.

"People who are afraid that any movement can cause injury, in fact, begin to lose the ability to control their spine and move normally. In a study funded by the National Institute of Health, scientists tried to determine whether a probe, during which sensors are placed on the body's main body to measure the amplitude of motion, determine early signs of kinesiophobia. This would help doctors determine the high risk of developing chronic back problems.

Some doctors now regard back pain as a psychological rather than a physiological problem. People suffering from back pain should find sources of anxiety and anger in their lives and practice stress-reduction techniques such as meditation.

Other doctors are considering the possibility of using antidepressants to relieve back pain. Scientists at the University of Washington have concluded that two types of antidepressants - tricyclic and tetracyclic - help relieve pain in some patients.

But there is another way of simultaneously treating psychological and physiological problems, which does not involve taking pills or psychotherapy - this is normal physical activity. Walking, climbing stairs, practicing on an exercise bike, swimming - almost any kind of physical activity - causes the muscles and back ligaments to work together in their natural way. Weak muscles become stronger. It is also important that when you return to normal activity, you send a powerful signal to your brain that your injury is not so serious.

Awareness of the body

Pay attention to what your back tells you; If you feel comfortable during physical activity, this can speed recovery. During the Canadian study in 2004, scientists asked a group of patients with back pain, which of the exercises more effectively alleviates the pain. Some people preferred muscle flexion exercises - strength exercises - while others preferred to stretch the diseased muscles. Then the participants were asked to do either their favorite exercise, or some other. Those who performed their favorite exercises, achieved significantly better results. We offer you strength exercises and exercises for flexibility. Try both types - they not only help you overcome the pain in your back, but also prevent it from occurring in the future.