Back Pain Archive

Chronic pain in the muscles and joints can make life miserable. Standard treatments like ice and heat, anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, and appropriate exercises can often ease the pain. But when they don’t, acupuncture is an option with a good track record that’s worth considering. Research from an international team of experts adds to the evidence that it does provide real relief from common forms of pain. The team pooled the results of 29 studies involving nearly 18,000 participants. Overall, acupuncture relieved pain by about 50%. The study isn’t the last word on the issue, but it is one of the best quality studies to date and has made an impression. For new pain, an acupuncturist should not always be the first stop. It’s important to get a clear diagnosis of what is causing the pain to rule out serious medical conditions that should be treated right away—and then seek out acupuncture if appropriate.

Relieving pain in your knees, hips, and back may begin with your feet.

Harvard researchers develop a tool to improve decision-making.

Treatment for a herniated disc—the rupture of one of the cushions between the bones of your spine—can range from physical therapy to pain-relieving injections to surgery. But when you and your physician decide on a treatment plan, are you well informed about its possible effect on your quality of life down the road? "It's a big problem if patients don't know what the disease is and what their options are. Research shows that if we did a better job of informing and engaging patients, there would likely be fewer major surgeries," says Dr. Karen Sepucha, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Many exercise programs these days spotlight the ever-present abs (abdominal muscles) but pay little attention to the other muscles that form the body’s core. Yet building up all of your core muscles is essential for staying strong and flexible and improving performance in almost any sport. It’s also vital for sidestepping debilitating back pain. Your core includes your back, side, pelvic, and buttock muscles, as well as the abdominal muscles. The core forms a sturdy central link between your upper and lower body. Much like the trunk of a tree, core muscles need to be strong yet flexible. A strong, flexible core underpins almost everything you do, from everyday actions like bending to put on shoes to on-the-job tasks, sports and sexual activity, and more. A strong core can also help you keep your back healthy or recover from back pain. It’s unwise to aim all your efforts at developing rippling abs. Overtraining abdominal muscles while snubbing muscles of the back and hip can set you up for injuries and cut athletic prowess.

For all too many people, using a tablet computer is a pain in the neck, shoulders, and back. Why? Widely popular tablets like the iPad, Nook, Kindle Fire, and Xoom are so light and easy to handle that you can hold one on your lap or in your hand. That can put you in a position that’s bad for your neck, shoulders, and back. In a study of 15 experienced tablet users, Harvard School of Public Health researchers found that working with a tablet held on the lap or placed flat on a table makes the neck bend much more than does working with a desktop or notebook computer. Neck-wise, the best tablet orientation was having it propped up on a table. Next time you expect to be working with a tablet computer for more than a few minutes, place it on a table and use a case that holds it at a comfortable viewing angle. Shift your hands, your weight, or even stand up when you can. And take a break every 15 minutes.

If you have back pain, bed rest can be useful, especially if you are in severe pain while sitting and standing. But it's best to limit bed rest during the day to a few hours at a time, for no more than a couple of days. That's because too much time in bed can do more harm than good.

If you need to be horizontal, lie down on a bed or sofa, in any comfortable position. To ease the strain on your back, try putting pillows under your head and between your knees when lying on your side, under your knees when lying on your back, or under your hips when lying on your stomach. These positions reduce the forces that sitting or standing impose on the back — especially on the disks, ligaments, and muscles.

Strengthening your core muscles can also help.

You may worry about your heart or diabetes if you're packing on a few extra pounds. But a new study finds that extra weight also contributes to disc degeneration in your spine, particularly in the lumbar region.

In the study, published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, researchers studied more than 2,500 adults and found that disc degeneration tended to be more common, more severe, and more extensive among overweight or obese participants.

A new series of books is bringing readers the kind of inspirational stories that have made Chicken Soup for the Soul books international bestsellers plus with trusted health advice from Harvard Medical School. The combination of stories providing hope, inspiration, and great person-to-person advice plus straight talk and life-changing medical information from Harvard doctors will help readers live healthier, more satisfying lives. Each book focuses on a single topic. The first four will be available beginning May 22, 2012. They are Chicken Soup for the Soul: Boost Your Brain Power! by top neurologist Dr. Marie Pasinski; Chicken Soup for the Soul: Say Goodbye to Back Pain! by leading physical medicine expert Dr. Julie Silver; Chicken Soup for the Soul: Say Goodbye to Stress! by noted psychologist Dr. Jeff Brown; and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Say Hello to a Better Body! by respected internist Dr. Suzanne Koven.

Most of us experience neck pain at some point in our lives. It can result from an injury or a condition such as cancer or infection, but the most common cause is overuse or misuse of muscles and ligaments. Today's computer-dominated workplace is especially tough on necks, because we sit so long with our shoulders slumped and heads extended toward monitors. People often recover from an episode of neck pain within a year, but relapses are common, and pain may come and go indefinitely.

There are many ways to treat neck pain, including spinal manipulation (for example, spinal or chiropractic adjustment), medications, exercise, massage, acupuncture, and electrotherapy. Despite considerable study of these treatments, results so far have been inconsistent and difficult to compare, and the quality of research has been uneven. Now, a randomized trial comparing three of these therapies has found that spinal manipulation and simple exercises performed at home are more effective than analgesic medications in relieving neck pain. Results were published in the Jan. 3, 2012, issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. Funding for the trial came from the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Low back pain has many different causes, including the normal wear and tear that comes with aging. While you can't turn back the clock or prevent every type of painful back disorder, in most cases there are things you can do to help keep your back healthy.

1. Stay fit

Weak back and abdominal muscles — due to deconditioning or age — cause or exacerbate many cases of low back pain. That's why stretching and strengthening both your back and abdominal muscles is important not only for treating low back pain, but also for helping to prevent a recurrence of the problem.