$Unique_ID{BRK00809}
$Pretitle{Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue}
$Title{The Readers Speak: Back Injury}
$Subject{low back treatment}
$Volume{M-18}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


THE READERS SPEAK


------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     There was quite a bit of mail about a recent response to a reader who had
suffered a back injury.  The tradition of bed rest and pain pills as treatment
is giving way to newer techniques using exercise to build strength in muscles
that have been injured, and to condition them against future injury.  One
reader suggested that I was just old fashioned, while another suggested that I
do a bit more reading.  Another, a bit less damaging to my ego, suggested
presenting the "other side" of the question, as a service to my "medical
colleagues" who read this column.  And there is evidence that early
rehabilitation programs can be effective in restoring patients to their daily
routines.  Bed rest is not only considered less than effective but may cause
further deterioration in the strength of the muscles.  It may take as many as
three days of activity to make up for the physical losses that result from a
single day of bed rest, according to one authority.  The new courses of
therapy differ, but essentially consist of three stages.  At first measures to
control pain, such as heat and massage and range of motion exercises, then
resistance exercises that gradually build to strenuous exercise.  There should
be no bending or weight lifting during the initial stages and even sitting for
long periods of time should be avoided.  Isometric and stretching exercises
are next before the dynamic strengthening exercises begin.  It would seem that
there is another side to the story, if the patient can be motivated to
complete a program that involves work instead of rest.
ÿ
----------------

The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
