Back pain can keep you from living life to the fullest, which is why prevention matters. If it strikes, you don’t have to suffer.
While more common in older adults, back pain is not limited to one age group.
“It’s present even in teenagers sometimes,” said Gregory Powell, an M.D. with Memorial Health.
Back pain can be caused by improper lifting, falls and car crashes. Because the spine supports the rest of the body, pain can be debilitating.
Powell said prevention starts with basic habits.
“One of the biggest things is exercise,” he said, “That’s been very clearly shown to minimize your risk of back pain. Another one is quitting smoking. Smokers are at much higher risk of back pain than non-smokers.”
Powell also emphasized proper lifting technique and posture.
“Ergonomics that doing things right make a huge difference,” he said, “We see a lot of lifting injuries where people are lifting with their back, not their legs.”
If you cannot avoid back pain, Powell said taking early steps can help recovery.
“A lot of times one of the biggest mistakes is just ignoring the symptoms or trying to continue without resting a little bit,” he said, “We always ask people to start simply. Resting can help for a short period of time. Over-the-counter medications like Tylenol or Advil can be very helpful for some people, if it’s safe for you to take it.”
Most back pain improves within a couple of weeks, Powell said. If symptoms persist for six weeks, he recommended checking with a doctor, especially if warning signs appear.
“Sudden weakness of the leg, fever, really bad anesthesia where you can’t feel your leg, something like that,” he said, “Bowel and bladder changes. Those can be the real red flags that indicate something more serious.”
Treatment options vary by severity, Powell said, and often start with a gradual approach.
“We talk about a ladder approach and we start simply with over-the-counter medications and some rest,” he said, “Beyond that we can use prescription medications, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxers, things like that. Beyond that we talk about physical therapy and some exercise-based treatments.”
For some patients, Powell said, more advanced options may be recommended.
“We do things like epidural steroid injections where we’re putting steroids inside the spine under extra guidance to be to be able to get the medicine right on the nerve root that’s irritating,” he said.
There’s many ways to treat back pain. Talk to your doctor to see what’s the right fit for you.
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