Back Pain Is Trending
By Dr. Clifford Yun, PT, DPT
Back pain is one of the most treated diagnosis in health care. From Jan 2017- Feb 2018, in the state of New York alone, Google searches for "Back Pain" averaged per month 3,600 times, "lower back pain" 8,100 times and "sciatica" 12,100 times. As a whole the United States averaged 90,500, 246,000, and 301,000 each respectively. To put this in perspective Google Trends over that same time placed back main at an average rank of 20 and Beyonce at 22.
It's no wonder the industry for back pain products is so vast. With heat packs, ice packs, commercials to pop your favorite over the counter drugs, and ads with the big man, Shaq, showing us how to use electric stimulation to reduce back pain:
Why wouldn't it be a major topic? What we don't see enough on T.V. ads are physical therapy commercials talking about the alternatives to surgery, medications and quick fix traction devices. All those things do help with back pain but don't truly get to stopping it more long term.
The back pain itself that occurs more than once is likely rooted from something else beyond "sleeping funny" or "I picked up the box with my back and not my legs." Back pain itself is a giant generalization of diagnosis and you can find more about types of back pain and spine anatomy below. I suggest you also below the links on what pain truly is and be more proactive to ask yourself why you keep taking more pills, sleep on that heat pad at night, and feel like you can relate to a 7ft 1" 326 pound retired NBA star and his back pain.
Links to Learn More:
1 - Back Pain
If back pain occurs more than once in a week or several times a day you should come in for an evaluation. Remember you can come in without a physician's referral by using Direct Access and Contact Us today.
