The back is here to stay, but can the world make that stay comfortable?
Consider that eight out of 10 Americans have a lower back injury at least once _ and many such instances could have been avoided.
There are ways of preventing back injury and proper ways to care for an injured back.
Two Peninsula chiropractors and a physical therapist offer some suggestions:
Stay in shape; keep the weight down; avoid stress; pay attention to what you're doing, especially at home; avoid smoking; use common sense.
If you hurt your back, they agree two steps are mandatory.
* If the pain sticks around, call a doctor
* Always use ice first; don't apply heat until you've talked to your doctor Those talked to were Beverly E. Boon, Newport News chiropractic doctor; John Gray, physical therapist and director of the Back Care Center in Hampton; and M. T. Nimmo, Newport News, chiropractic doctor.
While unanimity prevailed about using ice first, Boon offers a note of caution.
"Immediately after injury, it's always safe to use ice," she says, "unless someone is highly allergic to it. You can tell if they are, if they start turning blue."
Yes, she says, these things do happen.
New Jersey native Boon, in her fifth year in Newport News, offers some generally typical suggestions for "basic back care."
When lifting an object, "always squat, bend your knees, keep your back straight and bring the object in close to the body. Don't reach out to it.
"This way, you're relying on power in the thighs.
"Back muscles aren't for lifting. They're purpose is to support the spinal column, not to take a load. The disc is designed to take a load. Muscles of the spine are for support."
Boon has words of advice for mothers of young children. "Don't carry them on your side on your hips. If the child can walk, bend down, meet them straight on and lift from a bended stance.
"Another thing, make sure all the baby's furniture is adjusted to your height."
Like the other two back specialists, she also emphasizes the importance of stretching. "No matter what activity you're going to do, stretch. Dogs and cats stretch; watch them."
Like her counterparts, she also emphasizes that when back problems are encountered "always consult a doctor."
Then, "if the injury clears up, take it easy. Don't push yourself.
"I've found that when there's injury to the back, people are sensitive and know their limits. They become aware the back is not invincible. They discover it's almost like having another person inside you to nurture and care for.
"If a person has some sort of non-physical problem and is tense and nervous, there tends to be more knotting of the muscles in the lower back. Then, when there is pain there, all the tenseness makes it harder to clear up. So, pay attention to your mental and spiritual health. Don't get angry because that's when your back becomes vulnerable."
Gray puts the seriousness of obesity and smoking into perspective pertaining to the back.
Extra weight, he says, creates "a risk factor. When you're 25 pounds overweight, it's almost like carrying a 25-pound back pack. It puts extra stress on the back, hips, knees, feet and ankles."
Smoking has been linked to lung cancer. But, he says, "few are aware that studies link it to lower back pain and injury."
Briefly, his explanation is that as the cigarette's carbon monoxide travels from the lungs to "all the body tissues, including the muscles, it deconditions the muscular skeletal system ... which is more easily strained and sprained. Thus, the healing time for a back injury can be prolonged by poor circulation ... experienced by heavy smokers."
When trying to prevent low back pain and injury, says Gray, the first step is to eliminate the risk factor and certainly giving up smoking is a step in that direction.
He feels the the way to treat acute lower back injury is to "begin treatment immediately," use cold packs "15 to 20 minutes every two hours" and use heat only if the swelling is gone.
For chronic lower back pain _ "something that lasts three months or more _ heat works well to relax muscles and loosen tight joints. However, some chronic back pain sufferers use cold packs to control pain after exercise."
He recommends quick contact with a physician if there is:
* Muscle weakness in the leg
* Pain, numbness or tingling in the legs
* Change in bladder or bowel functions
* No change in lower back pain after 24 hours.
"Recovery will be eased by medication and a specific exercise and treatment program."
He offers the following "items for consideration if you have lower back pain:"
* Avoid basking in a tub of hot water if the pain increases suddenly, especially if there is swelling. Try ice first.
* Rest is important. If necessary, see a physical therapist for guidance in sleeping posture and medication.
* Proper nutrition is needed to maintain healthy tissues. Also, vitamin supplements can help the body recover from injury.
* "Anti-inflammatory medication is very important but ineffective if not taken regularly as prescribed."
* If coughing or sneezing occurs, try to lean against a wall or support the lower back in other ways. "Don't bend forward when sneezing. This places a lot of stress on lower back discs."
* If you know you are going to lift, see a doctor or physical therapist to learn the safest techniques in regards to your back injury.
* Men should not sit on their wallet. Try keeping it somewhere besides the back pocket.
* Women should skip high-heeled shoes. "Try tennis shoes, flats or heels no higher than an inch."
For chronic lower back pain, Gray suggests consulting "counselors skilled in chronic pain issues." He points out the National Chronic Pain Outreach Assn. "is a non-profit organization that serves as a support group and supplies information regarding chronic pain. For more information call 1-301 652-4948."
Nimmo thinks "People are pretty reckless with their back. They don't take time to do things correctly."
He offers a number of examples. One concerns a mechanic putting a head in an engine. He won't wait for a co-worker and injures himself.
"Any time you lean over and lift something, the further from the body the weight, the more weight it puts on the spine. If you lean away and lift 25 pounds, it puts more than 300 pounds of pressure on the lower back."