Oh! My Achin’ Back!: Lower and Upper Back Pain

As the health and fitness concerns of people around the world continue to increase, more are turning to the Internet to do their own research.
Back pain is the second leading cause of missed work in America, second only to the common cold. Almost everyone at some time or another has had an episode of occasional back pain, and many people deal with it every day. For chronic sufferers, the Web is a terrific source of help in the form of resources, information, exercise instructions, and commercial products. Books and videos that provide instruction on traditional and alternative exercises to relieve back pain are available from many online catalogs, along with massage therapies, music and relaxation tapes, heated pads or cushions, and ergonomically designed products.

Catalogs specifically designed for back pain sufferers offer cervical pillows, zero gravity bed systems, back braces, magnetic car cushions, lumbar and back supports for home or travel, ice wraps, and exercise balls. Sites devoted to back pain are sometimes managed by professional chiropractors or physicians, and others are provided by chronic back pain sufferers who have found products and therapies that worked for them.

Many back pain sites discuss the common causes and diagnoses of back pain and offer interactive discussions of conservative, alternative, or surgical treatments. Others are solely dedicated to relieving back pain with exercise, relaxation, or Yoga. For sufferers who really need to know the nuts and bolts of their problem, there are sites that explain the basic anatomy of the back and spine and discuss topics such as strained disks, lumbar spine fusion, and osteoporosis. Back-pain web sites are as varied and diverse as the different reasons people offer for having back pain in the first place.

By Buzzle Staff and Agencies
Published: 7/6/2000
 
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