Is There a Way to Treat Low Back Pain and Bowel Problems Together?

If suffering the agony and debilitating effects of back problems is not enough, some people have painful bowel problems on top of this. You may be thinking that this is just adding insult to injury, why me? One source of discomfort is bad enough. Don't worry, this article will show you that quite often the two are linked and curing one can cure the other.

One of the most chronic pains that people face today is lower back pain. This pain can be caused by a number of problems, including sports injuries, poor posture, degenerative or herniated discs, work injuries, or simple overuse in carrying large loads of heavy items, for example. Although common, it is also one of the most debilitating pains, especially when relief cannot be easily found. Low back pain and bowel problems have even been linked, making curing the low back pain even more of a priority for someone who suffers from it.

There are a few ways to try to alleviate the lower back problems. First, try sleeping on your left side with a pillow between your knees. A new mattress may also help. Wear flat shoes, and pay attention to proper posture during the day. Lifting with your legs instead of your back is also important. Heating pads and over the counter painkillers can also help. Beyond these home remedies, sometimes there is an underlying physical cause of the pain that needs to be addressed. Chiropractic care, physical therapy, and massage therapy are popular options to try to remedy these underlying problems.

Bowel problems are also quite common. Many people suffer from a condition known as IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome. This non-specific name conveys much of what is known about the causes of IBS, which is not much. This condition causes bowel and abdominal pain which is non specific and which often cannot be remedied, leading some to think it is imagined or psychosomatic. One link that is interesting to consider is the link between Low back pain and bowel problems. Some researchers and medical practitioners hypothesize that nerve damage in the lower back, which is often responsible for lower back pain, can also affect the bowels and abdomen by causing muscular pain and by disrupting the nerve flow to the digestive tract and internal organs.

If there is such a link between Low back pain and bowel problems, it would stand to reason that fixing the cause of the lower back pain would also fix the bowel problems. Both of these remedies would be most welcome to those who suffer from both, or from either. Stress reduction therapy, along with the previously mentioned choices of chiropractic or physical therapy, can have a big impact on both problems for those who suffer in this way.

Discuss the facts in this article with your doctor you may be able to kill two birds with one stone and your path to perfect health may be easier than you think.