Given the prevalence of back pain, you would think we'd have treatment for it down pat. Not even close. "The challenge is that you can't see injuries to tendons, ligaments, and muscles the way you can bone fractures and herniated disks," Despite diagnostic advances, doctors can't pinpoint an exact cause for as many as 85 percent of back problems, which makes them tricky to treat. Spinal manipulation, for example, is controversial -- some docs say it does more harm than good -- but it's the only remedy that got me off the couch and back on my bike. "Chiropractic care is not without concerns; then again, neither is traditional medicine, particularly when you're dealing with a problem like back pain, which has no easy, one-size-fits-all fix,"
Even exercise, which a majority of experts agree is one of the best ways to maintain a healthy back and chase away aches and pains, can be problematic. "When you're sedentary, the muscles supporting the spine get weaker, and you're more prone to injury," Dr. says. But "exercising with improper form -- rounding the back when doing dead lifts or arching it during ab work -- can place unwanted stress on the spine".
If you fall into the 80 percent of the population that regularly suffers from back pain, take heart: One-third of aches due to a strain or a sprain improve in a week without medical intervention (the remainder may take up to eight weeks). But unless you do some spine tuning -- strengthening your back through exercise and fostering healthier habits with our advice here -- your odds of a recurrence within six months are about one in three, Dr. says. Keep your back in tip-top shape by avoiding these seven spinal sins.
For more details please visit NYpainsolutions.com
