5 Tips to Avoid Back Surgery, Naturally

"What Can I Do To Avoid Back Surgery?..."

"Is It Possible To Put Off or Prevent Back Back Surgery?..."

If you have back pain and if you met with a spine surgeon (who mentioned that you may need back surgery), you may have asked yourself one or more of these questions.

So, if you are dealing with annoying, nagging, chronic Back Pain, you may be willing to do just about anything to find comfort... or to get your pain under control.  And, that means that you probably just want to be able to return to your normal way of life, and possibly even if it means agreeing to undergo risky back surgery. 

As you know, back pain is no joke, but neither is back surgery.

We all know that back pain is very frustrating and uncomfortable to live with.  And, that's because it can get in the way of your sleep, work, daily activities, and simply living your life.  However, that does not mean that you should quickly agree to a major spine surgery such as spinal fusion (screws, plates, and big hardware that locks up your spine) or discectomy surgery (removing some or all of your flexible and soft cushion-like spine discs)!

These invasive back surgeries may or may not relieve your pain.  In fact, a bad back surgery or "failed" back surgery can leave you in even more pain symptoms and agony than before the procedure.

Therefore, it makes the most logical sense to start with and try less invasive treatments and non-surgical options first.

Below, are 5 effective tips to you can try to address your back pain naturally, safely, and non-surgically... in order to start finding and feeling the relief  that you have been searching for - once and for all.

1.) Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS):  Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS, is a state-of-the-art method for easing back pain. Sticky electrodes attached to the back and spine area send out electrical signals that stimulate the nerves. The impulses affect neural “pain gates” and/or trigger the production of endorphins. 

2.) Myofascial Release and Soft Tissue Work:  These hands-on soft tissue techniques and treatment options can benefit your back in several ways.  A skilled healthcare provider, such as a doctor of physical therapy performs manipulation of soft tissue (muscles and tendons) near the skin surface will help improve blood flow circulation in exhausted muscles, sore muscles, or in tight muscles and tendons. 

The doctor of PT may use a combination of their hands directly and/or a comfortable hand-held tool to help ease, relax, and lengthen these muscles.  This increased blood flow and fluid drainage will clear out and quickly reduce inflammation, and help heal and recover damaged tissues.  At the same time, this hands-on treatment technique decreases painful muscle spasms in the muscles.  

A firmer or stronger treatment is named deep tissue massage and goes even further.  Manipulation of deeper muscle groups can break up adhesions, masses of scar tissue that sometimes form over an injury site. Once the muscles have been freed from the scar tissue, they can function without pain and stiffness. 

Now, unfortunately, most traditional massage therapists nearby are not trained in healing back injuries, nor helping folks prevent back surgery.  Which is why a licensed doctor of PT uses these specific techniques that target and break up the adhesions. In turn, this will loosen and unbind your muscles.  Myofascial release and soft tissue work is a very important part of your physical therapy program because being adhesion-free is important for relieving pain and restoring a proper range of motion.

3.) Targeted Stretches and Assisted Stretch: Tight, rigid muscles can directly cause back pain or make existing back pain feel even worse. Stretching muscles will cause them to limber up, alleviate your pain and improve your movement. Loose muscles in the back are less likely to get new injuries as well. Typical physical therapy exercises for the back could include knee-to-chest stretches, kneeling lunges, back flexion stretches, stretching your piriformis muscle, prone press ups, and back bends.

4.) Strength-Building Exercises and Stability Drills: Back pain may be caused by structural changes such as herniated discs, spinal stenosis, or spondylolisthesis. The stronger you can make your back muscles, the more effectively those muscles can compensate for these changes. With a stronger back, you can maintain a straighter posture with less pain. Common exercises to strengthen the back include bridges, lying lateral leg raises, and partial curls.

5.) Heat and Cold Therapy: Heat and cold have their own distinct healing and pain-relieving properties. Our doctor of physical therapy may administer either technique or both techniques together (in sessions of 15 to 20 minutes each). Heat boosts the circulation, helping inflammatory substances to exit the tissues and relaxing painful muscles. Cold therapy can prove especially useful as an immediate treatment for acute back injuries or when dealing with severe muscle strain. The cold reduces inflammation and swelling while also numbing the nerves.  There is a full blog post on Heat vs Ice/Cold Therapy, if you click right here.

What Successful Treatment Looks LIke

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