Back Pain Overview

Studies show that at some point in life, 80 percent of Americans suffer back pain bad enough to require medication or a visit to a health professional. For about 85 percent of people who lament, “Oh, my aching back,” lower back pain strikes once, slowly goes away over a few months, and returns only occasionally, […]

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Chinese Herbal Remedies to Combat Back Pain

Chinese medicine counts three major causes of low back pain: overuse, an invasion of Wind, Cold, and Damp, or weakness in your Kidney organ system, which governs your bones.

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Alternative Therapies for Back Pain

Willow was the original herbal aspirin, thanks to several compounds it contains, among them, salicin. A century ago, the Bayer Company tinkered with salicin and eventually produced acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin, the first nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Aspirin is still a mainstay medication for many people during the first day or two of back pain.

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Back Pain and Chiropractic

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) assembled a panel of experts (21 M.D.s and 2 chiropractors) to review the research on back care. The panel’s report, “Guidelines for Acute Lower Back Pain,” included a ringing endorsement of chiropractic.

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Back Pain and Exercise

Many back-pain sufferers stop exercising for fear of aggravating their pain. But avoiding exercise is one of the worst things you can do for your back, according to a consensus of experts assembled by the federal Agency for Health Care Policy (AHCPR) and Research. The Agency’s national treatment guidelines call for as much exercise as […]

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Home Remedies for Back Pain

Try to stand with your weight evenly distributed on both legs, your knees slightly bent, your shoulders down and back, and your buttocks tucked in. Never slouch. It’s even more important to watch your posture while sitting. Pressure on your disks is higher when sitting than standing. That’s why those at highest risk for low […]

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Persistent Back Pain and Back Surgery

For persistent back pain or pain that becomes increasingly severe over a week or two despite conservative home treatment, consult a doctor to rule out other health conditions that might cause it: kidney disease, bowel or bladder problems, gynecological problems in women, prostate problems in men, neurological disorders, or rarely, tumors (fewer than 1 percent […]

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