In the last two issues we discussed about the causes for back and neck pain, as well as the ways to prevent it.

We discussed that the main cause for back pain and neck pain in the younger age group is injury and in the elderly it is the wear and tear of the joints.

In this issue we will discuss about the ways to cure the back and neck pain. Majority of these cases can be managed by physiotherapy and drugs.

Physiotherapy consists of traction and heat therapy for temporary relief and exercises for permanent relief.

The orthopaedician will decide about the physiotherapy methods and exercise for each patient. This is carried out by an experienced physiotherapist.

The back and neck pain causes stiffness of the muscle. When the muscle becomes stiff the blood supply to these muscles is reduced. The pain producing chemicals in our body gets accumulated in the muscles and joints, as these chemicals are not washed away by blood and this causes more pain an stiffness. This is a vicious circle.

We have to break this cycle by anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxant drugs.

Women above the age of 35 and men above 45 years should take calcium and Vit.D supplements. This is not available adequately in our diet. Other nutritional supplements like Glucosamine and Chondroitin sulphate help in reversing the wear and tear of the joints.

The spinal problems like Disc prolapse, Spinal cord stenosis , Tuberculosis infections of the spine as well as forward slip of one bone above the other in the spinal column is very common in our country. These conditions would need surgical treatment by orthopaedic surgeons.

At Lifeline Multi Speciality Hospital these surgeries are done by keyhole method wherein a very small incision is made. In many cases of disc problem it is done as a daycare surgery and the patient is discharged the same day. In the cases where stabilization of the spine with metal implants is required ,the patient is hospitalised for 3 or 4 days. These surgical methods give excellent results and the patient can do all their work, including the sporting activities.

Please take care of your Back, but just in case you develop a problem, do not panic, with medical advancement, the rehabilitation can be done with ease.