Causes of Back Pain: The Two Most Forgotten Ones

Chronic back pain is a very common health issues among the adult population, affecting almost 80 per cent of them. However, medicine cannot always explain the causes of back pain and oftentimes, doctors are at a loss trying to explain why back pain occurs. Of course, it is easier to put the blame to poor posture and sedentary lifestyle, which we all know as major causes of back pain. However, there are other causes we often forget and overlook and these are often masked by the standard response to back pain.

Infection As One Causes of Back Pain

Chronic back pain may be caused by something deeper and far more troubling than our posture habit. It can be caused by an infection that can only be treated with antibiotics. Patients, particularly those who suffered from herniated disc have high risks of developing infections around the disc, resulting in prolonged back pain.

Researchers from the Spine Centre in Denmark have put 162 back pain patients under study to prove or disprove this claim. Half of the sufferers were given antibiotics for 100 days and the other half were given placebo or sugar pill. At the end of the study, those patients who took antibiotics reported improvement in their back and mobility compared to the other half. Not only that! Their MRI scans also showed that the swelling of the bones has also significantly shrunk. According to a rheumatologist, Claus Manniche – who also took part in the research – “our studies show at least 40 per cent of the herniated patients lying on the operating table are infected with P. acnes bacteria. It is possible that early intervention with antibiotics may prevent the infection from becoming chronic pain.” The Propionibacterium acnes bacteria or just simply P. acnes bacteria are the ones causing infection around the herniated disc.

Surgery vs. Antibiotics

A consultant neurospinal surgeon from the Institute of Sports Exercise and Health, Peter Hamlyn, has cured tons of back pain patients and choosing between conducting back surgeries and administering antibiotic, he’d choose the latter. However, Hamlyn emphasizes on antibiotic therapies and its proper administration. There are a couple of concerns, though, surrounding the use of antibiotics.

One, health consultants may recommend antibiotic therapy for any type of back problems, especially when other medical tools are not so effective. Antibiotics, according to Hamlyn, should only be reserved for patients with herniated disc.

Two, antibiotics come with their own set of side effects, so prolonged use may cause other health problems. Some back pain sufferers who underwent antibiotic therapy had dropped out of the study due to gastrointestinal side effects and GI problem is just one of the many side effects of antibiotics. The good news is that there are natural remedies to replace antibiotics and we are going to discuss these later in the article.

Stress As One Causes of Back Pain

Stress is probably the most neglected causes of back pain; hence the least treated symptom of all. And since chronic back pain is a complex issue, it also involves psychological problems, including stress and anxiety.

Stress aggravates, if not worsens, muscle tension around the spine. When tension occurs, it causes lactic acid and other waste products to accumulate in the muscles. Chronic stress subjects the back to chronic pain as well.

Fighting Off Infection and Stress Naturally

At OHM, we always recommend natural therapy as the healthiest, more affordable and more sustainable approach to healing and we’d love to share our knowledge and gen of natural medicine.

General Treatment for Infections

• First of all, to address any type of infection, you have to have a healthy body. That means you need to eliminate foods that can trigger the bacteria to multiply like refined foods, alcohol, meat, caffeine and dairy.
• Eat foods or take supplements that have natural antibiotics such as probiotic supplements, oregano oil, and garlic.
• Drinking hot or warm water or tea is recommended over iced water or processed juices.
• Strengthen your immune system with zinc, beta-carotene and vitamin C.
• Garlic oil foot massage is also a natural treatment for infections
• Make sure you have the right amount of magnesium, best way to test is to actually get magnesium and see how you are getting on with it.

General Treatment for Stress

• Detoxify your body and relax your back with sauna and steam bath.
• Relaxation therapies do wonder. Never underestimate the power of meditation, biofeedback, hypnosis, and cognitive behavioural therapy as effective modals to relax the body and release toxins out of the system. Mind and body connection is just as essential as a proper diet. In fact, 3 Japanese researchers took back-pain sufferers to an amusement park to study the impact of relaxation and having fun with the body. Before the sufferers were brought to the park, their stress level was first tested through salivary tests and visual analogue. After 3 hours in the amusement park, the stress level of the sufferers was measured for the second, third and fourth time and a dramatic reduction in their stress levels was visible. What happened is that the back pain sufferers were able to forego their pain while having fun.
• Yoga will always be your ally to de-stressing your mind and body. If you aren’t into yoga yet, try taking a weekly session for 12 straight weeks and see the difference in your flexibility and mobility.