Chronic Back Pain

UK Health Radio – The Back Pain Show – Living with Chronic Back Pain

After a very successful visit to the Back Pain Show at Earls Court over the weekend, I thought it was only fitting that we concentrated on chronic back pain management in the blog this week.

Chronic back pain can have emotional as well as physical effects and a definitive diagnosis is always the best start.  For those who, for whatever reason have to live with chronic pain the emotional effects can include depression, anger, anxiety, and a fear of re-injury that may actually affect the ability of a person to return to work or to activities that they enjoy.

The emotional toll of chronic pain can also actually make that pain worse. Anxiety, stress, depression, anger, and fatigue interact in complex ways with chronic pain and may lead to a decrease in the body's production of natural painkillers.  Also, negative feelings may increase the level of substances that intensify sensations leading to a vicious cycle of pain.

About one in four workers have experienced low back pain within the past three months, making it one of the most common types of pain and the most frequent cause of disability in adults under 45. Although pain medication can’t actually heal a back injury, it can relieve pain and open a window for other treatments -- such as physical therapy -- to have a chance to work. There are multiple categories and types of medications for back pain; depending on how severe your symptoms are, and how long you’ve had the back pain.

If you or someone you love suffers from chronic pain it is important that they get help. There are many effective treatments available to relieve pain so that you or your loved one can start living again.

The ideal treatment for chronic pain is a comprehensive approach that addresses a person's physical, emotional, and cognitive needs. Successful treatment requires choosing a life-long plan of wellness that may include regular doctor’s visit, physical therapy, occupational therapy and even psychological counselling.

If you suffer from chronic pain, the first thing to do is to see a doctor and get treated. Other steps that can make living with chronic pain more tolerable include the following:

• ·        Learning how to relax through deep breathing and other stress management techniques.
• ·         Setting achievable goals and being careful not to over do it on good days.
• ·         Engaging in positive affirmation of your efforts.
• ·         Building in rest, exercise, and relaxation times to your daily schedule.
• ·         Joining a chronic pain support group.
• ·         Understanding your medications, including their expected benefits and any side effects.
• ·         Cutting down or eliminate alcohol consumption. Pain often disrupts sleep and alcohol can further disrupt the sleep cycle.
• ·         Stopping smoking. Cigarettes can impair healing and have been identified as a risk factor in the development of many diseases including degenerative disc disease that is a leading cause of low back pain.  

     It  can be difficult to live with chronic back pain but I do hope these tips might make life a bit easier.Please note that the authors, producers and companies themselves provide all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog, which is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge and not as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. So please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to anything you hear on UK Health Radio. UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

  Amanda Thomas

  UK  Health Radio

Eating Disorder Awareness Week 11th - 17th February 2013

Eating Disorder Awareness Week‏  11^th - 17^th February 2013

An eating disorder is an abnormal attitude towards food that causes someone to change his or her eating habits and behaviour.   Between the 11^th and 17^th of February focus will be on eating disorders - that can destroy lives. 

It can start at any time, although it is commonest in younger people.  More recently though it has been starting to affect more people in the older age groups than has traditionally been seen.  It is characterised by a person focusing excessively on their weight and shape, leading them to make unhealthy choices about food with an often-catastrophic effect on their health and on those around them.

Eating disorders include a range of conditions that can affect someone physically, psychologically and socially. The most common eating disorders are: 

·       Anorexia Nervosa - when someone tries to keep their weight as low as they can, starving himself or herself or exercising excessively to achieve this.

·       Bulimia - this is when someone tries to control their weight by binge eating and then deliberately making themselves sick or using laxative medication to help empty their bowels before the food has been absorbed.

·       Binge eating - this is when someone feels compelled to continually overeat.

Although Eating disorders are often blamed on social pressure to be thin, with young people bombarded my images in the media that make them feel that they need to look a certain way, the causes are often a lot more complex.  There can be some biological influencing factors, combined with an experience that may ‘set off’ the disorder, while other factors may encourage the condition to continue. 

Some risk factors can make someone more likely to have an eating disorder.  They include:

·       Having a family member who has had an eating disorder, depression or substance abuse.

·       Being criticised for eating habits, body shape or weight can be a strong trigger, especially in young people.

·       Being overly concerned with being slim, particularly if combined with pressure to be slim either from society or for a job - for example models, athletes and ballet dancers.

·       Certain characteristics, like having an obsessive personality or an anxiety disorder, low self-esteem or being a perfectionist.

·       Particular experiences, such as sexual or emotional abuse or the death of someone special can trigger one of these conditions.

·       Difficult relationships either with family members, peers or friends

·       Stressful situations, for example when problems are encountered at work, school or university or at home.

It is often difficult to recognise that a loved one or friend has developed an eating disorder but some of the warning signs might be:

·       Someone missing meals

·       Complaining of being fat, even when they are normal weight or are even underweight.

·       If someone is weighing themselves and looking at themselves in the mirror all the time.

·       If when you offer a meal they always say that they have already eaten, or they will shortly be going out to eat somewhere else to avoid eating with you.

·       Cooking big or complicated meals for other people, while eating very little or none of the food themselves.

·       Only eating low-calorie foods such as lettuce or celery.

·       Feeling uncomfortable eating out or refusing to eat in public places, such as a restaurant.

·       The use of 'pro-anorexia' websites.

The NHS website has very useful information like this and much more on its site.  If someone in your family develops an eating disorder then it is likely that you will be in for a long and bumpy ride.   The sufferers become very clever in covering their tracks and in choosing loose clothing that will disguise the weight they have lost, in the case of anorexia or bulimia or even gained if they are a binge eater.  This is something that can rarely be tackled without outside help.  Look on the NHS website for help and guidance if you think someone you know might be affected by and eating disorder.

Please note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog are provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge.  It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on UK Health Radio.

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio