Low Back Pain and How Therapy Can Help
Low back pain is the third most common reason for seeking medical treatment, and approximately 80% of Americans at some point experience low back pain. It is caused by degenerative changes during the aging process and can occur from a sedentary lifestyle. Obesity and physically demanding jobs are risk factors for low back pain. Low back pain can be either acute (lasting less than 6 weeks), sub-acute (lasting 6-12 weeks), or chronic (lasting more than 12 weeks).
Common Causes include:
- Injury (i.e., lifting a heavy object or moving suddenly)
- Lack of exercise
- Obesity
- Blood clots
- Tumors
- Abscesses
- Infections (Lyme disease, tuberculosis, or osteomyelitis)
- Atherosclerosis
- Pancreatitis
- Ulcer
- Crohn’s Disease
- Diverticulitis
- Endometriosis
- Prostate Cancer
- Renal neoplasm, stones, or vein thrombosis
- Gallstones
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Reiter’s Syndrome
- Chronic Irritable Bowel Disease
Factors Influencing Pain Perception include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Anger
- Failed medical or surgical treatment
- More than one medical illness
- Substance Abuse
- Personality Disorders
- Family and marital conflicts
- Unemployment
- Job dissatisfaction
- Litigation
- Workers Compensation
- Seeking disability
- Poor coping styles
Activities to Relieve or Prevent Low Back Pain
- Exercise regularly
- Use correct lifting techniques
- Maintain healthy body weight
- Not smoking
- Maintain good posture when standing and sitting
- Avoid sleeping face down
Therapeutic Treatment for Low Back Pain
There are several evidence-based therapies for treating low back pain which include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Existential Therapy, Biofeedback, and Hypnotherapy. Therapeutic treatment provides relaxation training, pacing strategies, cognitive restructuring, psycho-education about pain perception and mental health, improve coping skills, reducing conflict, and improving mood. These therapies along with exercise, weight management, smoking cessation, and other conservative treatments has been shown to be effective for reducing low back pain.
Dr. Rosecrans has specialized training and experience in providing these evidence-based treatments.
Contact our office at (847) 461-8414