Reasons for Experiencing Chronic Lower Back Pain

Chronic back pain is one of the most widespread ailments in America. Symptoms of this ongoing or recurring pain often appear in the lower back, known more formally as the lumbar spine region. A main reason for the number of people affected by chronic lower back pain is the sheer number of conditions that can produce significant symptoms. Prominent examples of these conditions include:

·         Ruptured or herniated spinal discs – These cushioning discs, which sit between the individual bones in the spinal column, can trigger serious pain when they break open or deform as a result of exposure to excessive pressure.

·         Disc Degeneration – Over time, the cushioning spinal discs can degenerate and lose their ability to adequately protect the spine. In turn, loss of proper disc spacing can lead to recurring or constant lower back pain.

·         Traumatic injuries – These types of injuries are typically the result of motor vehicle accidents, accidental falls and participation in contact or non-contact sports. They can lead to ruptured discs and a range of other chronic lower back injuries.

·         Nerve Compression or Inflammation (Radiculopathy)  – Nerves leaving the spinal column on their way to the rest of the body are sometimes placed under abnormal forces that lead to excessive pressure and/or the swelling associated with inflammation.  Specific causes of this problem include herniated discs and pinching of the lengthy sciatic nerve, which runs from the buttocks down the back of each leg.

·         Spinal Stenosis – This condition stems from abnormal narrowing of the space available for the spinal cord inside the spinal column and/or narrowing of the space available for the nerves exiting the spinal column and traveling to the body.

It can be quite difficult to determine which specific problem contributes to chronic lumbar pain in any given individual. For this reason, proper diagnosis of underlying causes commonly includes input from a doctor who specializes in pain treatment.

Alternative Methods of Dealing with Back Pain

If you are one of the billions of people around the world who is dealing with back pain, visiting a pain management center may be the way to go. They may be able to diagnose your condition or tell you what might be causing your chronic pain. They will also likely give you ideas for things you can do to alleviate the pain you feel so that you can continue on with your daily life as much as possible. Here are some of the things that a medical professional might suggest.

Biofeedback

Biofeedback is an extremely interesting method of pain management that can actually work for many other things as well such as incontinence, migraines, and anxiety. Biofeedback involves becoming aware of what is going on in your body so that you are better able to control involuntary processes in your body such as heart rate, skin temperature, and blood pressure. 

Meditation and Relaxation

Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing are a huge part of effective biofeedback, and relaxation and meditation on their own can significantly reduce your chronic pain symptoms. Your pain management therapist can help you identify ways to reduce stress and relax and may be able to suggest means of meditation such as yoga and deep breathing that you can use to alleviate your pain as well.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Ultimately, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) involves controlling one’s feelings about something—in this case, chronic pain—to alter negative thoughts and behaviors. When a person experiencing chronic pain can change their negative thoughts and behaviors about pain, they will be less aware of the pain even if the pain does not lessen or go away at all. 

If you are experiencing chronic pain, you have many different options. While biofeedback and CBT might not be for you, there may be other things that you can do such as increase your meditation and reduce stress.

Top Three Everyday Chronic Pain Management Techniques You Can Handle

Over 1.5 billion people all over the world suffer from chronic pain. Just ask any of these billions of people and they can tell you how living with chronic pain can be physically exhausting as well as emotionally and mentally draining. Fortunately, there are some chronic pain management techniques that you might try that might give you some relief. Here are the top three daily habits to incorporate in your life and hopefully alleviate some of the pain you have been feeling.

Get Distracted

For many people, simply distracting themselves from the pain they are feeling is an effective pain management technique. Take up a new hobby or throw yourself wholeheartedly into an existing one. Write up to-do lists and then complete each task. You will stay busy and interested and you might even forget about your pain for a while.

Reduce Stress

Stress can actually intensify the pain that you feel and as a chronic pain sufferer, you know how stressful chronic pain can be. It is a vicious cycle that does not relent easily. However, if you can relieve some of your stressors, you may be much better off in terms of pain as well.

Get Out and Exercise

Increasing your exercise can significantly reduce chronic pain. For the best chronic pain management, the value of going for a morning walk or jog, or stepping up on the elliptical cannot be overstated. When you exercise, your brain releases chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins block pain and also improve your mood. So although you might not be feeling up to a jog or run, there are likely some exercises that your body can handle doing. Getting up and moving will be significantly helpful with your chronic pain management.