Back and Neck Pain
Back and neck pain are also known as the torturous twins to many patients, myself included. Pain in multiple regions of the
spine
is a horror to endure and often results in full or partial
disability.
Neck and back pain falls into 3 basic categories:Pain that resolves without treatment, pain that requires treatment and pain that is
treatment resistant.
I spent 2 decades of my life suffering with lumbar pain and sciatica. Now, I also have some very serious cervical issues which have caused me an ever-growing variety of neck pain symptoms, as well. I can truly understand the misery of back and neck ache, since I live the nightmare everyday.
Muscular Back and Neck Pain
Many cases of
back pain
or
neck pain
do not require professional medical attention, since they only involve minor injury to the soft tissues. Muscular back pain is the most common type of physical symptomatic condition and will usually resolve on its own.
Back muscle pain
can be very severe, but is rarely serious in its implications. Most cases of back and
neck muscle pain
will involve the areas which work closely together, including the lower neck and upper back muscles. Many patients will also have shoulder or upper arm involvement, as well.
Ice and heat
combined with mild
OTC pain relievers
are usually enough to provide a good healing environment. Studies have proven that patients who do not seek any treatment for common back pain and neck pain demonstrate a faster
recovery
rate and less chance of developing
chronic pain
than patients who do seek medical attention.Even though this is a frightening statistic to be sure, I still recommend getting any serious or chronic pain evaluated by a qualified medical doctor as soon as possible.
Spinal Neck and Back Pain
Spinal sources of pain are usually more significant and may not resolve without professional care. Being that some cervical conditions, such as spinal stenosis, can be dire in their potential effects, it is a must to have any suspected spinal issue diagnosed properly.Some pain syndromes require medical assistance in order to either correct the causative source of pain or to live comfortably with the most severe of symptoms. Some conditions respond better to traditional medicine and some respond well to
complementary
or
alternative
therapies. Regardless of the methods utilized, treatment should progress from conservative to drastic.
Back surgery
options should always be held in reserve as a last resort. Sometimes, it might take a few different therapy modalities or care providers to fully heal a stubborn spinal pain syndrome.
Unresolved Back and Neck Pain
Some neck and back conditions do not heal regardless of the amount of treatments attempted by the patient. Often, these pain syndromes change or move around in response to therapy, but do not disappear. Patients typically begin a downward spiral and wind up controlled by their severe pain. The usual reason for this to occur is a
misdiagnosis
of the actual cause of suffering.The dorsal anatomy is complicated and many structural issues are mistakenly blamed for causing pain when another structural concern is really the source. Disease processes, infectious process and idiopathic contributors can all create back or neck symptoms when the circumstances allow.
Psychosomatic back pain
is another possible explanation for chronic neck and back symptoms. It is also the least likely to be correctly diagnosed by a physician. This type of syndrome can last for many years, or even an entire lifetime, without being correctly diagnosed and treated. It is such a shame, since
knowledge therapy
can work well to resolve these conditions for many patients.
Recommendation on Back and Neck Pain
Do not stress over neck or back pain. Emotional
stress
aggravates all health concerns and can actually help perpetuate the pain. Assess the situation and determine if treatment is needed. Long lasting pain should always be diagnosed by a doctor. If this chronic pain does not heal in the expected time frame with appropriate treatment, consider the possibility that the diagnosis may be erroneous. If all else fails and you are puzzled by treatment-resistant pain, it may be time to consider a mindbody causation. There is no shame or shock in this, since
psychosomatic pain syndromes
are almost universal. The only real variables are the location, severity and duration of the symptoms from person to person.
Back and Neck Pain to Lower Back Pain
4/18/08 Revised 1/16/12
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