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Alternative therapies
A comprehensive study of alternative therapy use found that almost 60 percent of people who consulted a medical doctor for back pain have also tried some sort of alternative therapy. When contemplating one of these options, it is important to remember that the treatments are considered alternative precisely because there is no scientific evidence proving that they work consistently. In addition, people should be cautious about undertaking any treatments that are expensive and require more than half a dozen visits.
Some of the alternative methods frequently tried for back pain are:
Acupuncture comes from the traditional Chinese medical theory that pain or disease occurs when the body's natural energies (chi) are out of balance. Stimulating these points through acupuncture needles is meant to correct the improper flow of chi--and relieve the disorder. Acupuncture may relieve pain by triggering nerves to send out natural, pain-blocking chemicals (endorphins) within the body. Pain relief, while common, is usually temporary. Although a panel convened by the National Institutes of Health found few well-designed studies of the technique, they concluded that there was enough evidence of its value for further research.
Acupressure, a special kind of massage, adheres to the same theory of energy channels in the body as acupuncture. Continuous pressure, exerted on a trigger sport for three to five minutes to stimulate the flow of healing energy, may temporarily divert the individual from the pain, but it usually returns.
Massage therapy should be performed by a trained, licensed massage therapist. In addition to relaxing muscles and easing tension in the back, it is thought that the motion of a massage may, for a little while, overpower pain signals going to the brain.
Relaxation therapy teaches people muscle relaxation and breathing techniques to help them deal with the stress of everyday life. Another relaxation technique is meditation, designed to calm the mind as well as the body. Reducing stress, of course, should prove beneficial for overall health as well.
Biofeedback employs electronic sensors to measure the body's automatic functions--such as muscle tension, breathing patterns, and pulse rate--while the individual practices different relaxation methods. Using data from the sensors, people can employ the appropriate relaxation techniques (eventually without the sensors) to consciously regulate their body functions and lower their level of stress.
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