This article will give you critical information you must know… so read carefully.

While a ruptured disc is a serious cause of low back pain, it's not the most common cause. Low back pain is usually due to a combination of overuse, muscle strain, and injury to the muscles, ligaments, and discs that support the spine. Over time this leads to an imbalance in the spine.

To make things worse, the causes of pain in the low back tend to add to each other. For example, after straining muscles, you are likely to move in different ways to avoid pain or to use muscles that aren't sore. This can cause you to strain other muscles that don't usually move that way.

So what can you do? The following are a few suggestions.
Here's where you start…

1.A precise diagnosis is important. A good clinical history and physical exam by an expert is a good start. And imaging procedures such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT) scanning are crucial. Sometimes back pain can be due to unsuspected problems like cancer.

2.Too much rest is bad. Studies have shown that a 24 hour period of bed rest is good for acute low back problems. Longer periods of rest may actually make the situation worse.

3.If you are overweight, you must lose it. There is a multiplication factor involved. You see… an extra pound is more than just an extra pound. For every added pound you carry around your middle there are an extra 5 pounds your back must support!

4.If you are a smoker, STOP. Data has convincingly shown that smokers heal more slowly and prolong the length of time their low back problem persists.

5.Specific exercises designed to stretch and strengthen the low back are an important part of rehabilitation of back disorders. These exercises should be supervised by a skilled physical therapist.

If your back continues to bother you, then…

6.Proper use of anti-inflammatory medicines and muscle relaxants can also be helpful for many patients. Make sure the back doctor you see is experienced in their use because deadly side-effects can occur. Injections are helpful but they are also painful and can cause complications!

7.Avoid surgery at all costs! In 1995, researchers conducted an analysis of back surgery procedures, using the 1974 “unnecessary surgery percentage” of 17.6. Testifying before the Department of Veterans Affairs, they estimated that of the 250,000 back surgeries performed annually in the US at a hospital cost of $11,000 per patient, the total number of unnecessary back surgeries approaches 44,000, costing as much as $484 million. (Leape LL. Unnecessary surgery. Health Serv Res. 1989 Aug; 24(3):351-407). There are roughly 900, 000 low back surgeries performed annually now. You do the math.

8.Strongly consider internal disc decompression (IDD) for most forms of mechanical low back pain. This is a non-invasive, non-surgical form of back treatment that has up to an 86% response rate. IDD is gentle, effective, and is probably the treatment of choice for most low back disorders.

Finally, some forms of low back pain may be very serious…

9.If you have low back problems and develop numbness and weakness in the legs or loss of bladder or bowel function, go straight to the emergency room. This is an emergency!!