People who follow medical advice recover more quickly from back pain and have fewer recurrences. Surgery should be used only after other methods of dealing with back pain have failed. In addition to mainstream medical practitioners, acupuncturists and chiropractors can offer significant help to those suffering from back and neck pain. The Alexander technique may be useful in maintaining rehabilitation after an injury. First aid measures taken immediately after an injury can prevent inflammation and reduce pain. To prevent reinjury, athletes need to remember to rest, not to overtrain, and to perform stretches correctly. Eating a nutritious diet speeds up the healing process.
A nonmedical method of coping with back pain is participation in yoga, exercises that use the strengthening and stretching of muscles, ligaments, and tendons crucial to long-term rehabilitation. Despite yoga’s helpfulness in alleviating back pain, inexperienced participants should be warned that engaging in yoga while experiencing pain can complicate back problems further. People interested in yoga should find a qualified instructor; the personal touch here is much superior to an instructional video.
Although massage therapists trained in Swedish massage may offer immediate relief and pleasure, they usually are not trained to offer self-care advice, and do not provide the long-term rehabilitation program that is essential. Shiatsu, a 20th-century Japanese massage technique that is like acupuncture without the needles, can be used in the treatment of minimal lower back pain, but is too complex to try on your own. Relatively controversial is the technique called Rolfing, which involves using fingertips, knuckles, and elbows to deeply probe the muscles in order to relieve them from tightness, adhesions, and malfunctions. The Alexander technique, which was devised by 19th-century actor Frederick Mathias Alexander, is based on the philosophy that back pain is a result of misusing the body. This abuse may be caused by physical elements, such as standing or moving incorrectly, or by emotional factors such as stress. The Alexander technique can be a useful treatment for maintaining rehabilitation, but initial treatment by another trained professional is suggested.
