One should have a complete bed rest for many days after an episode of back pain?
Unlike in the past, bed rest for more than 2-3 days is not advised. For acute back pain patient may take a little rest and consult a doctor but long-term rest is not allowed. The reason is that bed rest for more than 3 days can cause muscle weakness which is not desirable. So, at Noida Pain Management Clinic, we advise that the patient can move about a little if pain is still present after a few days. Of course, lifting heavy weights is to be avoided when having back pain for a few days till the pain is completely gone. Book appointment
Should we use belts daily if we have back pain for a long time?
These belts are only to be used for a very short period or if there is an injury in the spine leading to instability. The aim of treating chronic back pain is to improve back muscle tone and strength. When we use lumbar belts all the time, the back muscles get weakened and do more harm to us. There have been studies that show that these belts can make back more and more stiff if used for a long. Also, it’s important to remember that by using these belts, one part of the back is restricted which can lead to other muscles of the back sharing the stress. This obviously can result in injury to these muscles. Not to forget the fact that constant pressure on our abdomen can also lead to problems in our digestive system sometimes. Book appointment
How Smoking Damages Your Spine?
Though most people know how smoking is bad for our lungs and can cause lung cancer, not many people know that tobacco is very harmful for our spine also. Now there is enough research which shows the bad effects of smoking on vertebral discs of our spine. The intervertebral discs are the gelly-like tissue which act like a cushion between our bones (vertebra) of the spine and thus avoiding its wear and tear. These discs are 31 in number and are extremely important in maintaining the shape and strength of our spine. Due to the elastic cushion which they provide, there is smooth movements of spine like bending forward or sideways. These intervertebral discs are dependent upon the small blood vessels from the spine bones for their nutrition since they don't have any blood supply of their own. If they don't get proper nutrition, then they undergo wear and tear and can cause damage to spine causing diseases like Disc herniation or Sciatica. As we know that smoking causes narrowing of blood vessels so it can cause severe damage to the discs of spine causing back pain. This weakening or wear and tear of discs can especially affect people in their 50s and 60s. This can not only cause back pain but can also cause osteoporosis where spine becomes porous and is very weak. This can lead to fractures of the spine especially in old people. So any patient having back pain must quit smoking at the earliest. Any delay may cause not only damage to spine but will also slow down recovery.