Spinal Manipulation
Spinal manipulation is literally a "hands-on" approach in which professionally licensed specialists use leverage and a series of exercises to adjust spinal structures and restore back mobility.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture involves the insertion of needles the width of a human hair along precise points throughout the body. Practitioners believe that this process triggers the release of naturally occurring painkilling molecules called peptides and keeps the body's normal flow of energy unblocked. Clinical studies are measuring the effectiveness of acupuncture in comparison to more conventional procedures in the treatment of acute (short-term)
lower back pain.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is used to treat many acute pain problems, most notably
back pain and
headache. Using a special electronic machine, the patient is trained to become aware of, to follow, and to gain control over certain bodily functions, including muscle tension, heart rate, and skin temperature (by controlling local blood flow patterns). The patient can then learn to effect a change in his or her response to pain, for example, by using relaxation techniques. Biofeedback is often used in combination with other treatment methods, generally without side effects.
Interventional Therapy
Interventional therapy can ease chronic (long-term) pain by blocking nerve conduction between specific areas of the body and the brain. Approaches to interventional therapy can range from injections of local anesthetics, steroids, or narcotics into affected soft tissues, joints, or nerve roots to more complex nerve blocks and spinal cord stimulation. When extreme pain is involved, low doses of drugs may be administered by catheter directly into the spinal cord. Chronic use of steroid injections may lead to increased functional impairment.
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