Back pain is a symptom, not a disease. It can have any number of different causes, some very minor in comparison with the resulting pain and disability, others complex and deep-rooted. In addition, back pain can be a symptom of illnesses and physical disorders – that have nothing to do with the back. Family doctors, their clinics already overflowing, may have neither the time nor the specialized training to deal with cases that can be difficult and time-consuming to diagnose and even more difficult to treat. In the light of this, a growing number of people suffering from chronic conditions, such as back pain, skin complaints and allergies, are seeking and finding relief through alternative therapies.
The medical establishment is beginning to acknowledge the benefits of some therapies, especially osteopathy, chiropractic and acupuncture. Indeed, so effective are osteopathy and chiropractic as therapies for back pain that they are now considered almost “conventional” treatments.
The fact that more space is devoted to “alternative” than to “conventional” medicine does not imply a value judgment, it is merely that there are more alternative therapies with reported benefits for back pain than conventional ones. In fact, many of these therapies have become so widespread and well regarded that even the description “alternative” is falling out of favor. The term “complementary therapies” is often preferred, to help emphasize that the so-called natural therapies should be viewed as complementary to conventional medical treatment rather than as alternatives to it.
The majority of episodes of back pain clear up by themselves within a few days. If not, you may consult your family doctor and have a perfectly satisfactory outcome. However, if your back pain does not get better or keeps recurring and your family doctor or hospital specialist cannot help, don’t despair. Out there somewhere is the perfect therapy or combination of therapies for you.
Complementary practitioners have the time and training to look beyond the straightforward “scientific” approach of cause and effect and, instead, take a more holistic approach, viewing your symptoms in the context of your environment, personality and even emotional make-up. As a result, similar symptoms are often treated in completely different ways. Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine have a saying that sums this up: “One disease, different treatments. Different diseases, one treatment.”