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Well-being
Lower back
pain and
how to prevent it
at the work place
According to the Spanish Rheumatology
Society, 70-80% of individuals could have
at least one episode of lower back pain du-
ring their lives and this is one of the most
frequent reasons for going to the doctor
and the second cause of sick leave. In most
cases, the source of back pain is mecha-
nical-functional and is due to bad posture,
over exertion, and psychological factors.
Back pain is treated with drugs, and the
best treatment is prevention before it takes
place and learning the right posture to pre-
vent relapse in the future.
Definition
Lumbalgia or lumbago is the term used to
define lower back pain in the lumbar area,
caused by a muscle-bone syndrome, that
is, disorders related to the lumbar verte-
brae and the structure of soft tissue such
as muscle, ligaments, nerves, and inter-
vertebrae discs all of which could be due
to multiple factors such as over exertion,
or bad posture, according to the Spanish
Rheumatology Society. Getting a good
diagnosis before starting treatment for non-
specific back pain is very important in order
to rule out infection, cancer, osteoporosis,
or injuries requiring surgery
The lower lumbar spine is the final segment
of the backbone and the zone that su-
Most of the time, pain goes away without having to resort to any medical treatment.
Nevertheless, many patients are subjected, more often than desired, to excessive tests
to diagnose the illness; they receive different therapies which are not always the most
effective and in the worst case scenario, the damages it can cause outweighs the
benefits.
Treatment of lower back pain involves analgesics, muscle relaxants, and the applica-
tion of heat in the painful area.
Analgesics: taken to relieve pain, for example, paracetamol (alone or in combination
with weak opiates such as codeine.), metamizol.
Anti-inflammatory medication: used to control inflammation and pain. The ones most
frequently used are AINES such as, for example: ibuprofen, diclofenac, dexketoprofen,
etc.
Muscle relaxants: these are used to relax muscles, relieve pain caused by muscle
spasms; the most used are from the benzaliadezepin group, such as tetrazepam,
diazepam, cyclobenzaprine during a period not exceeding 3 months.
Pharmacological treatment