Chronic lower back pain?

Question

Is there any other ways to treat chronic lower back pain which is caused by constant muscle contractions on the lower left part of the back?

Have tried almost everything like:

Pilates
Accupuncture
Osteopathy
Chiropractor
Strong sleeping pills
General exercise

Not sure if the pain is curable, but if there are any other ways to make the pain more bearable would help to strenghen or stop the muscles from contracting?!

Answer 1

Stand facing a wall, about three feet away from it, and look straight ahead at eye level. Note where this spot is.

Now turn your back to the wall, and put your hands on your hips.

Bend backwards as far as you can, keeping you knees straight and bracing with your hands so you don't fall, and note whether you can see the same point on the wall.

If you can't, your back is stiff, and that could be a reason you have chronic pain.

Extension (bending backwards) is the movement we lose first to back pain or injury usually. A block to extension will result in stiffness on rising from sitting, working in prolonged flexion (bending forward), prolonged standing or walking, and you may be stiff first thing in the morning for a while.

Our joints work best in the middle of their available range of movement. If we are limited in one direction, it will affect the overall working of the joints and cause pain, and those protective muscle spasms you describe.

Try this as a treatment:
Lie face down on the bed/floor, with your hands under your shoulders, elbows pointing up at the ceiling.
Do a push up, but only with the top half of your body - allow your pelvis and legs to remain down and relaxed.
You should be able to straighten your elbows fully, and your hips should lift no more than an inch off the floor.
Don't linger at the height of the push up - it's a mobilising exercise, not a stretch. If you linger, you'll irritate the back and set off the pain again.
Do a total of 10 push ups about 3-4 times each day, and you should notice an improvement after 3-4 days.
Do not continue with these exercises if they give you new or worse pain - you don't say what the original cause of your back pain is, but this is usually safe for most backs.

Poor sitting posture is another BIG factor in chronic back pain. Look in the Yahoo home page, search for sitting posture under images to get a look at right and wrong positions. Be diligent about correcting your posture, it will really stand to you.

General exercise is good too - it helps to increase your back's ability to deal with normal stresses and strains. Get fit in a back friendly way. It will take a couple of months to increase your fitness, but will help you in the long run. I know you list it in the remedies you have already tried, but it's not meant as a treatment, more an adjunct to treatment.

Why not try a Chartered Physiotherapist - they tend to look at back pain in a broader way than some of the other disciplines, and may have more treatment options to offer you.

I'm presuming, having said all this, that you have actually gone to your GP and had all relevant investigations done to exclude an underlying condition or any mechanical damage??? If not, that's the first thing you should do. I would recommend McKenzie's "Treat Your Own Back" as a good investment also.

I wish you the best of luck with your back. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

SEE a chiropractor (it is likely to take a while) and work with a massage therapits you should be able to be physically normal again. Much pain is from muscles below is an example of what may help (based on headaches). Begin with a couple swigs of molasses or a couple of bananas daily - magnesium (which regulates many things in the body) and potassium (a needed building block for muscles). Drink at least 1/2 gallons of water per day. Running a body low on water is like running a car low on oil is the analogy the head of neurology at UCDavis told my husband about 10 years ago. Now to the cause - muscles - your back, neck shoulders and head have tender spots. They are knots in the fibers of the muscles called trigger points. It makes the muscles tight which makes them press on nerves and other things causing the pain. The cure - start with a professional massage, you will also want to go back over any place you can get to 6-12 times per session up to 6 times per day rubbing (or lightly scratching on your head) every where that is tender until the knots go away. The place where the skull connects to the spine press up under the edge of the skull (to get to those muscles). For more information read The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Davies. It teaches what to do and where the pain comes from.

Answer 3

Whatever you do don't bother with a GP they are just not interested in back problems as I discovered. You need to find out what is causing the muscles to contract. It will cost you but I think your best bet is to see an orthopaedic surgeon; probably about £100 for a consultation and they would probably recommend an MRI scan. This will identify any real problems

Answer 4

I have severe chronic back pain..............i have scoliosis and finally had to have my lumber fused last yr. well, it still hurts like hell..............i am on pain meds and they can give you some muscle relaxers and sleep meds cause i don't know about you but the pain wakes me up all the time. I also have to have a total hip replacement in a couple weeks .........when i had back surgery i lost 2 inches in height and my body is ALL out of whack!!!!!! Oh! One very good thing is WATER AREOBICS!!! It doesn't put pressure on your joints or anything...good luck!!!!

Answer 5

If it is just muscle pain then you can use a heat pack to relieve the muscle spasm. If it is due to inflamation of the spine then I suggest that you learn sahaja yoga meditation. I had inflamation of the spine for more than ten years and this meditation had helped me and I am now free from pain. You can locate a centre that is nearest to you. The classes are free. You can locate a centre by searching sahaja yoga.

Answer 6

I dont know if there are beds available that are designed with back pain in mind, but I do know that you can find office chairs that address that need.

Do a websearch on "ergonomic chairs". These are all designed with reducing the pressure on your back and legs as one of the main goals of the chair.

I can vouch for ErgoGenesis chairs through my aunt. She was in a car wreck that messed up her back. She ordered one of their chairs and hasnt had a problem since (while sitting anyway).

Answer 7

Did you ever tested out Back Pain Relief 4 Life program? Check out this site : http://BackPainInstantRelief.com/ . This will probably support anybody!

Answer 8

sounds like you have tried most things. One other thing you could do is to get a special bed and to try sleeping on your back. Just lying flat on the floor makes my back feel better.

p.s. I don't know if these special beds for back problems actually exist, (ask a doctor).

Answer 9

Hi well i suffer with sciatica very badly i was also in limbo what to do next and noting seemed to help.I went to my gp and he referred me to my local hospital where i work to the pain clinic they specialise in all sort off pain.Ive been under them for 3 years and the treatment they have given me works alot go see your gp and get them to refer you.

Answer 10

Have you tried a muscle relaxer ( zanaflex, beclofen)? they stop the muscle from contracting and give it a chance to heal, or it maybe that you will need to take it as needed for an extended period.