By Dr. Gaurav Joshi, Physiotherapist & Specialist in Sports Medicine, Ananda in the Himalayas
Back pain is an ailment that many individuals experience at some point in their lives. In fact, that the number of lower back pain cases will increase to 843 million cases by 2050, driven largely by population expansion and ageing, making it a leading cause of disability worldwide . The economic burden is immense, with healthcare costs in the US alone soaring to an estimated $100 billion annually . Given these staggering statistics, finding effective, sustainable solutions is paramount. Ananda offers a holistic approach to managing chronic back pain by combining ancient wisdom with modern science.
The Causes of Back Pain
Back pain arises from various conditions, which can be classified into the following groups:
• Degenerative: Weakening of musculoskeletal structures over time due to aging, or overuse. Approximately 40% of chronic back pain cases in older adults are attributed to degenerative changes .
• Postural: Long hours in an upright position, pregnancy, and certain occupations can predispose individuals to postural back pain. Poor posture is a leading cause of back pain, affecting approximately 20-30% of the working population.
• Traumatic: Results from direct or indirect contact with an external force, such as whiplash injury, strain, or traumatic fractures. Traumatic injuries account for about 10-15% of back pain cases.
• Metabolic: Calcium and bone metabolism issues like osteoporosis and osteosclerosis can cause symptoms. Osteoporosis, particularly in postmenopausal women, affects 10% of the population over the age of 50 .
• Psychiatric: Back pain presenting in patients with chronic pain syndromes and other mental health conditions. Psychiatric factors, including chronic pain syndromes, contribute to about 10% of back pain cases.
• Inflammatory: Conditions not caused by infection or malignancy, such as ankylosing spondylitis and sacroiliitis. Chronic inflammation can result in spinal arthritis. Inflammatory back pain affects about 3-5% of individuals with chronic back pain.
• Other causes can be Referred pain due to inflammation in visceral organs, oncological pain due to malignant lesions, congenital conditions of the axial skeleton, and infections in the musculoskeletal structures of the back
Why People Tend to Ignore Back Pain
Statistics show that 60% of patients with acute low back pain return to work within one month, and 90% return within three months. Many individuals tend to live with and ignore back pain for several reasons. Either they normalise pain as a part of aging or the physical demands of their work or daily life or have a common fear of what medical intervention might entail, including surgery. The result is usually resorting to temporary relief through over-the-counter pain medications or worse, an addiction to stronger medications without addressing the underlying cause.
Ignoring back pain can lead to several adverse consequences. Untreated back pain can lead to more severe and chronic conditions, potentially requiring more intensive treatment later on. Persistent pain can reduce an individual's mobility and flexibility, affecting their ability to perform daily activities. Chronic pain is closely linked to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, reducing overall quality of life.
Ananda's Holistic Approach
Dr. Gaurav Joshi, Physiotherapist & Specialist in Sports Medicine, Ananda, emphasizes, "Our approach is multi-faceted. We combine the latest in physiotherapy technology with traditional practices like Ayurveda and yoga to provide a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to each patient’s unique needs."
At Ananda, the goal is to address all potential causes of pain through comprehensive assessments and treatments, integrating biochemical interventions through Ayurveda and diet, biomechanical corrections through physiotherapy, energy release through yoga and Chinese medicine, and addressing emotional trauma that manifests as physical pain.
The wellness approach at Ananda is rooted in Vedic healing, enhancing an individual's capability to restore homeostasis (state of balance) in the body and nourish it at the cellular level. However, the center also considers biomechanical factors such as joint malalignment, muscle length changes, muscular and postural imbalances, and compression in articular structures as significant contributors to non-specific pain.
Ananda’s state-of-the-art physiotherapy facility addresses these triggers with detailed musculoskeletal and neuromuscular assessments, including GAIT ON and posture analysis. These assessments help identify mal-alignments and faulty patterns in the body, followed by strength, endurance, agility, and flexibility evaluations for differential diagnosis of capsule, muscle, ligament, or neural/myofascial dysfunctions.
Based on the diagnosis, physiotherapy experts at Ananda tailor treatments to address the root causes. Advanced modalities like Class 4 Laser Therapy, Matrix Rhythm Therapy, instrument-assisted myofascial release tools, intensive cryotherapy treatments, sensory neural stimulators, and physiotherapy adjustment tools are employed. These treatments reduce inflammation, eliminate oxidants causing pain, restore healthy cell frequencies, and ensure maximum mobility in the myofascial tissues.
Once inflammation is reduced and superficial tissues relax, treatments focus on correcting malalignments through muscle energy techniques, myofascial releases, positional release techniques, joint mobilizations, and adjustments. This is followed by rehabilitation and corrective exercises with a wall rehab station or other tools.
Dr. Joshi adds, "Our goal is not just to alleviate pain temporarily but to address the underlying causes and prevent future occurrences. We educate our patients on ergonomic corrections, proper posture, and exercises to maintain their progress and improve their overall quality of life."
In conclusion, Ananda’s holistic and comprehensive approach provides a sustainable solution for managing chronic back pain, addressing not just the symptoms but the root causes, ensuring long-term relief and improved quality of life for its clients.