Madam Oyeyemi groaned as she lunges for her drug box. She has suffered lower back pain for 10 years. She has been abroad several times for check ups, at the invitations of her daughter who has four children. Each time she is abroad, dozens of different drugs are given her to take home for her back pain.
Before she chose obtaining treatment abroad she had tried several hospitals for her condition but to no avail. She has developed so much dislike for her routine drugs because of stomach upset she got each time she takes them. As a matter of fact, taking these pills has become a nightmare. She resorted to a customised corset/brace to support her unstable back. She felt a bit comfortable with it than the drugs, which are not only ineffective but also unnecessary since its effect is transient, if at all and upsetting the stomach.
Common back pain is pain felt in the back that may originate from the muscles, nerves, bones, joint or other structures in the spine. The pain may have a sudden onset or it can be a chronic pain. It can be felt constantly or intermittently or stay in one place or refer or radiate to other areas. It may be a dull annoying ache or a sharp or piercing or burning sensation.
Back pain comprises majorly; the neck pain, mid-back pain or waist pain. Don’t ignore it. It can be disabling. Visit a reputable physiotherapy centre and put the back pain to rest!
You may take your back pain medications in one gulp, and would smile at how quickly it works. Well, wipe that smile off your face. That drug you’re probably thinking is your friend is anything but something else why:
Not all pain relievers work alike. What worked for someone you know may not work for you. What your doctor prescribed may not work for you, even. Your doctor gives you a prescription, you buy it, you take it, and hope for the best. How long can you endure this cycle of trial and error?
On the upside, your constant use of back pain medications means you’re bound to find one that works for you. On the downside, trying one drug after the other will not always be pleasant and may even take a toll on your health.
Let’s be clear about this: no back pain medication is without side effects. Whether you take an aspirin or NSAIDs (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), you can expect the drug to take its toll on your health. You may experience nausea, dizziness, constipation, vomiting, dryness in the mouth, urinary retention, pupil contraction, or even respiratory depression, among others.
You see, unknown to most consumers, pain medications may attack more than pain. It actually inhibits, rather than promotes your body’s natural defenses against sickness. If your solution to pain is to take painkillers, the moment you start feeling twinges, don’t be surprise to find yourself becoming more and more reliant on your drug. While it’s true your painkiller can numb the pain, it doesn’t make it go away. You just may find yourself taking more painkillers more often.
Do you know how your back pain medications work? They either block the pain signals to your brain or interrupt your brain’s interpretation of these signals. In other words, they make you feel pain-free by making you incapable of feeling pain – for a few hours or days, anyway. But remember: feeling pain-free and being actually pain-free are two very different things. To get rid of the pain, you will need to find out the cause of the pain and remedy it accordingly, that is what skillful physiotherapy thoughtfully performed is set to achieve.
Medications may help you get through your day, but if you rely on drugs as your only pain treatment, you’re stuck with them for the rest of your life.
Yes, you can reclaim your right to a strong, healthy back; but the answer is not inside your drug box, and it’s definitely not your back pain medications. Start your journey to being pain-free by making rational choice of health facility to attend for your disturbing back pain or obtain a referral from your doctor to a reputable physiotherapy clinic. Your back will thank you for it. Don’t continue to suffer with crippling neck or waist pain; it is not worth it. There is remedy.