This Simple Exercise May Help Prevent Low Back Pain, Study Finds

From prevention.com

It’s accessible to most, too 

• New research finds that walking regularly may help reduce the risk of back pain issues.
• Walking for five days a week, 30 minutes a day was the most effective.
• Most back pain gets better within five days.

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Though nearly 10% of people around the world suffer from low back pain, it can be tricky to find relief. Now, new research suggests that taking up a simple walking habit can help lower the risk that back pain will come back.

A study, published in The Lancet, followed over 700 adults for three years who had recently had low back pain. Half of the adults were assigned to a walking program and given six educational sessions from a physiotherapist over six months; the other half weren’t given any intervention.

The researchers found that people in the walking group had fewer issues with back pain recurring and more time between back pain flares than those in the control group. In general, members of the walking group had about 208 days before they experienced back pain again, while the control group was more likely to have back pain again after 112 days.

The researchers pointed out in the study’s conclusion that a walking program “significantly reduced low back pain recurrence.” They added, “This accessible, scalable, and safe intervention could affect how low back pain is managed.”

“Working in physiotherapy, it’s incredible to see just how prevalent low back pain is,” says lead study author Tash Pocovi, Ph.D., a professor at Macquarie University. “While much work is being done to treat low back pain, we discovered that ‘prevention’ is mostly unchartered territory. … There is a clear need for effective preventive care.”

Meet the experts: Tash Pocovi, Ph.D., a professor at Macquarie University and physiotherapist; Neel Anand, M.D., orthopaedic spine surgeon and director of the Cedars-Sinai Spine Centre in Los Angeles; Nancy R. Kirsch, Ph.D., vice chair of rehabilitation and movement sciences at Rutgers University.

But why might walking help with low back pain, and what should you do if you’re struggling? Doctors break it down.

Why can walking help with low back pain?

When many people experience low back pain, they tend to avoid movement—but a growing body of research finds that it’s actually better to keep moving. One scientific review published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports analysed data from 24 studies and found that physical activity was linked with fewer back pain issues.

But it’s not clear if it’s the walking itself or the activity that’s helpful. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine divided 320 adults into groups that did yoga, physical therapy, or education for chronic low back pain for 12 weeks. The researchers found that people who did yoga and physical therapy were less likely to use back pain medication than those who received education on back pain.

Another study published in the journal Disability and Rehabilitation analysed data from five randomized controlled trials and found that walking and having consistent exercise routines had the same impact on low back pain. “Walking may be a less-expensive alternative to physical exercise in chronic low back pain,” the researchers concluded.

“The benefits of walking could have been from the gentle movements, loading and strengthening of the spinal structures and muscles, the relaxation and stress relief it provides, and the release of feel-good endorphins,” Pocovi says. She points out that the education that walkers received in her study on understanding pain, reducing fear associated with exercise and movement, and having the confidence to manage their pain, also seems to help. “It’s difficult to determine which of these elements contributed most to preventing low back pain, but it’s likely a combination of them,” she says.

Neel Anand, M.D., orthopaedic spine surgeon and director of the Cedars-Sinai Spine Centre in Los Angeles, says walking can definitely help, though. “Contrary to what some might think, staying immobile or being on ‘bed rest’ after the acute phase of a back pain episode might do more harm than good,” he says. “A lack of movement can sometimes cause back pain to hang around longer than it would have if some light exercises were performed.”

Walking is a “great total-body cardiovascular exercise that can be especially helpful for people experiencing back pain episodes,” Dr. Anand says.

How to walk for low back pain

This particular study encouraged people in the walking group to walk five times a week for at least 30 minutes a day, although they built up to it over time. The researchers also personalized the walking program based on a person’s age, body mass index (BMI), activity level, lifestyle, and personal goals. After three months, most in the walking group were walking three to five days a week for about 130 minutes a week.

When patients started having more lower back pain, they were asked to keep walking but to tweak their speed and walking distance.

But Dr. Anand says it’s also important to “be sure not to go too far or for too long if you’re in moderate to severe pain.” It’s also a good idea to make sure that the walking surface is even, without too much uphill or downhill variation, he says.

Ways to treat low back pain

Dr. Anand says there are a few other things you can do to treat low back pain. Those include:

• Strengthening your core muscles to help stabilise your spine.
• Stretching your hamstrings.
• Doing wall sits.
• Trying to lower your stress levels (“Many people tend to carry stress in their muscles,” he explains).
• Working on your posture.
• Getting up and walking around or stretching every half hour or so when you need to sit for longer periods of time.
• Trying to maintain an ideal body weight.
• Minimize junk food in your diet, which can contribute to bodily inflammation, and instead focus on lean protein and vegetables.

When to see a doctor for low back pain

Other research that Pocovi has done found that low back pain tends to get better within five days or so. “This is terrific news, and means that most people’s pain resolves well,” she says. Meaning, you may be OK to just ride things out and see if it gets better on its own.

But if you have pain that lingers for several weeks, is unbearable, is linked to weakness or altered feelings in your lower limbs, or you have symptoms with your lower back pain like problems with bladder and bowel control or unexplained weight loss, Pocovi recommends seeing a doctor.

Also, if you’re regularly struggling with back pain off and on, it’s a good idea to have a “comprehensive evaluation” by a physical therapist, says Nancy R. Kirsch, Ph.D., vice chair of rehabilitation and movement sciences at Rutgers University. They can help look at everything from the impact of your feet and lower extremities on back pain, and come up with an individualized exercise program to help, she says.

“Otherwise, most episodes of low back pain can be appropriately self-managed and don’t require attention from a medical professional,” Pocovi says.

https://www.prevention.com/health/a61235891/walking-low-back-pain-treatment-study/

This One Yoga Asana And Its Variations Can Help You Deal With Sciatica Pain

From thehealthsite.com 

Practising the Pigeon Pose and its variations using a chair can help relieve the pain and manage its symptoms. Find out what all you can do

Sciatica refers to pain, a feeling of numbness and weakness, or tingling in the leg. It is said to be a symptom of a medical problem and not a medical condition in itself. Sciatica can be caused when there is an injury or pressure on the sciatic nerve. Dr Priyank Gupta, a senior consultant joint replacement surgeon at HCG Hospitals, Ahmedabad, had previously told TheHealthsite.com that one of the primary causes of sciatica is a herniated disc -- the soft inner material of a spinal disc supposedly 'leaks out' and irritates the nearby nerve roots. Additionally, it could also be due to spinal stenosis, where there is a narrowing of the spinal canal that puts pressure on the nerves. As such, can yoga offer relief?

According to celebrity yoga and holistic wellness expert Anshuka Parwani -- who keeps sharing doable and easy yoga videos on her social media platform -- sciatica pain originates in the spine and radiates down the back of the leg, along the path of the sciatic nerve. "It affects only one side of the body and can significantly impact your daily activities and quality of life," she said.

The expert took to Instagram to share a series of asanas that can be done with a chair, in order to find relief from sciatica pain. She did mention that while 'various therapies and medications' are suggested as a 'course of treatment', yoga offers a 'holistic approach' to managing and alleviating the pain and discomfort associated with sciatica.

Pigeon Pose And Its Variations

Parwani explained that practising the Pigeon Pose and its variations using a chair can help relieve the pain and manage its symptoms. It benefits include:

• It targets hip flexors and improves the range of motion in the hips.
• It corrects the spinal alignment.
• It strengthens the muscles in the lower vertebrae and legs.
• It improves flexibility in the muscles and tissues around the sciatica nerve.
• It improves blood circulation around the compressed nerve.

The Asanas

Here's how you can do the easy asanas:

1. First take a chair and do the Elevated Pigeon pose. In this, you have to fold one of your legs and place it on the chair as demonstrated in the video. Make sure that the other one is stretched out. Stay in this position for a bit. Balance your leg on the chair. Your lower back and hip muscles are essentially in the air, and your spine is straight.
2. The second asana is a Seated Pigeon Fold pose. Sit on the chair normally and then bring one leg up. Fold it at the knee and place the foot on the other leg's thigh. Now bend forward and touch the floor with your hands to stretch your spine and lower back.
3. The third asana is a Seated Pigeon Hug pose. Sit on the chair and fold one of your legs. Place it on the other leg's thigh and bring that leg up, too, to hug them both, as demonstrated by the expert in the video (link is below).

Practise these asanas daily to notice the difference.

https://www.thehealthsite.com/yoga/this-one-yoga-asana-and-its-variations-can-help-you-deal-with-sciatica-pain-1101223/

Sciatica Treatment

From spine-health.com

Sciatica treatment may include both nonsurgical and surgical methods. Typically, nonsurgical methods are tried first. Surgery for sciatica may be indicated when the underlying cause is severe and/or progressive neurological deficits, such as leg weakness, occur.

It is advisable to treat sciatica as early as possible in order to avoid the progression of symptoms.

Nonsurgical Treatments for Sciatica

First line treatments of sciatica typically include some combination of physical therapy, medications, therapeutic injections, and alternative therapies.

Acute sciatica usually gets better with 4 to 6 weeks of nonsurgical treatment. For chronic sciatica with pain lasting over 8 weeks, treatment time may take longer and may depend on the underlying cause.

Physical Therapy for Sciatica

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Core-strengthening exercises are an integral part of physical therapy for sciatica.

Physical therapy incorporates a combination of strengthening, stretching, and aerobic conditioning and is a central component of almost any sciatica treatment plan. Therapeutic exercises may also be added to a physical therapy program.

The goals of physical therapy and exercises for sciatica include:

• Strengthen the spine and muscles of the lower back, abdomen, buttocks, and hip.
• Increase core strength
• Stretch tight and inflexible muscles, such as hamstrings
• Encourage the exchange of fluids and nutrients in the body by light aerobic exercises such as walking, swimming, or pool therapy

See Sciatica Exercises for Sciatica Pain Relief

While some rest or activity modification may be necessary, it is important to maintain as much activity as possible and avoid prolonged periods of physical inactiveness or bedrest.

Certain exercises to treat sciatica may be specific to the underlying cause. Trained health professionals, such as physiatrists, physical therapists, chiropractors or qualified certified athletic trainers can help formulate an effective treatment plan to relieve sciatica pain through exercise and physical therapy.

4 Steps to Relieve Sciatica Pain Video

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A range of nonsurgical and surgical treatments are available to treat sciatica.

Medication for Sciatica Pain

Both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications may be used to relieve sciatica pain. A few examples of medications used to treat sciatica pain include:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), such as ibuprofen or naproxen
• Oral steroids, such as prednisone
• Anticonvulsant medications, such as gabapentin
• Tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline
• Opioid analgesics, such as tramadol or oxycodone

These drugs are usually taken in order to obtain pain relief and allow the patient to participate in physical therapy. Drugs such as opioid analgesics are generally prescribed for short durations to avoid addiction.

See Opioid Medication Potential Risks and Complications

Chiropractic Treatment for Sciatica

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Chiropractic manipulation may help improve spinal alignment.

Manual manipulation, typically performed by a chiropractor, aims at improving the alignment of the spine. This technique may help address the underlying conditions that can cause sciatic nerve pain, such as herniated discs or spinal stenosis. Manual manipulation can also create a better healing environment and should not be painful.

Massage Therapy for Sciatica Pain

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Deep tissue massages focus on relieving pain in specific trigger points.

Certain forms of massage therapy, such as deep tissue massage, may have benefits for pain relief. The benefits of massage therapy include:

• Improving blood circulation, which in turn creates a better healing response in the body
• Relaxing tight muscles, which may be contributing to the pain
• Releasing endorphins, which are hormones in the body that function as natural pain relievers.

• Lumbar Therapeutic Injections for Sciatica

  Lumbar therapeutic injections may help treat pain stemming from conditions that affect the sciatic nerve.

  Injections are used with the goal of providing enough pain relief to allow the patient to fully participate in, and benefit from a physical therapy program. Injections also serve a function in diagnosing the source of the pain and may be used to identify the target nerves.

  The most common types of injections for sciatic pain relief include:

  Epidural steroid injections

• Epidural steroid injections may help relieve sciatic pain stemming from conditions such as spinal stenosis, disc herniation, or degenerative disc disease. The primary goals of this treatment include:

  • Control the inflammatory response around the sciatic nerve from chemical and mechanical sources of pain, such as a herniated disc or a degenerated disc.
  • Reduce the activity of the immune system to decrease the production of inflammatory cells in the body.

  The steroids injected in the epidural space disperse into the nerve endings and other tissues, dissipating the anti-inflammatory effect throughout the pain-transmitting structures.

• Selective nerve root blocks

  This type of injection is administered near the spinal nerve as it exits the intervertebral foramen (bony opening between adjacent vertebrae). The medication reduces inflammation and numbs the pain transmitted by the nerve. Selective nerve root blocks may be given on one or more nerve roots from L4 to S3 to control sciatica pain.

  For most therapeutic injections, results vary widely. Some people may experience immediate and sustained pain relief, some may have pain relief for only a few weeks or months, and some may experience no pain relief at all.

  The above list of potential treatments is by no means exhaustive. For anyone experiencing sciatica pain, it is advisable to consult a qualified medical professional for treatment. As a general rule, if nonsurgical methods fail to provide relief after 6 to 8 weeks of treatment or if neurologic deficits (such as leg weakness) increase, surgery may be considered.

• https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/sciatica/sciatica-treatment