Back Pain
Back pain is a leading cause of disability. It occurs in similar proportions in all cultures, interferes with quality of life and work performance. Back pain is widespread in the adult population. Some studies have shown that up to 23% of the world's adults suffer from chronic low back pain. Few cases of back pain are due to specific causes; most cases are non-specific. Acute back pain is the most common presentation and is usually self-limiting, lasting less than three months regardless of treatment. Chronic back pain is a more difficult problem, which often has strong psychological overlay such as work dissatisfaction etc. Back pain can range from a muscle aching to a shooting, burning or stabbing sensation. Also, the pain can radiate down a leg. Bending, twisting, lifting, standing or walking can make it worse. There are many ways to categorize low back pain – two common types include mechanical and radicular pain.
Mechanical pain is primarily from the muscles, ligaments, joints (facet joints, sacroiliac joints), or bones in and around the spine. This type of pain tends to be localized to the lower back, buttocks, and sometimes the top of the legs. It is usually influenced by loading the spine and may feel different based on motion (forward/backward/twisting), activity, standing, sitting, or resting. Radicular type of pain can occur if a spinal nerve root becomes impinged or inflamed. Radicular pain may follow a nerve root pattern or dermatome down into the buttock and/or leg. Its specific sensation is sharp, electric, burning-type pain and can be associated with numbness or weakness is typically felt on only one side of the body.
There are many additional sources of pain, including claudication pain (from stenosis) myelopathic pain, neuropathic pain, deformity, tumours, infections, pain from inflammatory conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis), and pain that originates from another part of the body and presents in the lower back (such as kidney stones, or ulcerative colitis). To rule out the cause of back pain diagnostic techniques such as X-ray, MRI, Injection studies can be administered. X-rays show abnormalities, such as arthritis, fractures, bone spurs or tumours. An MRI of the spine can detect abnormalities with soft tissues, such as muscles, ligaments, and intervertebral discs. Injection studies are fluoroscopic-directed injections of local anaesthetic and steroid medication into specific anatomic structures. They are helpful in confirming the source of the pain. They are used in diagnosis, in conjunction with rehabilitation, and are considered predictive of surgical outcomes.
Ayurvedic treatment for back pain is mainly depends upon the cause, symptoms and severity. Snehana,Swedana,Virechana,Basthi, Vathahara Chikithsa, Vedanashamaka chikithsa,Yogasana are commonly used for managing the back pain. General treatment principles of Vata vyadhi is adopted in back pain. Internal medications like Rasnasapthaka Kashaya, Yogaraja Guggulu, Gandarvahastadi Eranda Taila. External treatment like CPS with Kottamchukkadi choorna, Kolakulathadi choorna etc, Abhyanga with Dhanwantaram taila, Kativasthi with Kottamchukkadi taila, PPS with Dhanwantaram tailam. Vasti with Sahacharadi sevyam etc are used to treat the backpain based on the condition.
