2 Common Back Pain Products Clarified: TENS & Muscle Balance Therapy A few years ago when I was teaching, I hurt my back and I experienced the worst back pain imaginable. That is when my search for pain relief products really started. I started looking for lotion, pills, pads or anything else that would help get rid of the pain so I could teach again. This went on and on before I finally sought the help of a chiropractor who recommended the best product ever, which really helped. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) – I must tell you that this machine is the best thing I have ever come across. It is like a massage in a bag. The TENS machine uses electrical pulses to stimulate your muscles through your nerves. Basically, it sends a tiny jolt of electricity through your skin into your nerve. This tells your brain to contract and release the muscle. The pulsating motion of the electrical stimulation gives you the massage feeling. The only drawback is that you should not wear the TENS machine for too long, as it can start to hurt after awhile. But, you won’t know it has caused problems until later. Muscle Balance Therapy – This is probably the most under-used treatment out there. It has given relief to thousands of people and has helped prevent some injury. As you might have guessed, it works by balancing the muscles in your back. Normal people tend to favor one side over the other. You can test this out by watching people around you. You will see they will tend to grab things with one hand. They will also step up with the same leg each time. It is just human nature. But, this will throw the back out of alignment. The imbalance puts an unfair strain on one side of our body. We will always pull one way. Reckon of muscle balance therapy like rotating your car’s tires. It helps get everything back in alignment so we can wear everything out equally. This way everything works together and stays in working order. Positive Effects of Back Pain Products – Ideally, when our muscles are coordinated, the discs in our backs don’t cause us problems. We don’t have problems like prolapsed discs, slipped discs, herniated discs or bulging discs. When our muscles are balanced and our spine is aligned, the muscles can be toned and everything is where it should be. This prevents accidental injury from turning “incorrect,” from slipping, and from twisting. My favorite product was the TENS unit. I liked it and it helped relieve the pain the most. But, I did use it combined with muscle balance therapy, physical therapy, massage therapy and spinal manipulation. It was all part of my Progressive Rehab plot. Progressive Rehab Clarified – For those of you not familiar with Progressive Rehab, it is a treatment option that combines the latest chiropractic techniques with traditional therapy. They take your current condition and develop a plot to get you pain free. They work with you to make sure you are fully recovered. Basically, they want to make sure they are treating the cause of the back pain and not just the symptoms.

Several studies have been completed and reported on the success rates of the treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain using the mechanized Spinal Decompression machine. One study recently appeared in May 2007 in Chiropractic and Osteopathy. It compared success rates from the use of a non-surgical intermittent mechanized traction machine with the use of TENS in relieving low back pain due to a herniated or bulging disc. First, to know any study, you need a picture of the disorder and the chronic misery it causes. Back pain due to an injury or accident is the leading Workmen’s Comp injury and the main reason for disability in people under 45. The spinal column is made up vertebrae stacked one on top of another. Between each vertebra is a tough, fibrous cushion, called an intervertebral disc, which contains a jelly-like substance. These discs act as cushions absorbing shock and allowing the spine to bend, twist and turn. Healthy discs are thick, flexible and compress when pressure is place upon them, like a sponge. When there is an injury, the vertebra may shift out of alignment or compress the disc causing the disc to bulge or rupture, out the jelly like substance. This herniated disc or bulging disc causes pressure on the spinal nerves, resulting in pain, numbness, and may progress to decreased function in the affected arm or leg. It is also known as:• a pinched nerve• sciatica• a blown out disc• a slipped discThe protrusion of the disc or its core material not only causes pressure on the spinal nerves, it compresses blood vessels and interferes with circulation to the area. Deprived of nutrients and oxygen, the disc cannot heal, and, over time, flattens, becoming stiff and hard, just like a dry sponge. This condition develops into degenerative disc disease. Standard treatment has included:• Physical/chiropractic therapy• epidural injections (an injection into the epidural space of the spinal cord)• NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs)• Hot or cold packs with massage • Electrical stimulation (TENS)• Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression• Acupuncture • Surgery – as a final resort A treatment method that is gaining support is Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression, in which some studies show a success rate of 71% to 90%. An FDA approved machine, using a computerized program gently stretches the patient’s spine, slowly drawing the vertebrae apart, relieving pressure on the disc, allowing it to heal. Testing of the machine continues and a recent study compares treatment results of Decompression Therapy with that of the TENS ( Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) unit. TENS is a small unit which can be worn during therapy. This FDA approved treatment for back pain delivers low-volt electrical current to the affected area through electrodes. Its electrodes pierce the skin just deep enough to reach nerve fibers, usually 1 to 2 inches. It activates the body’s pain fighting mechanisms and may be used several hours a day. The StudyThe object of the study was to compare the effectiveness of the two treatment methods in relieving pain and improving mobility in patients with a bulging or herniated disc. Subjects were recruited through newspaper advertisements and had to meet several criteria for inclusion in the testing:• Disc protrusion or herniation confirmed by MRI (Magnetic Resonate Imaging) or CT scan (Computerized Tomography)• Low Back Pain for 3 months or more; could be associated with pain radiating to one or both legs. • Average duration of pain was 7. 3 yearsThe study enrolled 44 patients; the average age was 42 years. The group was initially divided into 2 groups of 22 people each. • Spinal Decompression treatments consisted of 30 minute sessions, 5 times a week for 4 weeks. This was followed by once a week treatment for 4 additional weeks. • The TENS Group received treatment with a TENS unit for 30 minutes daily for 20 days. This was followed by a weekly treatment for 4 additional weeks. • Both groups were able to take anti-inflammatory and non-narcotic pain relievers. The ResultsThe outcome was measured by the 10 centimeter Visual Analog Pain Scale (VAS) and a disability scale. The disability scale rated the subject’s ability to perform their most affected activity on a 0 to 4 scale, with 4 being “could do an activity without limitation”. Success was defined as a 50% improvement in the VAS, showing the degree of pain relief. Any decrease in disability was given a positive rating. During the study, 4 subjects dropped out, leaving 19 in the Decompression Group and 21 in the TENS Group, a total of 40 participants. Conclusions:Spinal Decompression:• 13 out of 19 people (68. 4%) showed improvement. • The 6 months follow-up showed 7 out of 19 people maintained their level of improvementTENS Treatment:• 0 out of 21 subjects showed any improvement. . Additional scientific studies are being plotted or are underway now to demonstrate conclusively the treatment effectiveness of Spinal Decompression Therapy.