Back pain is very common these days and researchers show that about 80% of Americans has once or several times suffered from it. There are different forms of back pains such as pain in lower back, middle or upper back. People often suffer from low back pain with sciatica, too. All people with back pain have either nerve and muscular problems, degenerative disc disease or arthritis. However, the intensity of pain varies from slight one to very huge one in combination with not being able to move properly. Since the pain is only symptom telling that something is wrong with the body, it is important for a physician to establish the underneath cause of it. After doing so a physician will help a patient choose the appropriate medicine.
The most common types of medication that are used to cure back pain are Topical Preparations, Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, Acetaminophen, Muscle Relaxants and Narcotics. One should bear in mind that alcohol is forbidden while drinking any of these medicines. Each of these medicines fight the pain in a different way.
Topical Preparations Topical treatments are applied on the skin (they come in a cream or a spray). Good thing about them is that they have fewer side effects than the oral medicines. They can be rubbed into the skin and thus they stimulate nerve endings and ease the pain, swelling, inflammation or stiffness. They should not be used if there is something wrong with the patient’s skin ( broken skin, rashes etc). Physician should be consulted in case of asthma or taking other medicines.
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) are inexpensive and effective in mild lower back pain, muscular sprains and strains. They interfere with chemicals that caused the inflammation. Care should be taken if a patient has got asthma or other disease or if they drink other medicines. One should read the instructions inside the box of medicine in order not to exceed the stated dose.
Muscle Relaxants relax muscles and inhibit the pain response in the nervous system. They can be used on spasms because they make movements possible. Sometimes physicians recommend the combination of them and anti-inflammatory drugs. They should not be used if a person is driving or working with dangerous machines. One should be prepared on side effects which can be sleepiness or sometimes even nausea.
Narcotics can be divided into two groups- opioids ( synthetic imitation of chemicals that humans have) and opiates (derived from plants such as poppy). One should know that a body build up a tolerance towards them after some time. If combined with NSAIDs, they cause attaching to receptors in the brain, spinal cord and gastro-intestinal tract, which then alterates pain message to the brain. They have got side effects such as drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, constipation or even respiratory problems (one should seek medical advise if experiencing these symptoms).
Alternative or natural remedies can also be very helpful. These include siacu massage, acupuncture, exercising yoga etc.
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