HEALTH NEWS YOU CAN USE-Living Well
By: Dr. Robert Neposlan
If a health care professional has recommended bed rest for low back pain or sciatica, you may discover that your pain actually worsens if you follow this advice. Or at best, there may be no change at all in your condition.
Another common treatment includes the use of over-the-counter or prescription pain killers, which may relieve symptoms, but poses serious risks in terms of side effects and a tendency for abuse.
Numerous studies have concluded that the best treatment for back pain is a combination of continued movement and chiropractic care. The results of these research studies include:
- The Manga Report, from the University of Ottawa, Canada, concluded that chiropractic care for low back pain was shown to be more effective in terms of results, cost, and safety than medical management. It also ranked higher in terms of patient satisfaction.
- UK Clinical Standards Advisory Group, in its criticism of traditional back pain treatment in Britain, reported that bed rest could be responsible for more serious long-term problems. It also reported that 95% of those with back pain could be treated by a chiropractor when pain lasted three days or longer.
- US Federal Agency for Health Care that agreed with its UK counterpart, suggesting that acute low back pain could best be treated with mild exercise, such as walking, and that chiropractic adjustments could relieve pain, especially when given within a month of the onset of pain.
- RAND Corporation Study looked at more than 1600 patients with acute low back pain over a two-year period. Its conclusions? That those who received chiropractic care improved considerably faster than those treated with medicine. And pain relief with chiropractic adjustments was faster than with exercise and the use of physiotherapy and pain relievers.
So, the next time you think of going to bed for a few days to ease the pain in your lower back, think again and make an appointment to come in for an evaluation. And let your friends and family know that study after study proves that gentle, all-natural chiropractic care is safe and effective for back pain and many other conditions.
Until next week,
Live Well
Dr. Rob