how to deal with neck and back pain?
TRANSCRIPT
How to Deal with Neck and Back Pain?
Back and neck pain affects nearly all of us at some point inour lives and is rarely serious. There has been a revolution inthinking about back and neck care and we now deal with it ina different way, all based on the latest scientific evidence.
Most people with back pain make a rapid recovery within afew weeks. Neck pain due to a road traffic accident maytake longer.
Your spine is designed for movement: it needs movement andlots of it. If you avoid moving, a host of structures aroundyour spine will get stiff and tight, making movement feel evenmore painful. Prevent this from happening by keeping asactive as possible.
The problem
The cause
Your spine is one of the strongest parts of your body. It is made upof solid bony blocks joined by discs to give strength and stability.It is reinforced by strong ligaments and powerful muscles, whichhelp to protect it.
If you have a scan, your doctor might mention general degeneration,which sounds frightening, but it’s not damage or arthritis. Theseare the normal changes with age – just like grey hair.
The only thing we can say with conviction is that some pain sensitivestructures in your spine are being stimulated and your brain isinterpreting these as pain. Regardless of the structure at fault, themain strategy to tackle the pain is always the same, help yourselfand stay active.
Back pain is rarely anything serious. However, if your backpain is not getting better and you suffer from any of thefollowing, you must visit your GP immediately.
Problems passing urine.Numbness in the saddle area between your legs.
The risk
A wealth of research has gone into identifying people, at riskof long term pain and disability. Results show that most of thewarning signs are about what people feel and do, rather thanmedical findings.
Believing that you have a serious injury or damage.
Believing that hurt means harm and that you will becomedisabled.
Being unable to accept reassurance.
Signs of people at risk of long-term pain are:
Avoiding movement or activity due to fear of doing damage.
Continued rest and inactivity instead of getting on with yourlife.
Waiting for someone to fix it, rather than believing that youcan help yourself to recover.
Becoming withdrawn and depressed.
The solution
The following are strategies and attitudes adapted by you asthe coper someone who deals with the pain by being positive.
Keep up daily activities – they will not cause damage. Just avoidreally heavy things.
Try to stay fit – walking, cycling and swimming will exercise yourback and should make you feel better. Perform the exercisesprescribed by your physiotherapist. These should be continued evenafter your back feels better.
Start gradually and do a little more each day. Make a note of howfar you walked, or swam each day, so you see the progress you aremaking.
Either stay at work or go back to work as soon as possible. Ifnecessary, see if you can get lighter or modified duties for a week ortwo.
Live life as normally as possible. This is much betterthan giving into the pain.
Don’t stay at home or give up activities you enjoy.
Don’t get frightened. Continued pain does not mean you are goingto become an invalid.
Don’t listen to other people’s horror stories.
Don’t get gloomy on the down days.
Don’t rely on painkillers alone. Stay positive and takecontrol of the pain yourself.
Mail us:-
Phone no.:-
0161 745 7551 (Greater Manchester)
0151 515 2323 (Merseyside, Liverpool)
URL:-
www.metrophysio.co.uk
