What are your treatment options for back pain?

Back pain has become a national epidemic. According to the Mayo Clinic, approximately 80% of all Americans will have low back pain at least once in their lives.

It's because of back pain that many of us can't do simple things like sitting at a desk, lifting or carrying everyday objects, playing with our children or grandchildren, or enjoying physical intimacy.

So what causes back pain?

The human back is composed of a complex structure of muscles, ligaments, tendons, disks and bones. Each segment of our spine is cushioned with cartilage-like pads. Trouble starts when any of these components are compromised. Here are just a few causes:

• Strain: Strained muscles, strained ligaments or lifting something improperly are the most common causes of back pain.
• Ruptured disks: Each vertebra in our spine is cushioned by disks. If the disk ruptures there will be more pressure on a nerve, resulting in back pain. 
• Sciatica: A sharp and shooting pain that travels through the buttock and down the back of the leg, caused by a bulging or herniated disk pressing on a nerve. 
• Arthritis: Patients with osteoarthritis sometimes develop spinal stenosis where the space around the spinal cord narrows. 
• Osteoporosis: Bones, including the vertebrae of the spine, become brittle and porous, making compression fractures more likely. 
• Sleep disorders: People with sleep disorders are more likely to experience back pain, compared to others. 
• Bad mattress: If a mattress does not support specific parts of the body and keep the spine straight, there is a greater risk of developing back pain.
• Everyday activities or poor posture

Your treatment options for back pain

In the case of acute and chronic back pain the most common treatments are either drugs or surgery.

Drug treatments include OTC painkillers like acetaminophen (found in Tylenol) and ordinary aspirin. But they include reported risks like liver failure and internal bleeding.

Stronger prescription drugs like NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) also include risky side effects like heart attacks and hemorrhagic strokes.

And then there is the obvious risk of having your spine tinkered with in surgery.

Of course the best medicine is prevention. Here are a few tips to help you lower your risk of back pain:

• Exercise: Try regular exercises that work the abdominal and back muscles, help strengthen muscles which protect your back and improve flexibility.
• Stop Smoking: A significantly higher percentage of smokers have back pain incidences compared to non-smokers of the same age, height and weight.
• Lose weight: The fatter you are the greater your risk of developing back pain.
• Improve your posture: Stand upright, head facing forward, back straight, and balance your weight evenly on both feet-and keep your legs straight.
• Lift objects properly: The secret for protecting your back when lifting is to use your legs to do the lifting, more than your back. Do not straighten your legs before lifting. Otherwise, you'll be using your back for most of the work. 
• Proper footwear: Flat shoes place less of a strain on the back. 
• Supportive mattress: You should have a mattress that keeps your spine straight, while at the same time supporting the weight of your shoulders and buttocks. And use a pillow to help keep your neck aligned with the rest of your back, not bent into an angle.