Could an infection be causing your back pain?

Infections are rarely the main cause of back pain but they can aggravate already inflamed tissues. The infection may not start anywhere near your spine. Chronic infections of sinuses, adenoids, teeth, urinary tract and prostrate have all been identified as exacerbating joint pain.

 

The World Health Authority estimates that most adults in the civilised world have gum disease. Infected tissue from the gums can be reabsorbed into the circulation, from where it is carried to the back and irritates pain nerve endings.

 

So if you have a chronic infection, see a doctor before you see a chiropractor and get the infection cleared up

How useful is bed rest?

Time is a great healer, so they say. And rest can allow the body to make the best use of its powers of recuperation, but it can have side effects too.

 

Bed rest can be useful to relieve pressure of standing upright, on the discs and the postural muscles. The main risks are that rest leads quickly to muscle wasting, thus making your back more vulnerable to subsequent injury. It also hampers circulation, so slowing down the healing process and encouraging the formation of scar tissue. The latter is a particular problem because if joints are in use when the scar tissue forms, then it tends to form along the lines of stress in the area. At rest the new tissue forms haphazardly and can make connections between tissues that subsequently make joints stiff, restricted and painful.

 

Put simply, an injured back is best subjected to as much gentle, frequent movement as it can stand, while avoiding positions that aggravate the pain. Use pain as your guide. If you’re comfortable standing – stand – if you’re out of pain sitting – then it’s best to sit.

 

Take advice from a chiropractor on the best way to exercise your back.

The importance of exercise

Virtually all programmes to deal with long-term back pain will involve some form of exercise. Backs benefit from usage and a flexible spine is suppler to prevent injury, has more stamina to prevent pain from fatigue, and is better co-ordinated to prevent injuries from loss of balance. Movement also helps reduce muscle tension and increase blood flow to the area so minor injuries heal more quickly.

 

We all stiffen with age but most people become inflexible through lack of movement. One of the best counter points to stiffness is Hatha Yoga. There are many exercise programmes which very in their difficulty and which need to be used with care as the wrong exercise can make you back problems worse. Consult a professional like a chiropractor to find the right exercise programme for you.

The muscle that can cause back ache

A common but little known cause of back and leg pain is piriformis syndrome. The piriformis muscle runs between the sacrum and pelvis, and the top of your thigh bone, in close proximity to the sciatic nerve. In some people, the nerve runs through the piriformis and so can become compressed or stretched by the actions of the muscle, producing buttock and leg pain particularly when sitting. The piriformis is involved in movement of the upper leg and so how we stand and walk can cause the muscle to become strained or over contracted. If the cause of your pain is piriformis syndrome, it can be identified and addressed by a chiropractor. See a professional for self-help advice.