The Pain Rehab Doctors Corner
Got Back Pain?
By Nnamdi Nwaogwugwu M.D.
Have you been at a job that requires a lot of sitting, standing or lifting, and began to notice a stiffness and tightness in your back? Or have you joyfully and playfully bent down to pick up your baby and needed help standing up from a sudden sharp pain in your mid and low back area. You are not alone, 50%-80% of adults will have low back pain at some time in their lives at a cost of approximately 16 billion dollars annually to treat. Low back pain is such a major problem that approximately 5.4 million Americans annually will be forced to file for disability because they can’t perform their jobs any more. What are some of the common causes of low back pain?
The type of work you perform may have a direct link to whether you develop low back pain or not. 60% of people that have low back pain maintain physically demanding jobs that contribute heavily to help create their pain. Anyone that labors in any aspect of the construction field, hotel employees, nurses, truck drivers, firefighters, taxi cabdrivers, plumbers, roofers, are all at an increased risk of developing low back pain. These occupations and any job that requires a lot of consistent lifting, pulling, pushing, pulling bending and twisting motion will eventually lead to muscle fatigue or disc problems that can lead to pain traveling down the back to the legs. Other conditions that can lead to the development of low back pain are one’s age. Low back pain increases with age. The older you are, the more likely it is that you can cause injury to your back. The reason is that, as one gets older, the tendency is to work more, move less, eat more and thus their muscles gradually becomes tighter, less flexible, stiffer which can lead to micro tears in the muscle with minimal exertion . This can lead to sore achy muscles that hurt all the time which can cause you to miss time from work, or quality time away form your grandchildren due to the pain.
People that have scoliosis (curvature of the spine) or are overweight or obese have a higher likelihood of developing low back pain. Several studies have shown that smokers have a higher risk of developing low back pain as well as a variety of different cancer types.
If you are experiencing back pain, you should call a Physiatrist (fizzee-at-trist).
This type of medical doctor will perform a comprehensive evaluation, and order the right diagnostic test (MRI, X-RAY, and EMG) and then implement a treatment program aimed at eliminating your low back pain. The treatment may consist of Modalities (ice/heat/ ultrasound/ massage/) and exercise rehabilitation to position/ stretch and strengthen your painful muscles and eliminate your pain.
Nnamdi Nwaogwugwu M.D.
