The Low Down On Lower Back Pain
Low back pain is not considered a disease. It is called by dozens of names, from old-fashioned lumbago to the fashionable facet joint syndrome, from misalignment to lumbar-sacral radiculopathy, from muscle strain to just plain low back pain.
No one knows for sure why people suffer from low back pain. Only colds and sore throats top it as reasons for seeking medical attention. According to a national survey carried out in 2000, almost half the adult population of the UK had experienced low back pain lasting at least 24 hours at some time during the year.
In 2003/04, nearly 5 million working days were lost in the UK through bad backs. Yet there is no national research foundation worrying or wondering about it. It is, in short, the UK’s biggest and most baffling pain. Similar figures and percentages apply to USA sufferers as well. The good news however is that lower back pain can be controlled or certainly greatly reduced.
You’ve no doubt heard that before. And you probably wouldn’t be reading this blog if the promise of this or that ‘X Minutes a Day Surefire Formula for Eliminating Lower Back Pain Forever’ program had come true. But, the advice offered here is of a different sort, based on the actual experience of US and UK survey participants with low back pain. They know all too well that no pill or potion, movement or motion is usually the single key to ending your lower back pain troubles; that some little-known, self-help healing approaches work wonders; that an array of widely publicized treatments are ineffective and dangerous; that you can’t necessarily end your lower back pain by yourself overnight.
Many people will make remarkable strides in just days or weeks, but not everyone can. If you are a chronic back sufferer, it may take months to recover, but it can be done. Some people may also need professional treatment and advice at first. And knowing when and how to get professional help is an essential but often overlooked aspect of self-care.
This and other articles on this site will teach you how to become your own low back doctor. About 80 per cent of US survey participants with low back pain have either eliminated pain completely or have reduced it enough so that it no longer seriously limits their lives. And we believe that what they know can help even the most disabled low back pain sufferers. Certainly, they can help you discover what steps you should take right now to keep your own back in good shape for years to come.
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