Despite the fact that back pain can cause significant amount of discomfort, it usually recovers spontaneously on its own. The speed of recovery,however, depends on many variables. While there is no one single magic remedy to speed up the recovery process, paying attention to and optimizing the following several factors may help you recover faster. Understanding that you may not have control over certain aspect of your recovery process, will also allow you to create more realistic expectations and avoid undue frustrations.
Physical fitness and age Individuals who are more physically fit and do not have other major medical conditions, generally tend to recover much faster. Their body can fully focus on the healing process of the injured muscles, when there are no other chronic conditions which also require attention, energy and resources. The less raging fires that are present at the time of injury, the faster and more efficient is the recovery process. Since most chronic conditions tend to accumulate over the years, age becomes an important player and healing is therefore much faster in younger and healthier individuals. While age is a non-modifiable factor the health condition of our body can be largely influenced by number of other factors which are discussed later in this article.
Prior injuries History of prior back pain or presence of other chronic musculoskeletal injuries also plays a significant role. Individuals who suffer from chronic pain which is not well controlled, have gone through the process of sensitization which makes them more sensitive to any pain stimulus. Any new injury will therefore cause a lot more intense pain and take much longer to subside despite the fact that the area of injury may be already healed.
Sleep and DepressionGetting sufficient amount of sleep is important for everybody, but it is critical when recovering from acute injury. Body heals and tissue regenerates when we sleep. Insufficient sleep promotes systemic inflammation which slows down healing and contributes to more pain perception. Minimum of seven hour, and if possible eight hours every night is recommended for optimal functioning and recovery. Additionally, insufficient amount of sleep combined with new intense pain has a strong effect on mood and may lead to depression. Presence of depression by itself further intensifies pain perception and interferes with sleep, thus creating downward spiral leading to worse outcomes. If pain prevents you from getting good night restful sleep, talk to your provider about prescribing short course of pain medication that can decrease the intensity of pain at night, while at the same time help you get a better sleep. Muscle relaxants taken 30 minutes to one hour before sleep are generally a good option, but your medical professional will be able to make more specific decisions based on your particular condition.
Complementary medicine, pain medication and acute painIncreasing number of patients do not wish to take any pain medication when they develop acute pain from fear of side effect. There is an ongoing battle and numerous initiatives to fight the opioid crisis around the world. It is also true that every medication carries a risk of side effects. However this doesn’t mean that taking pain medication is bad and should be avoided by all means. Therefore it is important to take any medication only as prescribed, and only for the shortest amount of time. It is important, however, to understand that there is a role for pain medication in particular when it comes to severe pain. Getting your pain under control as soon as possible will prevent altering the way your brain deals with pain. Any uncontrolled pain lasting longer than several days can sensitize your brain to pain and lower your pain threshold. This ultimately translates to experiencing painful stimulus at much higher intensity with much lover stimulus.Complementary and alternative medicine modalities have been used successfully for management of pain and injuries for hundreds of years. Many of them have been extensively studied and their effectiveness proven in rigorous trials. Despite their popularity, however, their role is primarily in management of chronic pain and injuries. This is largely because their main mechanism of action, by which they help to control pain and promote recovery, is through stimulating body own healing processes and pain control. In other words, their primary role is to restore the body homeostasis. The saddle changes they produce over time are usually sufficient to create noticeable difference when treating chronic pain or injuries, but usually do not contribute enough by themselves to control severe pain. Click here to read more about Complementary medicine, pain medication and acute pain.
The role of nutritionThe importance of nutrition cannot be emphasized enough when it comes to recovery from any acute injury. Providing your body with sufficient amount of lean protein which is important for building tissue, as well as getting enough vitamin C to promote formation of collagen is the very minimum. Minimizing the intake of vegetable oils by decreasing consumption of fried foods and pastries and replacing them with monounsaturated fats from olive oil, canola oil and avocados, helps to decrease inflammatory process in the body. Eating a wild salmon or other fish high in omega 3 fatty acids at least 2-3 times a week, or taking 1000- 2000 mg of mercury free omega 3 fatty acids daily in the form of a supplement, has been also shown to decrease systemic inflammation. Having fresh vegetables at least two times a day and easting 2-3 pieces of seasonal fruits will add much needed vitamins and phytochemical to act as powerful antioxidants.
Physical activityBed rest may be necessary in some severe cases of acute injuries, it should be limited to no more than 24 - 48 hours. Numerous studies have demonstrated the detrimental effect of prolonged bed rest on recovery process. Motion is the lotion and muscles need to move to heal. While you should not push through the pain to further aggravate your condition, gentle exercises focused on pain free range of motion and stretching will allow your muscles to become less stiff and maintain their flexibility. Muscles that are not used, start to deteriorate very rapidly. They lose flexibility, become stiff and “freeze.” Even small movements will then cause very intense pain as the stiff muscle will be pulling on the injured area. Movement also creates important muscle pump which helps to increase local blood circulation. Increased blood circulation helps to flush out the inflammatory chemicals present at the site of injury. These inflammatory chemicals irritate the nerve ending present around the injured area and are the primary reason for sensation of pain. Increased blood circulation also helps to supply the injured area with nutrients, oxygen and white blood cells that will further help to heal the injured tissue. Getting a referral to physical therapist as soon as possible to start specific exercise program for rehabilitation from acute injuries is important part of faster recovery and prevention of developing chronic condition.
In summaryRecovering from acute musculoskeletal injury is a complex process. There is no one single recipe since everybody have a unique combination of factors that may either promote or hinder the recovery proves. In this article we have covered only few of the most important aspects that have major influence on the recovery process. Optimizing all of the modifiable variables can have significant effect on the speed of your recovery.
