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.

Tai Chi or Yoga Ease Back Pain

When talking to your health care provider on what to do about back pain there answers are usually the same. That is because Western cultures rely far too much on anti-inflammatory medications and pain relievers. Perhaps it is time to take a look at other options to strengthen a person's back while diminishing back pain.

Exercise is one of the options that are worth trying. But which one do you choose? Aerobics is too high impact for people with back problems and isometrics are known to cause joint problems. Then there are calisthenics; these are good for your muscles but only help a certain number of muscles so this is not worth doing either. What options does that leave open to you?

It gives you the opportunity to try Tai Chi or Yoga. Tai Chi helps back pain because, despite it also being a marital art, it is designed to enhance the body's resilience, improve flexibility, keep your weight in check and help a person to an easier recovery from injury, all in all a pretty good list of things. One of the reasons that Tai Chi works so well is that it is based on slow movements of the arms, legs and upper body. The person moves slowly, using deep breathing as a technique to help heal. One of the other advantages is that those who are in the process of healing can do this program, even if they are still in pain, because it is not stressful on the body. Tai Chi also encourages better posture through its exercises and we all know that good posture goes a long way to how someone's back feels.

Yoga, which came from Hindu teachings, is not unlike Tai Chi, its designed to help a person restore both body and mind. By doing Yoga exercises you are strengthening your back muscles, improving posture and bring into line the spine. Yoga practitioners believe that if you learn about your body, in this case your back, then you become more able to tune into the area of problems and make them better before they become really bad.

Each one of the many Yoga positions is designed to do something specific. Either to strengthen, stretch or diminish the tension in the area. It also boosts blood flow, which is good for healing sore muscles. One of the benefits of using yoga when your back is painful is that the yoga exercises go a long way to stretching the spine. By doing these exercises the stretching is taking the pressure off of the vertebrae and so alleviating the compression. This will greatly reduce back pain.

The other advantage to using Tai Chi or Yoga is that neither is expensive, they are both good for healing as well as a person's long term health. They are non-invasive and do not require a person to take medication of any kind. Then when the pain is gone either one is still good to keep up for your overall physical wellbeing.

Written by: Scott Parat