What is Back Pain?

Acute or short-term low back pain generally lasts from a few days to a few weeks. Most acute back pain is the result of trauma to the lower back or a disorder such as arthritis. Pain from trauma may be caused by a sports injury, work around the house or in the garden, or a sudden jolt such as a car accident or other stress on spinal bones and tissues. Symptoms may range from muscle ache to shooting or stabbing pain, limited flexibility and range of motion, or an inability to stand straight. Chronic back pain is pain that persists for more than 3 months. It is often progressive and the cause can be difficult to determine.

Currently, researchers are examining the use of different drugs to effectively treat back pain, in particular, chronic pain that has lasted at least 6 months. Other studies are comparing different health care approaches to the management of acute low back pain (standard care versus chiropractic, acupuncture, or massage therapy). These studies are measuring symptom relief, restoration of function, and patient satisfaction.

New Mother's Need to Learn How to Avoid Back Pain

We all know how back pain can affect the pregnant woman. This is because of the growing uterus and usually is at its worst in the third trimester. Nonetheless within a couple of weeks of delivery the pain will have subsided. It can be replaced easily by a different kind of back pain, one that is caused by the daily lifting of the new baby. No matter how much any new mom delights in her new baby she must understand that there are things to learn to enhance her comfort and prevent the prospect of further back problems that can lead to back pain.

When a woman first brings home her infant that child will weigh between seven and nine pounds on average. If you think about how many times the baby is picked up in a day it is quite staggering. Each time there is a feeding the baby is brought out of the bassinette or crib, diapers are changed before the baby is fed, diapers are changed again after, there is play time, going in the stroller or the car seat, into and out of cribs for each feeding, cuddling time and back to bed. The average infant is lifted upwards of fifty times daily. By the end of the first year the baby's weight has doubled and by the end of the second year tripled from that tiny infant that was first brought home. The number of times the child is lifted is reduced but the increased weight makes up for it.

To avoid this prospect of further back pain new mothers need only follow a few common sense tips and they will see that they can enjoy their little bundles of joy with increased pleasure and decreased pain. First, unless you had a caesarian section, you should try to begin even a light exercise program as soon as you can. Restoring muscle tone and flexibility will help greatly when lifting your baby. You should be able to see a quick return to your pre-pregnancy weight. Less than two months is a recommended goal.

If you have chosen to breastfeed your baby bring baby to you do not bend over to feed the baby. Sit up straight while nursing and have good back support. When you're getting the baby out of the crib don't lift the child over the bars. Slide the side down and then bring the baby out of the crib. If you are going to use a baby carrier try to use the ones that hang on the front. When it is time to put your baby into the car seat don't try to do it by putting baby in while you remain outside of the car. Kneel on the seat beside the car seat and put baby in that way. While baby sleeps try a few stretching exercise a couple of times a day. Do not do this for more then ten minutes at a time as that is all you will need.

Written by: Scott Parat