Exercise: Back Pain's Kryptonite?

Eight in 10 people experience back pain at some point in their lives, and according to a recent Gallup survey, the statistics are even more concerning, particularly if you include neck pain in the conversation. Per the survey, back and/or neck pain has been an "ongoing problem" (lasting five years or more) in more than half of people who visited a health care professional in the previous 12 months for one or both of those complaints.

Now here's where it gets interesting. According to the same survey, nearly eight in 10 (78 percent) would rather try nondrug pain-relief options before using a prescription pain medication. (Chiropractic would be a great option, of course.) And to reduce pain intensity (or perhaps even prevent it from striking in the first place), here's a simple strategy to combine with your periodic chiropractic wellness care: exercise.

Yes, research suggests people who exercise are less likely to develop low back pain – 33 percent likely, according to a review of 16 previously published studies published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Exercises that strengthen and stretch the lumbar (low back) and abdominal muscles, or strengthening and aerobic exercises combined, seem to do the trick, according to the lead study author. And it gets better: Back pain severity and resulting disability were also lower in patients who exercised.

Alternatives to Drugs and Surgery for Back and Neck Pain

It's a great time to visit your chiropractor, and a recent Gallup survey makes it clear: pain is a major issue for many people, and overwhelmingly, they would rather try nondrug pain-relief therapies such as chiropractic care versus pain-relieving medications. Well, they're in luck, because chiropractic offers the answer.

According to the 2017 Gallup-Palmer College of Chiropractic Annual Study of Americans, pain is an ongoing issue for many Americans, particularly neck and back pain (two conditions commonly treated by chiropractors): "About one in four adults in the U.S. (27%) have seen a healthcare professional for significant neck or back pain in the last 12 months. More than half of those adults (54%) have had an ongoing problem with neck or back pain for five years or more."

But medication is not the preferred option, particularly in light of the opioid epidemic: Nearly eight in 10 (78 percent) of Americans "prefer to try other ways to address their physical pain before they take pain medication prescribed by a doctor." And yet pain medications are still widely used: "Among those who have had ongoing neck or back pain for less than 12 months, seven in 10 have taken a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as Advil®, aspirin or Aleve®, to manage the pain, and 45% have taken acetaminophen, such as Tylenol.®"

So, let's sum up: Americans are in pain, don't want to take prescription pain medication, but often take over-the-counter pain medication. Sounds like it's time for chiropractic instead, especially in light of the fact that according to the survey, Americans perceive chiropractic as safer than both prescription and OTC medication and back surgery for neck / back pain.

Don't risk the potential side effects of pain medication – drugs that only temporarily relieve the symptom (pain) – when your chiropractor can relieve your pain without drugs while addressing the root cause of your problem. It's time for chiropractic.

How Sleep Effects Back and Neck Pain

Not getting enough sleep – or not enough quality sleep that leaves you refreshed and ready to take on the day, rather than fatigued, irritable and ready to crawl right back into bed? A major health issue could be in your future: chronic pain. In fact, your odds of suffering chronic pain due to poor quality and/or quantity of sleep may increase by a factor of two or three compared to people who experience better sleep.

A large multi-national review of 16 studies spanning 10 countries and involving 61,000 participants arrived at this disturbing conclusion, with the lead study author even declaring that the impact of sleep on pain may be more significant than the impact of pain on sleep – often regarded as a major contributor to poor sleep.

And that wasn't the only finding: Poor sleep also was associated with impaired responses to bacteria, viruses and other foreign substances, poor physical functioning, increased inflammation, higher cortisol levels, and other markers of pain, fatigue and overall compromised health.

Chronic pain isn't something to mess with, but you don't have to, thanks to your doctor of chiropractic. Discuss any pain you're experiencing and don't forget to mention any sleep issues. Whether poor sleep is causing your pain, or pain is causing poor sleep, your chiropractor can help determine the cause and correct it. Now that's called a win-win.

Can Children Get Back Pain Too?

As adults, we get used to a variety of daily or near-daily aches and pains, particularly as we age. But what about our children? Don't they seem immune to many, if not all, of the pain complaints we have – despite the fact that for the most part, they're exponentially more active?

Maybe not. A study of schoolchildren ages 12-15 revealed a startling statistic: More than half (57 percent) reported experiencing back pain in the past year. As you might expect, "remaining seated at school" was a primary pain trigger, particularly for back pain lasting up to seven days.

These findings not only point to the universality of back pain – and the need for it to be addressed by qualified health care professionals such as doctors of chiropractic; but also the need to recognize and avoid situations that may increase the risk of experiencing an episode of back pain.

For example, evidence implicates ergonomic flaws both in the school and workplace (desk / chair height, etc.) in back pain, not to mention carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain and other conditions. What's more, the act of sitting alone creates undue stress on the spinal column and encourages poor posture whether at school, work or home, a major initiator of back pain and related conditions.

If anyone in your family is suffering from back pain, do something about it. Talk to your doctor about the potential causes and solutions.

5 Common Causes of Neck Pain

Neck pain can be acute (short term) or chronic (recurring or persisting for months and even years), but regardless, when you're in pain, relief is the first thing on your mind. Just as important as relief, of course, is finding the cause and ensuring you avoid the behavior / action that brought the pain on in the first place. Here are five common causes of neck pain – and why doctors of chiropractic are well-suited to relieve the pain and determine the underlying cause.

1. Poor Posture: Leaning over a desk all day or slouching in your office chair? You're bound to develop neck pain eventually, if you haven't already. Do this quick test: In an upright or seated position, round your shoulders and back (poor posture). Does it impact your neck as well? Exactly!

2. Monitor Madness: Staring at the computer screen for hours at a time? That's not good for your health (or sanity), but from a neck pain perspective, it's madness, particularly if the screen height forces you to crane your neck up (too high) or extend it down (too low).

3. Sleep Issues: Ideally, we spend a third of our day sleeping, so your sleep habits – for better or worse – can have a dramatic effect on your health. With regard to neck pain, anytime you sleep in an uncomfortable position, particularly one that stresses your neck musculature (think about side-sleeping while grabbing your pillow tightly, sleeping on your stomach with your arms out in front of you, or even sleeping on your back, but with a pillow that doesn't adequately support your neck), you risk neck pain.

4. Technology Overload: We may spend a third of our day sleeping, but we increasingly spend the other 16 hours typing, texting, tapping and otherwise interacting with our smartphones, tablets, etc. Bottom line: bad for your neck. One doctor has even coined the phrase, "text neck," to describe the neck pain that can result from this constant technology interaction.

5. The Wrong Movement: Twisting, turning, stretching and stressing your neck is an easy way to cause neck pain. While the muscles in the neck are strong, they can be strained, sprained and even torn, just like any other muscle.

It's important to note that beyond these common causes, various other health issues can also contribute to or directly cause neck pain, including fibromyalgia, cervical arthritis or spondylosis (essentially spinal arthritis), spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal), infection of the spine, and even cancer. The good news is that a doctor of chiropractic can help identify which of these or the above causes is to blame.

When neck pain strikes, most people turn to a temporary solution first: pain-relieving medication. But that's not a permanent solution, of course, and it doesn't address the cause of the pain at all, which could be something relatively minor – or more serious. What's more, research suggests chiropractic spinal manipulation is actually more effective than over-the-counter and prescription medication for relieving both acute and subacute neck pain.

Suffering from neck pain? Then give your doctor of chiropractic a call. They'll help you relieve your pain and determine the cause so it doesn't return.

Got Back Pain? Chiropractic Works

Whether you're a current chiropractic patient or just considering becoming one, low back pain may be the reason why. Nearly 80 percent of adults experience at least one episode of low back pain during their lifetime, and for many, the pain can recur and/or become chronic. Fortunately, the research continues to suggest spinal manipulation (chiropractic adjustments) is a primary treatment option to get rid of the pain.

Case in point: a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, no less, that reviewed 15 studies and found spinal manipulation reduced pain and improved function after six weeks of treatment. The benefits were similar to those achieved with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), common over-the-counter pain relievers that come with a long list of potential side effects, particularly if used for more than a short time.

These findings are particularly important because as we've discussed in the last blog post, managing pain with drugs – particularly opioids – has become a dangerous epidemic, and health care providers of all types are increasingly appreciating the value of nondrug care for back pain. In fact, the American College of Physicians' new guidelines on low back pain recommend spinal manipulation among the nonpharmaceutical options that should be tried first, before resorting to medication. Talk to your doctor for more information.

Seven Signs and Symptoms: Opioid Prescription in Leading to Danger

When a physician prescribes an opioid -- such as oxycodone (OxyContin, Roxicodone) and those containing hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab, Norco) -- to help you or a loved one to manage nagging back pain, the last thing on your mind is that the drug is addictive and may lead to dependency, drug abuse, or even death.

Think Again.

Addiction can happen quickly -- within a few weeks -- and depends upon the specific
drug.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the signs and symptoms of problems related to prescription opioid painkillers include:

• Constipation
• Nausea
• Drowsiness
• Slowed breathing rate
• Confusion
• Poor Coordination
• Increased pain with higher doses
  

Be on the lookout for other signs:

• Stealing, forging or selling prescriptions
• Taking higher doses than prescribed
• Excessive mood swings or hostility
• Increase or decrease in sleep
• Poor decision-making
• Appearing to be high, unusually energetic or revved up, or sedated
• Continually "losing" prescriptions, so more prescriptions must be written
• Seeking prescriptions from more than one doctor

If you think you, your friend or loved one may have a problem with prescription drug use for non-cancer related pain, talk to the doctor.

Don't feel embarrassed or fearful of betraying a confidence.

It's far easier to tackle the problem of prescription drug abuse early -- before it becomes a dangerous addiction that leads to more-serious health or life-threatening behaviors.

A better alternative for dealing with pain is to access care from a doctor of chiropractic (DC) -- right from the onset of back, neck or musculoskeletal pain.

According to the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing consumers with education and a greater understanding of the value of drug-free pain management, chiropractic care is a safer option than opioids.

A DC is highly educated and trained to provide effective acute, subacute or chronic back pain management. Chiropractic care is covered by most insurance and health plans.

Help to spread the message that prescription opioid drugs can be dangerous -- and that there are safer options for you, your friends and your loved ones.

Back Pain & Risk of Falling: A Dangerous Combination

In our last blog article, we featured research suggesting chronic back pain may lead to mental health problems including depression, stress and even psychosis. But the reality gets more grim, particularly if you're a senior: Back pain may increase the risk of falling, and when you're older, that can be a serious health issue with serious consequences.

Here's why: According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), more than 1.6 million older U.S. adults visit the ER for a fall-related injury every year. In fact, falls are the No. 1 cause of fractures, hospital admissions for trauma, loss of independence and injury deaths among the elderly population.

Now back to the latest study: Researchers tracked more than 6,000 men ages 65 and older, assessing their frequency of back pain, episodes of falling and other variables that could also influence fall risk (medication use, dizziness, disabilities and pain in other areas of the body). Men who reported back pain were 30 percent more likely to suffer multiple falls compared to men without back pain, and risk correlated with the prevalence of back pain: two sites of pain increased the risk compared to just one site, and three sites increased the risk even further. 
Increasing severity and frequency of back pain also increased fall risk, according to the study.

The takeaway is simple: If you're suffering from back pain, regardless of age, it's time to visit your doctor of chiropractic. Your body will thank you for it.

How Back Pain Can Effect Your Mental Health

If you're not already utilizing chiropractic care to resolve your back pain and reduce the likelihood it will return – not to mention improving your overall health and wellness – that means one of two things: you haven't suffered back pain (yet) or you've decided to temporarily suppress the pain with over-the-counter or prescription medications. The latter is, as mentioned, a temporary solution that doesn't address the root causes of the pain, while the former is also likely temporary, since an estimated 80 percent of adults will suffer back pain at some point in their lifetime.

Back pain can be a problem for a variety of reasons beyond the pain, whether it's limiting your daily function, forcing you to take time off work, or otherwise impacting your life. But there's another reason suggested by recent research that should vault "getting rid of back pain" to the top of your priority list: Back pain could increase your risk of suffering mental health problems.

The study used data from the World Health Organization's World Health Survey 2002-2004 and involved more than 200,000 study subjects ages 18 and older from 43 countries. Data analysis revealed that compared to people without back pain, those with pain were more than twice as likely to suffer from one of five mental health conditions: anxiety, depression, psychosis, stress and sleep deprivation. Subjects with chronic back pain were particularly at risk for a depressive episode (more than three times more likely) or psychosis (2.6 times more likely) compared to pain-free subjects.

Think you've got your back pain handled? Nice try. Do something about the pain - and the potential mental health consequences - with regular visits to your doctor of chiropractic.