According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, 9 out of 10 adults (that's people over the age of 18) will experience back pain at some point in their lives, and 5 out of 10 working adults have back pain EVERY year .
A study published by Spine.com in 2004, estimated that 1998 US health care expenditures for back pain sufferers were a staggering $90.7 billion !
That same study (by Spine) noted that, on average, people who suffer from back pain spend one-and-a-half times more on healthcare costs than those who do not suffer from back pain--with the lion's share of $$ spent going to prescription drugs (like anti-inflammatory and pain killers) and hospital stay.
Yet less than 10 percent of back pain sufferers will need to undergo surgery as a result of their pain.
What that means is that, Soynut butter with the dozens of issues that can cause back pain, very few need to be treated by invasive means. And if you've ever considered the cumulative affect of anti-inflammatory and pain medication on your body--especially the lining of your stomach, your liver and kidneys--you might do yourself a service by finding an alternative to "traditional" US back pain treatment (I say "traditional US treatment" because, in other parts of the world, the idea of taking drugs and having invasive surgery on your back is a last resort).
". . . .healing is a system wide event. Local problems are not local."
-- Jan Sultan, Rolfer
Back pain can be caused by a sudden "trauma" (some sort of impact or sudden pull on your back) that results in strained muscles, pinched nerves, etc. and ultimately can cause anything from a steady, throbbing pain in you back (upper or lower) to a sharp, burning tear. But back pain can also come from tension, repressed anger, poor ergonomics and even depression.
The point of the matter is this. Your back is at the core of your body. In many ways, it is the junction of your body, where all things connect and interconnect. So when you are angry or frustrated over an ongoing problem with your boss, for example, you may begin to tense up and crane your head and neck forward every time you see him or get a phone call from him. When you go home at night and recount the latest problem with your boss, you may very well feel that same burning anger in your stomach and tension in your neck and back.
This happens again and again with every passing day, every tense evening.
Then one day, you are just bending over to pick up a piece of paper and you feel a sharp burn between your shoulder blades, and then terrible spasms up and down your spine. While you're wincing in pain, you wonder, 'How can something as harmless as picking up a piece of paper throw my back out?'
Of course it didn't, in essence your boss did, or rather your emotional and physical reaction to him did.
It's not over yet.
You may be thinking that because you understand that feelings can create back pain, all you need to do to fix it is stop getting angry, get a nice, quick massage and you're on your way.
Unfortunately, as with most adult problems, the answers are more complicated than that. Or rather they are simple if you face them, and get help where you need it. From a body standpoint, what we know as Structural Integration therapists is that, when one part of the body is hurt or damaged, it creates tension and imbalance in another. So those back spasms that began as anger-induced tension, will cause you to hunch over and hold your head in a strange, unnatural position in order to ease the pain. That will put more pressure on your low back and, if left untreated, could affect other parts of the body like your sciatic nerve or even your knees.
Getting Help - Dealing with Causes
There is long-term help and short-term pain relief available. When you visit my office, the first thing I (or any SI practitioner) will do is relieve the pain in your back. That done, though, you and I will talk about the events in your life that led up to the sudden and painful strain. The events may be purely physical (like playing a game of softball at the age of 51 without warming up or stretching) or they may be emotional (as with the example above).
Once I know the root of the problem, I will be able to treat the correct body sections to relieve your pain and create ease in your body. Using a 10-session approach, I methodically unwrap painful layers that have built one upon the other.
By the end of the sessions, movement and fluidity will be restored throughout your body. It is almost a guarantee that you will rediscover a range of motion you'd forgotten you had. And as those layers and physical limitations are dealt with, you will find it easier to deal with the issues that are at the root of the pain.
I�m Joe Ackerman a Rolf Structural Integrator trained through the CORE Institute and owner of Core Structural Therapy. I am a professional member of the International Association Of Structural Integrators, the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professional organization and certified by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork Professionals. I have obtained several advanced certifications in Orthopedic Massage and Rolf Structural Integration.
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