Back pain, moving is the best way to prevent it and (very often) treat it – WWN

A woman, often middle-aged, often overweight or a smoker: this is the identikit of those who suffer most often from back pain, which emerged from a large study published recently on The Lancet Rheumatology. Starting from the research data Global Burden of Diseasein which the mortality, frequency and impact of various pathologies in most countries of the world are gradually updated, researchers have traced the photograph of low back pain and hypothesized the scenarios of the near future, underlining that today it is already a question of one of the most widespread problems everywhere but which will explode by 2050: By then, over 840 million people are expected to suffer from back pain, with the increase especially in Asia and Africa.

One of the major causes of disability

Back pain already one of the major causes of disability and a third of cases depend on at least partially modifiable factors related to the type of employment, being overweight, and the habit of smokeHowever, not enough is being done for prevention nor is there enough information on how to treat patients, as study coordinator Manuela Ferreira of the University of Sydney points out:

For example, In most current guidelines there are no dedicated recommendations on how to manage back pain in older adultswho make up the largest proportion of patients: they are often prescribed “heavier” drugs than younger people, but analgesics Potential drugs can have a negative impact on the functionality or quality of life of older adults and also interfere with other medicines they often take. Greater attention is needed in the management of back painbecause for example, research has shown that the effectiveness of some interventions commonly considered useful is still unknown or under discussion.

The various therapeutic options: laser, Tens, muscle stimulation

the case for example of lasers, Tens (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) and electrical muscle stimulation for the treatment of acute back pain which however, being in the majority of cases a non-worrying disorder, it can also be addressed with non-pharmacological therapies like these or like the application of heat on the painful area, or, again, with treatments that include acupuncturewhose pain-relieving action could avoid drugs in some patients, or the manipulations of chiropractic treatments (which involve more abrupt mobilizations) or osteopathic (with gentler mobilisations).

Osteopathy, chiropractic, massage and acupuncture

Osteopathy, chiropractic, massage and acupuncture have a subjective effectiveness that depends on many factors, including the patient’s collaboration and his ability to “let go” and relax in the hands of the therapist; Precisely for this reason not everyone is the right candidate for passive techniques, specifies Paolo Grossi, former director of the Complex Anesthesia and Resuscitation and Pain Therapy Structure of the Pini Orthopedic Traumatological Center – CTO of Milan. These methods take away the pain, but the effect does not last over time and if they are not associated with other therapies they can increase the risk of relapses, also reducing their effectiveness with the passage of time: manipulations for example are useful for 2-3 sessions with which to resolve the acute event, then you need to move actively with exercises tailored.

There is little doubt, in fact, that moving is the best way to prevent, but also to treat back pain. Only during the most acute phases of pain is absolute rest recommended, but then it is good to try to resume daily activities as soon as possible. Back pain must be treated with specific exercises, regular physical activity and learning to manage everyday life, without ever stopping, concludes Grossi.

The Corriere Salute Guide

What are the witch stroke or cervical? How is a herniated disc managed? Can children have back pain? These and other questions about what causes back pain and how it should be managed can be answered in Corriere Salute guide Back pain, everything you need to know, on newsstands for free with the newspaper on November 14th: written in collaboration with Paolo Grossi, former director of the Complex Anesthesia and Resuscitation and Pain Therapy Center at the Pini Orthopedic Center – Cto of Milan, in 50 questions and answers a useful tool for obtaining information on how to prevent and manage back pain starting from simpler habits also discovering which specialists to turn to, the useful (and useless) tests, the possible treatments. Also dispelling some false beliefs, from absolute rest that would make the pain go away to running that is dangerous for the spine.