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.

Support Groups for Back Pain Sufferers

When you feel unwell, no matter what the medical issue is that you are dealing with you can feel very alone. Back pain is no different. Even though eighty percent of all Americans will suffer back pain at some time in their lives, when you feel lousy you feel like you are the only one with the problem. At the doctor's office you may meet others with a similar difficulty but most of them will have no interest in talking to a stranger. This leaves you feeling isolated with a strong urge to communicate with someone who is suffering as you are. Fortunately, there are several good alternatives open to you.

There are often groups who meet to discuss medical issues. These support groups deal with everything from multiple birth pregnancies to AIDS or any of the cancers that one may be fighting. There is a likely one that deals with back pain. Check small local newspapers, community centers or ask your health care provider. Attending these meetings makes your feel less alone while at the same time it is a place that you can exchange ideas on treatments. These groups will likely be filled with those who suffer from chronic back pain. But, you need not be one of them to want to talk to others about dealing with back pain.

Perhaps your back pain is bad enough that you don't want to venture out to one of these places. Or maybe your schedule doesn't permit you to attend. There are always chat rooms that you can visit on the Internet. These will be divided into people who suffer from the same specific back aliment as you do so you can talk to people dealing with exactly the condition you have. You can exchange treatment successes and failures or simply talk about dealing with the down time, the pain and frustration that come with it.

Other chat rooms are designed to discuss the more general topic of the back pain itself. This will be a forum that has many back pain sufferers looking for sympathy from others like them as well as advice. Some may need to blow off steam if they are finding that their family and friends are not giving them the understanding and support they need to deal with the pain. Those who do not suffer the potentially excruciating pain may not understand it, may not even believe in it and this can be a very difficult scenario for the back pain sufferer to have to deal with. That is why these chat rooms can be so helpful. They gives people a chance to air their frustrations, concerns and questions about issues that they must deal with in their daily lives.

Sometimes you will even make friends among the people in a chat room. There are rules of etiquette in these forums that demand proper verbal behavior. The fact that you cannot see whom you are talking to should not prevent you from using good manners.

Written by: Scott Parat