By: Arthur Cooper
Submitted: 2010-09-17 01:40:23 | Word Count: 664
Back and neck pain causes are numerous, and most are able to be treated simply with a visit to the doctor and a prescription. Heat, stretching and strengthening exercises and over-the-counter administration of anti-inflammatory medication are all typical remedies. Back and neck pain are most often caused when the muscles or ligaments in the neck, back muscles and spine become overly strained or torn from excessive use or even just getting out of bed wrong. It might be something fairly obvious that caused the injury, such as a heavy-lifting incident or a time when you just feel your back "go." Or, you might have been leading up to this for a very long time, either through poor posture or a series of small incidents that add up to a big pain in the back and neck that now need to be addressed. It is fairly easy and commonplace to hurt your back, and the pain can be surprisingly intense, until you get treatment.
[ advertisement ]
Being such a complex machine, our body is not only resilient, but also susceptible to minor breakdowns. When you throw out your back, it can affect not only the back itself, but surrounding neck tissues, your shoulders, arms, lower back, and legs. Pain, tingling and muscle weakness can result from even a seemingly simple injury to just your back, and it is advisable to seek a doctors opinion as to the best course of action, to make sure you have not seriously injured deep tissue or your musculature and spinal structures. Pain can be managed in fairly easy ways, including over-the-counter administration of anti-inflammatory medication, and the application of heat, and if a doctor recommends it, a series of strengthening and stretching exercises that will loosen the tight muscles and make you stronger and more flexible for the future. Your treatment will depend in part on the original back and neck pain causes.
Pain can be diagnosed by a doctor, physical therapist, orthopedist or chiropractor, who can advise you on how best to not only help yourself, but when the intervention of a professional (such as a physical therapist) is warranted. You might even be advised that surgery is necessary, but view this as a last resort, since surgery always carries risks and you might be able to avoid it with the right treatments. Make sure your doctor is flexible to the idea of other options, unless it is blatantly obvious that the only course of action for your neck and back pain is surgery. Cortisone injections might be a good route, as well spinal mobilization, heat treatments, ultrasound, stimulation, traction and exercise.
Your doctor may be the sort to want to embark on a journey of holistic, whole-body therapy, which takes into account the actual physical nature of your injury while not so heavily relying on pain relievers or other non-physical treatments. There are many courses of treatment available for any of the diagnoses you might receive from a medical health professional. Have frank discussions, do your own research on back and neck pain causes and pick the course that is right for you in the long run.
