If your back pain is too much to bear, this surprising treatment might deliver remarkable relief

Back to basics

It can destroy your day in a millisecond.

From one sharp turn, your back just seizes up. And you’re lucky if you can even make it back up the stairs to bed.

The first thing you probably do is reach for your prescription pain pills and pray you can fall asleep while you’re waiting for the pain to stop.

If you’re like most of us with back pain, it’s a vicious cycle that attacks again and again.

So once you’re back on your feet and get to the doctor, if he recommends an MRI and a more powerful painkiller, you’d probably jump at it (you know…if you could jump).

An MRI might reveal the clue you need for relief. And a painkiller…well it’s pretty obvious. It kills the pain. EXACTLY what you want.

But there are important reasons to avoid both of these.

Because of the limitation of the technology to really see what’s going on, MRIs and other scanning methods rarely reveal anything useful. Not to mention the heavy dose of radiation that comes free with every MRI. That’s a bonus gift you can definitely do without!

As for prescription painkillers, they do a good job of bringing pain to a screeching halt. But they don’t do anything to address the actual issue. They also cause grogginess, which increases your risk of falling. That’s the last thing you need with a bad back.

And it’s no secret that once you start taking them, you need more and more to fight the same level of pain. So not only are you basically drugged all the time, but it can become addictive before you know it.

That’s precisely why back pain treatment guidelines don’t recommend either of these routes, even though most docs still default to them.

Sure, it’s easy for me to say: Skip the MRI. Pass on the prescription. But you’re the one writhing in pain.

Actually, there’s a lot of evidence that skipping them is the best way to fight your pain long-term.

The officially accepted guidelines now recommend physical therapy and an over-the-counter painkiller to get through in the short run.

And, if you’re willing to try something a little “out there,” look into acupuncture.

At first, it may seem like some new age, hippie, incense cure. But you’d be amazed how effective it can be. And how quickly it can work.

I tried it a few years ago after a car accident (and a lot of groaning!) And I’ve been a fan since.

Even if needles aren’t quite your thing, consider trying this ancient remedy. It’s a lot less painful and nerve-wracking than you’d expect. And a lot better than lying in an MRI tube getting baked.

Sources:
“Docs Order Too Many Narcotics for Back Pain: Study” Randy Dotinga, HealthDay News, 7/29/13, webmd.com