New Milton Advertiser 2nd Oct 2020

Friday 2nd October 2020 · 35

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5 th -9 th October 2020

Treating back pain What are my options?

Top 10 tips for a healthy back

Exercise your back regularly - walking, cycling, swimming, (especially back stoke)

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B ack pain is very common and in many cases difficult to prevent completely. However there are a number of things you can do to reduce the risks of developing disabling back pain. Good back care is not only focussed on preventing back pain from striking in the first place, but also on trying to prevent the negative con - sequences of back pain. Although pain can be a very distressing symptom, for most people with back pain, the pain does not represent a serious medical condition. Knowing what is causing your back pain, and the best way of respond - ing, may take away some of the concerns you have when experiencing back pain. There are many different treatments available for back pain and it can be a daunting task to first of all understand the various options and then to make an informed decision on what you would like to try to help you manage your back pain. Choosing a treatment

Move more to keep backache away! If you are working from home, getting up from your desk throughout the day can help to avoid the aches and pains associated with being sedentary. Physiotherapists at the CSP advise home workers to break up prolonged period of sitting with short burst of activity to improve mental health and circu - lations. This can be small amounts of light walking, moving around the house, cleaning, gardening or go - ing up and down the stairs every half hour. Increasing your daily activity and doing some more structured exer - cise such as a brisk walk outside, pilates, yoga or weight training can reduce symptoms of stress anxiety and depression.

Try to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle

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Core strengthening for backs, increase muscle strength, flexibility and improve your posture Queen Street, Lymington Contact Rebecca at 07703 059992 | www.coastpilates.co.uk

Learn to lift heavy objects using the correct lifting technique. Always bend your knees and hips, not your back Carry larger loads in a comfortable rucksack using both shoulder straps, and avoid sling bags slumping in your chair, hunching over a desk, or walking with your shoulders hunched Try to take a short break - every 30 minutes - from sitting Quit smoking. Smoking can reduce the blood supply to discs between the vertebrae, and this could lead to discdegeneration Endeavour to lose any excess weight Check that your bed provides the correct support and comfort for your weight and build, not just firmness. Maintain a good posture – avoid

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This may give you a better insight in what to expect. • Self management • Alexander Technique • Chiropractic • Exercise • Osteopathy

It has been estimated that there are more than 200 different treat - ment options for back pain. Some of these are well-established and have been thoroughly researched while others are more experimen - tal and less mainstream. When having to decide what treatment to try, you may want to ask your - self the following questions: 1. Is there any scientific evidence that shows the treatment is effective and safe? 2. Who performs the treatment? Are they registered with a regulatory body? If not, is s/ he adequately qualified to perform the treatment? risks and the costs of the treatment? When making a decision you will have to weigh these three. 4. Is the treatment on offer appropriate for my condition and my circumstances? 5. Can you get information and advice on the treatment on offer from multiple sources? 6. Have you spoken with anyone who has tried the treatment on offer? 3. What are the possible benefits, the possible

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• Physiotherapy • Acupuncture • Pilates • Drugs for Pain Relief

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Is there a “correct” posture? There is no perfect

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posture, the key is to keep moving.; Your best posture is your next posture! You may experience aches and pains as the body is not used to being in a particular position for prolonged periods of time. If you need to take a phone call, try and stand up and walk around and talk.

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10. Learn relaxation techniques to help

manage stress. Stress is a major cause of back pain

It’s just a bit of back pain - Or is it? If you suffer from back pain, you are not alone. It is common – too common – and that is why some people, and even some health professionals, accept it as normal. Just because something is common, does not mean it is normal. It is the number one global disability: and the most common reason people miss work.

5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOWABOUT BACK PAIN 1. Most Back Pain is “Mechanical” 3. Lower Back Pain Can Shrink Your Brain

■ If not improved in 4 - 6 weeks, it becomes chronic. 2. There Might be Something Seriously Wrong It could be due to: ■ Broken bones or spon- dylolisthesis (spinal bones slipping out of position) ■ Disc injuries, sciatica, and cauda equina syndrome (severe nerve compres- sions) ■ Inflammatory arthritis – including ankylosing spondylitis ■ Some tumours, such as colon and ovarian cancer and multiple myeloma (bone marrow cancer) and metastatic disease

Back pain usually originates from spinal bones, joints, or soft tissues, The NHS often describes it as “non- specific”. This type of back pain: ■ Often feels worse on certain movements ■ Changes depending on your position ■ Can either develop suddenly or gradually with no obvious trigger ■ Can result from poor posture or lifting something awkwardly ■ Minor injuries include pulled muscles (strain) or ligament (sprain) ■ Is often associated with feeling stressed or run down

People with chronic pain will tell you that they can’t think straight. There is a reason for that: The brains of people with chronic back pain are as much as 11 % smaller than those without back ache. 4. Could Increase Your Chances of Dying Early Those with chronic back pain have a 13% higher risk of dying from any cause, compared to those without pain. Chronic pain sufferers get less exercise, have poorer diets and sleep patterns, higher stress

At New Milton Chiropractic, we start from the premise that pain is a sign that some- thing is wrong and it is time to act. Painkillers are designed to mask the symptoms. Our aim is to restore function and quality of life. Our testing is very thorough, including on-site digital x-rays. We explain the findings to you and offer evi- dence-based, patient-centred care. If you have any questions or are ready to act, please call us on 01425 620222. We are waiting to help you and your whole family.

levels, and struggle with low self-esteem and depression. Factors like these combine and increase mortality risk. 5. Most Painkillers “do more harm than good” The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recently advised GPs not to prescribe drugs including opioids, benzodi- azepines, paracetamol, or ibuprofen to chronic pain sufferers, because they can do more harm than good. The report goes on to say that there is “little or no evidence” that paracetamol was effective. Also, anti-in- flammatories (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen “made no differ- ence to people’s quality of life, pain or psychological distress”.

Knowing this, it frustrates Doctors of Chiropractic to have such a wide- spread, debilitating

and life-limiting condition being trivialised as “simple” or

“non-specific” back pain. It is worse still, when we hear that people being disa- bled with pain is “normal for age” or “self-limiting”. Or my personal least favourite, “I’ve been told nothing can be done and I just have to live with it”.

■ Infections.

Call 01425 620222 for your initial consultation

13 Whitefield Road, New Milton, BH25 6DE www.newmiltonchiro.co.uk

Dr Damien T. O’Dwyer (BSc, PGDipSc, MChiro, PhD) is a Researcher, Published Scientist, Doctor of Chiropractic and Wellness Expert. He leads the team in Whitefield Road, to coach people in our community to better health through natural, safe and effective chiropractic care.