Go see a doctor if you’ve had a traumatic event like a fall and to rule out more serious forms of back pain like tumors, cardiac conditions, and disease. Here are qualified clinicians that can help you diagnose your back pain.
Rest for Back Pain
Bed rest is usually recommended for low back pain, but rest is not a permanent solution. Studies have shown that 2 days rest is as effective as 7 days [Source].
Rest can give your body a chance to heal, but pain-free movement as soon as possible following injury accelerates healing of muscle and bone. [Source] Light walking, stability exercises, or isometric muscle contraction can help to stimulate blood flow and the healing process.
When I received my Degenerative Disc Disease diagnosis, the doctor told me to avoid running, jumping, and lifting weights as long as my back hurt. This recommendation was foolish at best because it caused me to reduce my activity and created fear. After 6 months of following the doctor's orders I didn't see much progress.
Rest can be needed, but as soon as possible get back to work! Doctors are not qualified to give exercise or stretching programs, which is why rest is the most common recommendation.
Ice for Back Pain
The R.I.C.E. protocol has been used since it was created in 1978 by Dr. Gabe Mirkin for dealing with musculoskeletal injury and swelling.
In 2013, the same man who invented this protocol, Dr. Gabe Mirkin, wrote, “Subsequent research shows that ice can actually delay recovery… So, today, RICE is not the preferred treatment for an acute athletic injury.” [Source]
Research shows that ice after injury delays muscle repair and decreases healing! [Source] The only benefit of icing appears to be in lowering pain [Source], however, just because pain decreases does not mean you’re fixing anything. In fact, you’re actually doing more harm than good.
By icing an injury, you reduce blood flow to the area and delay healing! Sauna or hot tub can stimulate blood flow and aid recovery, but sitting on the couch with an ice pack for 20 minutes won’t help!
Drugs for Back Pain
If your doctor offers you drugs before evaluating your posture and movement, you don’t have a doctor, you have a drug dealer.
Pain medication does nothing to address the cause of your pain, it’s addictive, and can include harmful side effects. The primary benefit of drugs is the temporary pain relief that allows you to begin addressing the actual cause of your low back pain.
Steroid injections are a tool to reduce pain symptoms in the short term, however, some people don’t experience any pain relief, and there’s a risk of permanent neurologic damage from the injection [Source] [Source 2].
The temporary pain relief from drugs can make you think you’ve found a solution, when in fact you may be making things worse by continuing activities that would be painful without drugs. Always try the conservative route first because drugs and steroid shots come with risks.
Functional Back Pain Solution
Okay, so if rest, ice, and drugs are not the solution, what is???
Back pain is most commonly caused by our habits!
Instead of addressing poor habits, most people search for quick fixes like drugs, surgery, or ice. Unfortunately, these solutions don't work long term and they keep you on a chronic pain cycle of injury and re-injury.
The solution? Change your habits.
This might mean improving your posture, changing how long you sit, getting more activity, or performing daily stretching. Each person is unique.
This is not the answer that most people want to hear, but it's the only thing that will lead to long term pain-free living.
If you want help on your journey, my free e-book "What's Wrong with my Back?" is a tool I made to help you make progress on your own. Simply enter your email into the pop-up and enjoy!
Conclusion
85% of back pain is categorized as nonspecific, meaning there isn't a direct cause for pain. Doctors will use fancy terms like degenerative disc disease, but what they're really saying is they don't know why your back hurts. In order to identify the cause of your back pain, begin by studying your body.
Identify the postures, movements, and loads that trigger your pain so you can stop picking the scab and allow the tissues to heal.
Education should be the foundation of medicine. Unfortunately, many doctors are woefully ignorant to the multitude of back pain causes. If your doctor doesn’t teach you the cause of your pain, find a new clinician.
There is a real and functional cause to your pain, and by identifying your pain triggers you can begin to eliminate your symptoms and return to living a pain-free life.
If you want help on your journey of overcoming your back pain, schedule a consultation to work with me directly.
Hope this helps! - Tom
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