Natural Treatments For Back Pain To Try Before Agreeing To Surgery

It happens to most of us at some point. You bend down to lift something. It doesnt even have to be heavy. As you take the strain, suddenly you feel as though you have been stabbed in the lower back with a red-hot sword.

Unable to move you gasp with pain. No position is comfortable, but you shuffle to the nearest chair to see if taking the weight off your feet will help. Youve just become the latest victim of lower back pain a condition that is estimated to affect up to 80 per cent of us at some time in our lives (Spine 1998;23:1860-6).

Your spine is a well-balanced support structure, which should give you little if any trouble, if looked after properly. But most of us abuse our spines through poor posture, lack of exercise (which leads to poor muscle tone), or letting the weight creep on.

Fortunately, lower back pain normally clears up quickly in most cases, but for others it can develop into a chronic condition. If you have back pain that doesnt get better after a few weeks, you should see your doctor to rule out the possibility of serious conditions like nerve damage, arthritis, osteoporosis, kidney disease or a spinal tumour.

Make sure you dont end up trading one set of problems for another

Painkillers are usually the first port of call for most people when back pain strikes, but they can cause a range of adverse effects. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen are usually tried first, but if these fail to bring relief, steroid creams or injections may be prescribed.

NSAIDs may numb the pain, but they can act as an irritant to the digestive system so much so that doctors may prescribe an anti-ulcer drug alongside them, which increases the risk of even more side effects like dizziness, headaches and diarrhoea.

More worryingly, NSAIDs actually sabotage your bodys own healing efforts by accelerating arthritic degeneration. The news doesnt get any better, steroid drugs are even worse, with a list of documented side effects that just goes on and on, including mood changes, acne, peptic ulcers, immune suppression, raised blood pressure, diabetes and osteoporosis (British Medical Association New Guide to Medicines and Drugs, 2001).

Surgery can help in severe cases, but not only are many operations carried out unnecessarily, they may leave you worse off than before. Not only may you still have pain, but you may also lose the full mobility of your spine. So, dont rush into surgery, and if youre not completely happy about the reason for needing an operation, ask for a second opinion before agreeing to it.

Contrary to popular belief, staying in bed can make your back pain worse

Although resting your back may seem like the logical solution, dont be tempted to lie in bed all day. Instead, try and stay active and carry on as normally as possible, while taking care not to aggravate the problem. Studies have found that supervised exercise programmes can significantly reduce lower back pain (Spine 1998; 23: 2616-24), while bed rest may actually delay recovery (Lancet 1999; 354: 1229-33).

Physical therapies such as osteopathy and physiotherapy can help to relieve muscle tension and reduce pain. Acupuncture has also been shown to be an effective treatment in controlled clinical trials, it significantly reduced pain and improved mobility when compared with placebo treatment (fake acupuncture) (Ann R Coll Surg Eng 1983; 65: 44-6). However, a more recent study has found that therapeutic massage is even better than acupuncture as a long-term solution to chronic low back pain (Arch Intern Med 2001: 161: 1081-8). Visit www.massagetherapy.co.uk to find a therapist who is qualified in therapeutic or remedial massage.

Devils claw means you neednt suffer unnecessarily any longer

Devils claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) a strange-looking plant with fruits resembling huge claws has brought welcome relief to millions of sufferers of lower back pain.

Two separate clinical trials in Germany found that lower back pain patients who took devils claw extract experienced significantly less pain, muscle spasm and muscle tenderness, compared with those who took a placebo (Schmerz 2001; 15: 10-18. Eur J Anaesthesiol. 1999; 16(2): 118-29).

A more recent randomised, double-blind pilot study compared the effects of devils claw extract and the conventional drug Vioxx on acute back pain. Over six weeks, 88 patients received either devils claw extract (containing 60mg harpagoside) or Vioxx (12.5mg). Twenty-three per cent of the patients taking devils claw reported no pain for at least five days of the final week of treatment. Only 13.8 per cent of the drug patients reported the same result. There were no significant differences between the two treatments, so the study concluded that devils claw extract worked just as well as the COX-2 inhibitor (Rheumatology (Oxford) 2003; 42(1): 141-148).

Take 600mg to 900mg of devils claw extract daily. This herb is not recommended if you have a peptic ulcer, as it can increase acid production.

39% of low back pain patients completely pain free after just 4 weeks

The bark of the white willow (Salix alba) contains a compound called salicylic acid. Aspirin (acetyl salicylic acid) is a synthetic form of this chemical. Taking a supplement of white willow bark can provide all the pain-relieving benefit of aspirin without the drugs notorious side effect of stomach irritation.

In a placebo-controlled trial carried out in Israel, 210 patients with low back pain took either high dose white willow bark extract, a low dose extract or placebo, for four weeks. At the end of the trial, 39 per cent of the high dose group was free from pain, compared with 21 per cent of the low dose group and six per cent of the group taking placebo (Am J Med 2000; 109(1): 9-14). Take 100mg to 250mg of white willow bark extract (standardised to 15 per cent salicin) a day.