By Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.N., C.N.S., C.B.T.
Back pain is the #1 cause of disability in the United States for people under the age of forty-five. Common causes include injury, spinal misalignments, and age-related wear-and-tear degeneration of spinal discs and structures. About 80 percent of adults experience back pain at some point in their lives, and about 20 percent develop the chronic kind that goes on and on, draining energy and destroying quality-of-life.Most of the time, back pain is treated with painkillers, and if that doesn’t work satisfactorily, doctors may recommend back surgery.
But pain meds generate many side effects and surgery has limitations, downsides, and a less than impressive success rate.
That’s why I want you to be aware of alternative methods before you opt for medication and surgery.
To find out more about alternatives, I spoke with Martin Gallagher, M.D., D.C. Dr. Gallagher is a pain expert who practices integrative medicine near Pittsburgh, and who has treated some of my own pain problems. He points out that many cases of lingering back pain are due to misalignments in the spinal column that can often be corrected through chiropractic adjustments, scientifically-validated as an effective and cost-effective treatment. He also recommends acupuncture and prolotherapy, an experimental technique in which potentially healing and fortifying substances are injected into the area of spinal disturbances causing back and leg pain.
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