What Can I Do About My Backache?

Murray C. Oransky M.S., P.T. Analyze your working environment to determine how it relates to your back and neck pain. Few people realize how important the relationship is between their daily habits and their backpain. The most common mistake is sitting for prolonged periods of time without getting up or doing some type of stretching. Do you have poor posture while sitting in your chair? Do you lean forward, hunching over your desk without using the back support of your chair, making your shoulders rounded and holding your head forward over your sholder. All of these postures increase the strain on the back muscles. Check your chair and make sure it gives adequate support to your low back, without "too much give." Make sure the chair is close enough to the desk to prevent leaning forward. Are supplies on your desk easily reachable? If not, you will do a lot more bending and twisting of your back muscles than necessary.

Also analyze your body mechanics...movements and posture. You may be using your back muscles improperly, or making these common mistakes:

Standing in one position for a prolonged period of time without elevating one leg (resting one foot on a foot stool).
Bending over to pick up something without bending at the hips and knees.
Bending over to pick up something and twisting the back while bending.
Carrying objects too far away from the body.

When doing heavy work, think before lifting

The last two areas to analyze are your flexibility and strength. The back requires proper flexibility for prevention of injury. The back muscles should be stretched daily, along with all muscle groups around both hips, as these muscles connect into the back. To maintain proper muscle tone, strengthening exercises to both back extensors and abdominal muscle groups should be done two to three times weekly. Professional assistance may be needed in these two areas to tailor the exercise to the individual's needs.

In many industries, back injuries are a frequent hazard when employees are unaware of the damage they do when they use the wrong positions in repetitive movements or in lifting. Many employers find it worthwhile for a physical therapist to come into the work setting to analyze the work situation, prescribe an individualized exercise program and train employees so that back injuries are prevented. A great deal can be saved in lost work time and incapacitation.

Physical therapists treat patients with a variety of musculoskeletal and neurological dysfunctions, primarily using specific exercise programs and equipment. The equipment includes Cybex II, electrical stimulation, whirlpool, ultrasound, traction, TENS (Transcutaneous Electical Nerve Stimulator), heat and cold applications. Cybex II increases muscle strength through isokinetic exercise and can be applied to all of the body's major joints. Electrical muscle stimulation is used to increase muscle strength and relieve muscle spasms. Traction alleviates pressure on the nerves as they leave the spinal cord. Ultrasound has been found to be an effective treatment of acute muscle spasms, bursitis and tendonitis. Transcutaneous Nerve Electrical Stimulation (T.E.N.S.) is used for relief of pain syndromes through electrical stimulation at acupuncture locations. The goal of a physical therapy program is to restore normal strength, motion and function to the involved muscles or joints.

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