Most of us will suffer from some form of back pain at some point in our lives. However, only a few of us actually take it seriously at the onset of discomfort or when it begins to adversely affect our daily lives. It has been found in research that few people seek medical help for back pain despite such a majority of people actually suffering because of back pain.

For the majority of back pain sufferers the cure is a mixture of pain relief through drugs, physiotherapy, and regular physical exercise. This combination of treatment can be managed without medical intervention. Only a handful of people consider this form of treatment. If self-management is so effective, then why is this back pain treatment avoided by many Americans?

Back Pain Treatment Avoided By Many Americans

Studies Show That Back Pain Treatment Is Avoided By Many Americans

Who hasn’t suffered from low back pain some time in their life? It’s one of the most common medical problems, but a lot of us apparently don’t seek professional help to handle it.

 

That’s what the American Physical Therapy Association found in a survey of more than 2,600 people age 18 and older. According to the recent poll, nearly two-thirds of Americans experience low back pain, but 37 percent don’t seek professional help for pain relief.

 

Many people don’t realize they can prevent or treat low back pain with the help of a physical therapist, said association spokeswoman Mary Ann Wilmarth, chief of physical therapy at Harvard University.

 

The association’s physical therapists advise staying as active as possible and sticking to a normal routine, since bed rest for longer than a day can slow down recovery.

 

Most pain isn’t serious, but caused by overuse, strain or injury. Rarely is it due to serious conditions, such as a herniated disc or osteoarthritis.

 

Highlights from the survey include:

 

» A total of 39 percent of adults say low back pain has affected their ability to engage in tasks of daily living, while 38 percent said it has affected exercise, and 37 percent said it has bothered sleep.

 

» Low back pain isn’t just common for those who spend a lot of time on their feet. More than half (54 percent) who have the pain spend the majority of their workdays sitting.

 

» Men (31 percent) are more likely than women (20 percent) to report low back pain affects their ability to work.

 

» Nearly three in four Americans (72 percent) use pain medication as a way to relieve symptoms. More than half (55 percent) said they use heat and cold packs at home.

 

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All healthcare providers and fitness experts suggest that we should be more physically active.  This even applies if we experience mild levels of pain because this is the most helpful treatment that anybody can do for themselves. Back pain is sometimes not as severe or as serious as patients like to think that it is. Back pain is often caused by an injury or a sprain due to an accident or over activity that the body has not been prepared for. Only on a few occasions can back pain become serious due to a slipped disc, a fracture, or arthritis. But this is not very common among patients suffering from back pain. A much lower percentage of people are affected by short bouts of acute back pain, and many can continue their daily physical activity.

Many also find that the pain does not adversely affect their sleep. People who are active or on their feet get fewer problems associated with back pain than people who work in a sitting position for significant periods of the day. However, when any of us get back pain, we tend to try over-the-counter medication and wait before seeking medical help, or we wait until it gets worse. The back pain treatment avoided by many Americans is normally due to cost, and time . So, most people do not try over-the-counter medication for pain relief, but they might try hot or cold packs on the affected areas instead.

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