by Elena Meli
There are many possible causes of this disorder. But there are criteria that help understand how to deal with it in the right way. The Corriere Salute Guide on newsstands on November 14th
A woman, often middle-aged, often overweight or a smoker: this is the identikit of those who suffer most often from back pain, which emerged from a large study published recently in The Lancet Rheumatology. Starting from the research data Global Burden of Diseasein which the mortality, frequency and impact of various pathologies in most countries of the world are gradually updated, researchers have traced the picture of low back pain and hypothesized the scenarios of the near future, underlining that today it is already one of the most widespread everywhere but which will explode by 2050: by then over 840 million people are expected to suffer from back pain, with an increase especially in Asia and Africa.
One of the major causes of disability
Back pain is already one of the major causes of disability and a third of cases depend on at least partially modifiable factors connected to the type of employment, overweight, smoking habits, however not enough is being done for prevention nor is there sufficient information. on how to treat patients, as study coordinator Manuela Ferreira of the University of Sydney points out:
For example, in most of the current guidelines there are no recommendations dedicated to how to manage back pain in the elderly, who are the largest proportion of patients: they are often prescribed “heavier” drugs than younger people, but analgesics Potential drugs can have a negative impact on the functionality or quality of life of older adults and also interfere with other medicines they often take. Greater attention is needed in the management of back pain, because for example research has shown that the effectiveness of some interventions commonly considered useful is still unknown or under discussion.
The various therapeutic options: laser, Tens, muscle stimulation
the case for example of laser, TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) and electrical muscle stimulation for the treatment of acute back pain which however, being in the majority of cases a non-worrying disorder, can also be addressed with non-pharmacological therapies such as these or such as the application of heat on the painful area, or, again, with treatments that include acupuncture, whose pain-relieving action could avoid drugs in some patients, or the manipulations of chiropractic treatments (which involve more abrupt mobilizations) or osteopathic treatments ( with gentler mobilizations).
Osteopathy, chiropractic, massage and acupuncture
Osteopathy, chiropractic, massage and acupuncture have a subjective effectiveness that depends on many factors, including the patient’s collaboration and his ability to “let go” and relax in the hands of the therapist; Precisely for this reason not everyone is the right candidate for passive techniques, specifies Paolo Grossi, former director of the Complex Anesthesia and Resuscitation and Pain Therapy Structure of the Pini Orthopedic Traumatological Center – CTO of Milan. These methods take away the pain, but the effect does not last over time and if they are not associated with other therapies they can increase the risk of relapses, also reducing their effectiveness as time passes: manipulations for example are useful for 2-3 sessions with which to resolve the acute situation, then you need to move actively with tailor-made exercises.
There is little doubt, in fact, that moving is the best way to prevent, but also to treat back pain. Only during the most acute phases of pain is absolute rest recommended, but then it is best to try to resume daily activities as soon as possible. Back pain must be treated with specific exercises, regular physical activity and learning to manage everyday life, without ever stopping, concludes Grossi.
The Corriere Salute Guide
What are witch’s stroke or cervical? How is a herniated disc managed? Can children have back pain? These and other questions on what causes back pain and how it should be managed can be answered in the Corriere Salute guide Back pain, everything you need to know, on newsstands for free with the newspaper on 14 November: written in collaboration with Paolo Grossi, former director of the Complex Anesthesia and Resuscitation and Pain Therapy Center of the Pini Orthopedic Center – Cto of Milan, in 50 questions and answers a useful tool for obtaining information on how to prevent and manage back pain starting from the simplest habits, discovering also which specialists to turn to, useful (and useless) tests, possible treatments. Also dispelling some false beliefs, from absolute rest that would make the pain go away to running that is dangerous for the spine.
November 13, 2023 (modified November 13, 2023 | 08:11)
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