Self Help
Back and Neck Problems
What Do You Do if You Get a Recurrent Bad Back
Backache is very common. However, in most cases the symptoms disappear quickly. Backache usually settles more quickly the more active you are. However, despite finding nothing seriously wrong in most cases, about two—thirds of people who have had a bad back will have a recurrence within one to two years. Although this can happen to young people it is more likely to happen the older you are, or in those people with a long history of backache. People who are inactive, smoke or are very over—weight are more likely to be back sufferers. Certain work can be associated with back problems. This usually involves prolonged sitting (or driving), stooping or repetitive heavy lifting. However, if you take regular exercise and keep active you are less likely to have problems.
If you regularly “put your back out” you might be right in thinking that there is something unstable in your back. To a certain extent this is confirmed by medical research which shows that people with long term back problems have poor balance, position sense and co—ordination. It also shows that people with backache use their muscles quite differently from normal people. All these things will put different forces through the back which in turn may give rise to backache.
Research has shown that certain muscles that are important in stabilising the back and lower abdomen often “switch off” with backache and do not return to normal when the backache has recovered. These muscles are often not involved in large movements but are usually active most of the time holding the lower trunk giving rise to “core stability”. It has been shown that if you can reactivate these stabilising muscles you can reduce the chance of having a recurrent bad back by half.
So What Can You Do About It?
Clearly you need to reduce your pain in the short term to make life more comfortable. This may involve taking tablets, having physical therapy, (Osteopathy, Physiotherapy or Chiropractic), or using techniques such as massage and acupuncture.
You may need some advice about activity or work as this may be giving you an overuse injury or repetative strain. Wherever possible you should not stay in any one posture or do any one thing for more than twenty to thirty minutes (especially prolonged stooping or sitting), as well as making sure you are comfortable when you lift (know what weight you are lifting, keeping it close to you, keeping your back straight and bending your knees !). You might discuss areas that you feel may be a problem with people at work.
Lastly you need to increase the co-ordination and-resilience of your low back and trunk muscles as well as getting good “core stability”.
Any generalised exercise such as walking or swimming will help, especially if you can do it regularly. Finding any aerobic exercise that you would like to do which is appropriate for your age will be worth trying.
If in spite of taking exercise you still have back problems, there are several activities which concentrate on core stability. You can see a physiotherapist who should be able to teach you stabilising exercises. You may think of going to the gym, doing Pilates exercises, using gym balls or Tai Chi. If you try any of these things you should discuss your problem (and any other medical problem) with a qualified instructor. By doing this you should avoid injuring yourself as well as making sure you do the exercise correctly to get the maximum benefit from it.
Above all think positively and stay active.
Sources of information
The Royal College of General Practitioners Clinical Guidelines for the Management of Low Back Pain as well as medical research on exercise and core stability. If anybody wishes to have more specific references on any one part of this subject they should contact Dr. Parsons at the above number.