BACK PAIN SURVEY OF TREATMENT SATISFACTION

A national, SpineUniverse survey of patient satisfaction with a range of back pain treatments yielded interesting results. Herbal remedies, over the counter pain medications, and acupuncture produced the greatest patient disatisfaction. Prescription pain medication, massage, exercise, and weight loss produced the greatest patient satisfaction. Less than half of the patients who underwent spine surgery were satisfied with the outcome of their surgery. If you are considering spine surgery, you may want to reread that last sentence. It is interesting to note that prescription pain medication and massage are treatments that are done to you. You have no real control over the outcome. Exercise and weight loss, both behavioral strategies are treatments that you do to and for you. You have complete control over them - but they are more work for you. You don't get to just passively lie there and be worked on. They are free, painless, and available to everybody. They also make every other treatment more effective. To read about the complete survey, go to:


http://www.spineuniverse.com/article/back-pain-3167.html

BACK SPASMS AND PAIN CONTROL

I had another back spasm earlier this week. The first in several years. It happened while I was typing an article about back pain. I don't care what Freud would say. My back locked up and I could hardly move. I'd say 8-9/10 pain. This time I laid on the floor and did the neutral spine exercise (Tim's Trick). The spasm eased in a minute or two but I stayed where I was for a half hour. I was left with the familiar, hot stiff ache that lasts for a few days to a few weeks.
I remembered:

How hard it is not to walk like the tin man
How serious I can get when I hurt
How much I avoid any jerky movements
How difficult it is to stand perfectly straight
How painful it can be to drive
How much I have to vary my activities
How to roll out of bed on my stomache - and how weird it looks
How easy it would be to take time off work

I'm mostly back to baseline aches and pains - my normal. I feel truly blessed that my spasms are infrequent. I have patients who go through this a couple times a week. That's a hard life. Perspective.

Good light,

Dr. Tim