Chronic back pain has the well documented and deserved reputation as a disorder which resists accepted medical treatments, continues for years on end and often results in partial or total disability for the patient. Medical science has excelled in the diagnosis of a variety of presumed causative conditions and a countless number of treatment modalities. Unfortunately for patients with long term symptoms, medicine has some of its worst results dealing with chronic pain.
There is a growing problem in the way medical science views the causes of chronic back pain. For years, doctors have blamed countless back pain conditions on a variety of anatomical abnormalities. The most common of these conditions are herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, sciatica, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, compressive neuropathy, osteoarthritis, facet joint syndrome, piriformis syndrome and sacroiliac joint dysfunction. The causes of these numerous conditions are varied, but the symptoms are often strikingly similar. Research has shown that these common spinal conditions are rarely the actual cause of pain in the majority of patients. Far too many people demonstrate physical evidence of these conditions, yet experience no pain or suffering whatsoever. Many of these conditions are nothing more than normal and universal components of the aging process which have been vilified by the profit driven back pain industry.
Traditional, complementary and alternative medical therapies have proven all but useless in curing chronic pain. Symptomatic treatment is the norm, while there are so few true cures that I can actually count them on the fingers of one hand. There are literally hundreds of therapy options which involve continuous long term dependency upon a practitioner, product or drug. Many of these treatments do not even make any sense for clinical picture of the condition they are designed to treat. Patients suffer with an endless cycle of elated hopes, disappointing results and continuous pain. They have no choice but to search for any measure of relief for their misery. For many patients, such as myself, this quest goes on for years and drains their resources of money, time and energy till all that is left is a despondent shell of a human being. I wonder what would happen to this highly successful medical juggernaut if the millions of patients suddenly all completely recovered.
Acute back pain due to an obvious injury or problematic degenerative change usually responds well to medical treatment. Patients complain of symptoms, a diagnosis is made, and appropriate treatment prescribed. If the actual causation of the pain is correctly identified during the diagnostic procedure, then treatment should be successful. Sometimes, it may take several rounds of treatment or a variety of therapy options to heal the condition and cure the pain. Many patients do not find this simple formula applies to their back pain experiences. What started off as an acute condition often escalates into a full blown chronic pain syndrome. Once this downward spiral occurs, the patient's chances of finding a permanent cure diminish at a startling rate.
Medical science actually often contributes to the development of long term pain through the common nocebo effect often transferred to patients during the diagnostic procedure. Nocebo is a Latin word which means "I shall harm". Being true to its namesake, the nocebo effect certainly does do harm, and plenty of it, to patients worldwide. Doctors often inadvertently frighten patients when describing the degenerative changes in their spines. Patients feel that they have been inextricably altered by these degenerative changes and view themselves as "damaged goods". It is no surprise that psychosomatic pain sets in and begins an epic battle for control of the patient's very life and functionality. This process could be easily avoided if physicians would only give patients a complete picture of their symptoms, rather than only half the facts. Remember, that most degenerative changes are universal and completely normal aspects of the aging process. This fact is rarely explained to patients even though it would create the correct mental state for a complete recovery.
Medicine will surely consider chronic pain a completely physical process for the conceivable future. Meanwhile, its treatment statistics for long term back pain continue to inspire contempt and anger in suffering patients. Luckily, the tide is slowly turning and more care providers are starting to understand the complex interaction between the body and the mind. After all, these two equal parts form the human being and are directly responsible for all states of health and disease. Coming to terms with the complex psycho-physical causation of most chronic pain syndromes is the first step in enacting a true cure. Once this step has been taken, the rest is relatively easy...
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