They say back pain affects 80pc of the population at some point in their lives. Mine, started in my late 20s with extremely debilitating low back pain. Treatment in the first years consisted of physiotherapy and manipulation by an osteopath and chiropractor but eventually surgery was the only option.
Another three spinal surgeries followed the first one, then physiotherapy and then eventually I was put under a pain consultant for long term care. The pain consultant soon made me realise that there were many other options to surgery and I decided I wanted to try everyone of them. The question was which one to try first.
I decided to go down the holistic route first and had acupuncture, then massage, then reflexology. They all seem to help for short periods of time but none were a permanent fix. When I first started at the pain clinic, massage and acupuncture were done through the NHS, now all this has stopped.
Every week in the daily papers I read about another treatment for back pain from botox injections, epidurals, trigger points, heat therapy, light therapy and the list goes on and on.
There are also a number of products that you can buy to help with the pain from heat pads, tens machines and special cushions and mattresses. With so much to choose from and most of it being quite expensive to fund, it is no surprise that most people just stick to taking medication.
But medication has it’s own problems with long term usage. From stomach problems, bowel problems and addiction to name a few. All of this makes it very hard for someone who is suffering from chronic pain to decide which route to go down. Support groups can be helpful but there are not that many just for ‘back pain’ sufferers.
BACK PAIN BLOG UK... 
I guess you have to find the one that suits you the best, and stick with it. Weight also affects your back. I’m overweight and would help my situation, but losing weight is not that easy. In a few years nature will do it for me.
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I’ve lost a stone since last summer and hope to lose another stone throughout this year, I’m not in a rush but need less pain relief when I’m lighter and now I have a goal to get to Australia!!! so the lighter the better for those sort of long flights.
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There are already supplements or products that are suited for back pains but we should consider that is recommended and guaranteed to use by our doctors.
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Oh yes most definitely, I advice all the time that you take nor do anything unless your GP has advised it, its to dangerous to mess with backs. Thanks for passing though 🙂
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I have sometimes worried that I could experience some back pain later in my life, due to the sports I played and other activities. Back pain clinical studies have often shown that acupuncture can be very beneficial for this condition. As hesitant as I may be about acupuncture, I would be willing to take part to improve my back’s condition.
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Well I can understand the pain I had my L5-S1 disc herniated and had to have 20% of it shaved down so I could walk again. However, I had about 5 years after the surgery where I still had residual pain and numbness down my right leg and foot.
What I have learned that is that everyone’s pain is different and it affects them differently due to where the nerves are affected.
Like you I have tried many different products but it always seemed that the chiropractor, stretching, and exercising seem to do the most for me. You have to find the right product(s) that works for you. Fortunately there so many more options than there were 20 years ago. Just keep moving and strengthening your back.
Greg Cowart
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Hi Greg, I agree with you about everyone’s pain being different, even today I cannot understand how some people just seem to suffer the ‘pain’ without doing something about it that might help. I do think its a shame that Acupuncture is no longer available on the NHS as I did think that helped me for a while 🙂
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I would say that one thing people might overlook when it comes to back pain causes is the stress that they may be dealing with. High levels of stress are a leading cause of episodic back pain, and you can find some significant relief by incorporating some basic breathing and relaxation exercises into your daily routine.
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Call me old fashioned, but I can still get by with some Tylenol if I am dealing with any uncomfortable back pain. My father, on the other hand, suffered a herniated disk not too long ago, and he took some form of clinical steroid which helped him recover incredibly quickly.
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There is so much choice Robert I think it’s a case of trying different pain relief and finding the one that suits you best.
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