Reducing Back Pain Without Surgery

Though I specialize in minimally invasive surgery for back pain, I still believe that surgery should be a final measure taken after you've tried all other options... and the back pain remains chronic. It's up to you to watch your back, but in case you're in pain here are some suggestions that can help you postpone or possibly even prevent back surgery.

Please see your private physician first before taking ANY of the suggestions in this article!

Before getting into our tips, here are some quick signs that you may REALLY need to go to the hospital:

1) Visit Your Doctor!
Your first order of business after a back injury that keeps you from your normal activity is to seek the advice of your physician and get an accurate diagnosis.

2) Rest!
One of the most common back injuries is the slipped disk - rest at the early stages of injury is one of the best recovery tools available. Lie on your back on the floor and place pillows under your knees and head. Also try placing your feet and calves on a chair. Make yourself as comfortable as possible on the floor (I'd suggest obtaining a yoga mat for a bit of extra cushioning) as you need to relax and rest your back for about two days.

3) Heat!
Heat can really help with those ongoing muscle spasms you're having as a result of working in the garden for five hours straight this weekend ;) Heat the spasm for periods of 20-30 minutes at a time.

4) Stretching!
Only conduct stretches with the approval of your family physician. The muscles of your back are deeply interwoven down into the muscles of your butt and legs so often a stretching regimen can reduce certain types of back pain. If your pain is chronic you may find that several months of stretching can help reduce pain. In particular you should concentrate on your hamstrings, the piriformis, the psoas major and your glutes.

5) Exercise!
ANY type of exercise must be checked with your family physician first! Strengthening your body core - abdomen, lower back and gluteus - can help to reduce back pain and prevent future pain from occurring. Pilates and yoga are two types of exercise that can help you achieve a stronger core, and both systems of exercise have practitioners who develop exercises specifically for stronger backs.

6) Massage!
Though it's not well proven statistically, massage is often one of the first thing that back pain sufferers think of. It has been shown to reduce some of the anxiety that comes with chronic back pain, but again, remember to talk to your doctor first!

7) Injections!
There are a number of injections that can serve to both diagnose the cause of your back pain as well as potentially treat it. The types of injections include soft tissue injections that decrease inflammation and reduce joint pain, epidural steroid injections often used for degenerative disk disease, nerve block injections which can both diagnose and treat the pain, and trigger point injections for areas that are especially sensitive.

You could also consider looking up your doctor's online profiles to check his experience. For your reference, you can look at mine here (and should look up your doctors in these places as well): Dr Steven Gelbard (from SpineUniverse.com) and here Dr Steven Gelbard (HealthGrades).

Other Resources:
Low Back Pain: Tips on Pain Relief and Prevention
15 Back Pain Remedies
Overview of Back and Neck Pain Treatments

About Dr Steven Gelbard:
Dr Steven Gelbard has practiced Neurological Surgery for over 14 years, after 17 years of extensive training including medical school, internship, residency training, and fellowships. Included in his training, Dr Steven Gelbard spent time at Harvard University, Brown University, Tufts University, New York University, University of Vermont, and several other excellent institutions of training. Dr Steven Gelbard has also received U.S. Patents for innovative inventions in the field of Neurosurgery and Spine Surgery.

Read the Dr Steven Gelbard blog . And the Dr Steven Gelbard FAQ .