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Flexeril and back pain. How can it help?

Where you go for information on back pain affects the quality of the information you find. Many sites have a specific agenda to sell a particular drug or treatment. This will bias the information. In that sense, this site is no exception. These articles are in support of a particular drug, but we prefer to put that drug into context and give you as rounded a picture as possible. Although we cannot claim to be independent and therefore offer completely unbiased advice, we hope you will find balance here and a freedom to make up your own minds.

Medical research indicates that up to 80% of adult Americans will experience back pain at some point during their lives. In surveys, the respondents consistently report that pain in the lower back is the most disruptive, not only interfering directly with the ability to work and so earn a living, but also affecting the quality of life by:

  • disturbing sleep;
  • encouraging inactivity and weight gain; and
  • even preventing the enjoyment of sex.

When serious pain strikes, the first reaction is usually a consultation with the primary care doctor. At this point, the bad news is received. Although it is always useful to have the possibility of serious underlying diseases and disorders ruled out, even dedicated specialists using the latest in technology, find it difficult to diagnose a specific cause for every case. This is dissatisfying. But doctors are nevertheless able to offer some help in listing treatment options. If a specific cause for the pain has been identified, the treatment can target that cause and, within the limits of technology and surgical skill, produce an improvement if not a cure. Where the cause is not certain, the choices come down to:

  • medication – there are a wide range of drugs available both on prescription and over-the-counter to control the pain and relieve tense muscles;
  • physical therapy to analyze movement problems and encourage greater mobility through the manipulation of the spine and joints, and the training of muscles;
  • cognitive behavioral therapy to teach coping strategies to improve the quality of life, i.e. to help people achieve the maximum within their physical limitations;
  • complementary and alternative therapies such as chiropractic and acupuncture – more controversial but nevertheless found effective by many people; and
  • specialist medical care for better diagnosis and possible treatment.

The main research conclusions are that practical and hands-on treatment give the best results. This includes both physical and cognitive behavioral therapies. The reason for this preference is the social bond between patient and therapist which improves the mood and encourages a more positive outlook on life. The difficulty, of course, is financial. Many health plans do not include either the professionalized or the alternative therapies. If these cannot be funded out of savings, this forces people into more medical tests and surgical interventions, or restricts them to medications. In this context, flexeril can have an important role. As a drug targeting musculoskeletal disorders, it can relax muscles within the spinal structure and increase mobility. In combination with painkillers and a mixture of rest and exercise, flexeril can often help people recover their quality of life. But if you go down this road, you must commit yourself to exercising. You must maintain muscle tone and build strength. Failing to push yourself into a full range of movement is condemning yourself to stiffen and lose mobility.

admin
May 20, 2010
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How to treat muscle pain effectively

At one time or another, everyone suffers from some degree of muscle pain. This is where your muscles are sore and ache. It can be from an injury. People hurt themselves by lifting heavy objects or have work requiring the overuse of certain groups of muscles. Some types of sport quite often involve injury. Equally, the pain can come from stress. Perhaps less obviously, muscles often ache as a symptom of other problems in your body. If you have an infection and a high fever, muscles can be affected. But, most often, there is a strain or damage to tendons or ligaments, or some other injury to the soft tissue of the body. Given this range of causes for pain, there is no fixed set of treatments. It is always for your healthcare professional to fit the best treatment to the injury or disorder you have. That said, the range of potential treatments fall into convenient groups.

We start with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These are for less serious problems and have two effects: the reduction of pain and of inflammation. Because they are not addictive, they are usually available over-the-counter in a variety of different formats, e,g, as tablets, liquids, topical creams, sprays, and so on. But, if the degree of pain is in the range of moderate to severe, a stronger analgesic is required. Although the injury or damage to the muscles will heal so long as you rest and stay reasonably still, a more powerful painkiller helps to keep you comfortable. However, one word of warning is appropriate.

Just because a painkiller is effective does not mean you can immediate resume mobility. All the drug does is to stop the pain message reaching your brain. It does not heal the injury. You have to wait for nature to take its course. Except, of course, gentle physical therapy and the use of heat and ice packs can speed the process. If the ligament or tendon is torn, surgery may be required. Effective medical intervention to treat the underlying cause of the pain is always required. Because muscle pain can be associated with anxiety, stress-related and depressive disorders, it is often appropriate to prescribe the relevant drugs to control the anxiety, relieve the stress and reduce the depression. You should not feel ashamed that the muscles may be a symptom of a mental disorder. The more important emotion is confidence the treatment will be effective to relieve the pain.

Finally, we come the the different classes of drugs used to control seizures and convulsions, and to relax muscles. Ignoring the muscle pain that can follow a seizure, we are now in the world of barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and so on which act on the central nervous system. Because they depress the nervous system, they inevitably relax muscles but, because of their side effects, it is not always wise to take them unless the threat of seizures is great. Drugs like skelaxin are not used in the treatment of seizures as such although their sedative effect is to relax the major groups of muscles. Skelaxin is used in combination with a combination of rest, physical therapy and other treatments designed to treat the underlying physical muscular disorder. Depending on the precise medical problem, it may be combined with any of the classes of drugs mentioned earlier in the article.

admin
March 5, 2010
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More about pain management

Let’s assume we could talk the health insurance industry into paying for treatment focussed on the patient and not on the profitability of the hospitals and the pharmaceutical industry. What would a pain management department look like and how would it treat its patients? First off, it would concentrate all its energies on two quite different functions. Before you can identify the best treatment for a patient, you must diagnose the underlying cause of the pain. The most experienced diagnosticians in the hospital or clinic must therefore work on each patient, using whatever reasonable tests are necessary to reach a reliable diagnosis. The second function is to switch the emphasis on the types of treatment made available. At present, hospitals are run for profit and so base all their treatment decisions on what generates the most profit. In other countries, there is an evidence-based approach. Researchers identify which treatments are the most cost-effective for relieving the patient’s problem and only those treatments are used regardless of the level of profitability.

Once the hospital has a reliable diagnosis, it moves to the treatment phase. This may be an interventional procedure to repair damage or relieve the cause of pain. In the case of surgery, there are new less invasive methods. Where surgeons have the experience and the evidence shows good outcomes are likely, they should be used. If invasive procedures are not recommended or require follow-up, we move into the area of physical therapy, psychological counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy and general support services. Here the team aims to teach each patient how to cope with the new physical limitations and the reality of persistent pain. All the research both in the US and in the rest of the world shows these services are the most likely to improve the patient’s quality of life. pain management is as much about the patient’s attitude and emotions as it is about the treatment given. Then we get into all the alternative therapies. Again there is excellent research evidence showing that acupuncture and some homeopathic therapies produce excellent results. If there is such evidence available, the hospital or clinic should supply it. Finally, the doctors need to give detailed advice to patients about what drugs to use and when to use them.

In all this, the pain management department is aiming at a simple target. It wants the best long-term result for the patient without relying on the use of drugs. Although there will be some reliance on painkillers like tramadol during the early part of the treatment program, pain management assumes dependence on drugs is a bad thing. People should learn how to make the best of life without relying on pills. So you can buy tramadol online for use in the early stages but be prepared to learn how to management and control your pain without its help. In the long term, this saves you from the continuing cost of having to buy the drugs and it also makes you a stronger person. Ignoring all the stereotypes about the stoic people who live with pain, people with the strength of mind to manage their own feelings and emotions generally make better lives for themselves. People who see a pill bottle as the only solution are weak, passive and rarely make anything of their lives.

admin
February 14, 2010
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NFL Players Commision to Study Effects of Briain Injuries on Players

Those who are familiar with American Football know that the hard-hitting action of the National Football League is an exciting and often dangerous sport. The players involved in the contests are fine specimens of athletic prowess, often in peak physical condition and give their all on the field every week in battle. However, there are many who understand the dangers of the game, both directly and indirectly. Families of players often see them plagued with health problems later on in life; players themselves find that they must complete extensive regimens of physical therapy to rehabilitate their bodies, specifically their knees, elbows, shoulders, necks, backs, fingers, and toes.

This last week, the NFL Players Association announced that they would form a committee to investigate the serious nature of one of the most common and potentially serious injuries. The council will investigate the effects of concussions and head trauma on players, both in the short term and long term. Studies have been planned to take into account several factors surrounding the concussions, including diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, as well as the level and type of rehabilitation used by the players. The ultimate goal is an attempt to see if brain injuries due to concussions suffered while playing can be reduced or eliminated.

These studies are not the first of their kind. Several studies completed at both the collegiate and professional levels have investigated the level of force sustained by a typical player throughout their games. Some estimates put the amount of force of an average hit around 40G, 40 times the force of gravity. Players occasionally are hit with forces as high as 120G, almost equivalent to a car crash. Often, players suffer at least a few of these extreme hits per game. It is worth noting that with these types of injuries, the effects are cumulative; the more hits on the same area, the greater the ultimate damage is sustained. Players are often not back on the field within minutes of receiving a minor concussion, putting their bodies and their brains at serious risk for permanent damage.

These effects are not to be taken lightly either. Some early symptoms can memory loss, feelings of confusion, depression, or limited range of motion. Latent effects include extreme memory loss, difficulty concentrating, confusion, further depression, and limited mobility. Essentially, all of the early effects present themselves later, only the body is not as young or healthy and able to deal with the side effects of a traumatic brain injury.

To this end, the NFL Players Association hopes that this commission will be able to provide effective research and insight into these types of injuries. Traumatic brain injuries are often severely debilitating injuries, causing many restrictions on a person’s daily life. Many times, there are optional expensive medical treatments available, however, these can be prohibitively expensive. Many individuals affected by a brain injury seek to develop a brain injury lawsuit to properly receive monetary compensation for their pain and suffering.

admin
April 23, 2009
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