David Hack, Freelance Writer

Experts suggest options for back pain relief

Do you wake in the morning and have trouble getting out of bed? Do you get out of an easy chair and have to walk across a room before you can stand up straight? Do you wrestle with the kids or grandkids and feel sore for days? Do you have a pain in the back that aspirin just doesn’t take care of? Well, you’re not alone.

“It’s estimated that 80% of the population has or will have some degree of back pain sometime in their lives,” said Dr. Terri Cooper of Holistic Healing Center, formerly Chiropractic Sports and Acupuncture Clinic of Cedar Rapids. “Sometimes patients have an acute pain which they feel when they bend, twist or move a certain way. This may have been caused by a specific strenuous activity, such as roofing. Other patients have chronic pain, caused by a muscle sprain or strain in the lower back that lasts for a long period of time, six months or a year,” Dr. Cooper added. “Sometimes the pain is caused by a misalignment of the bones of the spine, causing nerve interference. It may be necessary to make an adjustment to get relief.”

It doesn’t matter if the pain is acute or chronic, “it’s important to see a physician to get a specific diagnosis for back pain,” said Eric Jacobs, director of Physical Therapy at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids. “There can be many causes of back pain and it may be that an x-ray or MRI will be required to determine if there is an injury that needs repair. Sometimes there’s a bulge in the discs between vertebrae that puts pressure on the nerves causing the pain. Then it’s our job in physical therapy to help determine what movements consistently make the pain worse, and teach the patient to avoid those positions and to exercise to strengthen the back.”

For appropriate exercise, Cory Popelka, Fitness Equipment Consultant with Push Pedal Pull of Cedar Rapids has several recommendations he makes for customers that suffer from back pain. “I recommend working with a stability ball,” said Popelka. “This large ball gives your back full support and allows a full range of motion with little risk of injury. Doing extensions with the ball strengthens abdominal muscles and improves balance and stability. The key to prevention of back pain is strengthening the muscle groups that support the back and increasing flexibility. Stretch out before exercise and always use proper lifting techniques, look up, keep the back straight and lift with the legs.”

At St. Luke’s Center for Health and Well Being a “Healthy Back Class” has been added to regular fitness offerings. “There is a need for this class to help people who suffer from chronic back pain,” said Dagmar Munn, manager of the Center. “The exercises are restorative movements from Yoga that strengthen the abdomen and back, improve flexibility, and help focus and balance. We also offer Pilates, which was originally developed for hospital patients who were unable to take part in regular exercise programs. Strengthening the muscle groups helps support the back and allows the spine to move the way it was intended. Massage therapy is another means of relieving back pain. The therapist can work specific muscle groups with varying degrees of intensity to provide relief.”

Sidebar:

Back Pain? Options for relief!

Physical Therapy: Determines specific area of pain; teaches movements to avoid pain and exercises to strengthen muscle groups.

Chiropractic: Through muscle challenges determines areas of strength and weakness and adjusts spinal alignment to allow flexible movement without pain. Teaches exercises to strengthen and movements to avoid.

Acupuncture: Uses needles to instill energy into source point of electrical imbalance. Has 5,000 year history of increasing harmonic energy flow.

Massage: Works on relaxing specific muscle groups; works at varying depths from lymph system to muscle groups to ligaments.

Yoga: Teaches flexibility and balance; stretches and strengthens muscle groups; improves focus.

Pilates: Low impact exercise improves balance, strengthens muscles; adaptable to all levels of fitness.

Exercise: Stretches, regular exercise with or without equipment to maintain flexibility and strengthen abdomen and back muscles.

Posture: Maintain erect posture whether sitting, standing, or walking. Avoid hunching at al times. Lift with legs keeping back straight, head up.

Nutrition: A well balanced diet with adequate water for hydration is essential to a healthy back.

Sources: Dr. Terri Cooper, Eric Jacobs, Dagmar Munn, Cory Popelka

CEDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE, "Mind and Body, January 11, 2003