Chronic low back pain or back-ache can be due to different causes. A faulty posture with poor muscular tone is one of the most common causes for this condition, and can be easily remedied by regular exercises, some loss of weight, and adopting an active life-style.
There are however, several serious causes for this condition, which need energetic and effective treatment. A slipped or herniated disc is a common cause, and can cause chronic pain by exerting pressure on the nerves coming out from the inter-vertebral openings. Arthritis of the spine and sacro-iliac joints is another common condition which can cause chronic low back pain. These conditions can be treated using Ayurvedic medicines which reduce pain, swelling and inflammation, and also sooth irritated nerves. A combination of oral medicines and local treatment is very effective in relieving pain and muscular spasm. Rest may be required in the acute phase, while regulated activity and exercise is recommended in the chronic phase.
A more serious cause of chronic, intractable low back pain is fracture and/or collapse of the vertebrae, resulting in bulging of the vertebral column, displacement of the vertebrae, and severe pressure on the nerves, which can result in neurological deficits, pain, limitation of movement, loss of sphincter control, and paralysis of limbs. Modern medicines are usually not successful in controlling the pain and neurological symptoms associated with this condition. Orthopoedic surgeons usually advise surgery to correct the condition; however, the results after surgery are usually not very promising. Some patients get partial benefit; some get no benefit; while a few may in fact have aggravation of pain, not to mention the risks usually associated with any major surgery.
Ayurvedic treatment in such a situation can be very effective in relieving pain as well as neurological deficits, and can prevent further deterioration and loss of mobility. Treatment is aimed at strengthening the vertebrae, the spinal muscles, and treating the irritation and inflammation of nerves. Ayurvedic panchkarma procedures like medicated enema may be required in a few patients. It may be difficult for modern physicians to visualise how the structural pathology in this condition can be treated without actual physical manipulation of the vertebral column; however, experience has consistently shown that severely incapacitated patients have benefited from Ayurvedic treatment and do not experience a relapse in their condition.
Ayurvedic treatment can thus prove to be a boon for patients with chronic and intractable low back pain.
The writer, Dr. A. A. Mundewadi, is available as an online Ayurvedic Consultant at http://www.ayurvedaphysician.com/
