Do you need a good night’s sleep? Have you been up most of the night because of back pain? You may have insomnia because of your back pain. I personally have treated many patients that were suffering from this problem. I can tell you that I have treated thousands of patients for back pain, and prior to seeing them many had tried everything they could think of to get comfortable. Some patients have told me it had gotten to the point they are literally praying for sleep, because they had their sleep ruined due to back pain.
People who suffer with back pain tend to buy different beds - some very expensive beds. Some patients have tried putting boards under their mattresses, or they sleep on the floor. Many have slept on their couches or were sleeping propped up in their recliners. They try buying different pillows: soft or contour pillows for their necks and firm body-pillows for between their knees. It is sad because they will tell me they have not slept with their spouses in years, because they hurt too much to stay in the bed. These back pain sufferers report they have the “Goldilocks” syndrome, and they actually have tried sleeping in every bed in their house. Nothing helped them for any length of time.
Being a couch potato, improper posture and sitting, leaning and peering at a computer screen can be examples of causes of back pain. Pregnancy, with the extra mid section weight, is another reason. The same problem comes with being overweight. Having to carry a child perched on your hip or continually carrying a heavy purse on the shoulder, or to one side, will cause biomechanical changes and will cause back pain. There can be temporary reasons for back, but it can be a symptom of a more serious problem.
There are temporary reasons for back pain. An example is a pregnant woman. Her back pain can be because of so much extra weight around her mid- section during the day. The same thing can happen from being overweight. Other reasons could be improper carrying to one side, anything from a heavy purse to a child riding on the hip, improper sitting, sitting while leaning and peering at a computer screen. The list goes on, because of our more sedentary lives.
If the pills do not help you, on the next visit when you see your doctor, he or she will probably tell you to go to a physical therapist. If you are still in pain, when you go back to your doctor again, then you may get to have X-rays or MRIs to figure the actual diagnosis and exactly what is wrong. If you are diagnosed with a herniated disc or degenerative disc disease, you may be referred to an orthopedic specialist or a neurologist. At that point, they could recommend having an injection (epidural) which may help short-term: two months, two weeks, two days, or not at all.
Initially, many doctors hesitate to put too much time into diagnosing and just list your pain as “nonspecific” back pain. After the X-rays or MRIs are read, then you find out what your problem is during your next visit to the doctor. Should you have a condition such as a herniated disc or degenerative disc, or others such as spinal stenosis and facet syndrome, you most likely will be scheduled for a visit to a specialist - an orthopedic or a neurologist. At that point, it may be time for a spinal epidural, which most likely will not help for any length of time, or may not help at all. Or, surgery may be recommended.
There may come a point, where your specialist recommends back surgery. Some surgeries are successful - while others are not, and without saying, these patients are extremely disappointed. If you need to continue to take pain medications long-term, then you will be under the care of a pain specialist. At this point, you would have a diagnosis of “failed surgery syndrome”.
Looking for a good night’s sleepthen stop living with back pain#1, click for the facts and the truthabout back surgery#2 and back pain.
Technorati Tags: Back pain, back surgery, chiropractic, degenerative disc, facet syndrome, herniated disc, Insomnia, neck pain, nonsurgical treatment for back pain, Sleep Disorders, spinal decompression, spinal stenosis