How Placebo Pills Can Help to Reduce Back Pain

Those who suffer from chronic back pain would likely do anything to help ease their symptoms. And results of a new study from researchers at Harvard medical school have found that patients knowingly taking a placebo for their pain improved more than patients who took medication for it.

Placebo Effect
In most human trials, a section of participants will be given a placebo drug so that scientists can compare the results between the real medication and a non-active pill. Those who participate in these studies do not usually know whether they have been allocated the active or non-active medicationor not.

However, in this study, patients with chronic back pain knew they were taking a placebo. On average, this group reported a thirty per cent pain reduction after a three-week course compared to a nine to sixteen per cent reduction among those who were taking active pain medication.

Brain Power
Ted Kaptchuk, the study author,said that the results of the research showed that, while back pain is a very real condition, individuals have the brain power to relieve more discomfort than they realise. He added, “You’re never going to shrink a tumour or unclog an artery with placebo intervention. It’s not a cure-all, but it makes people feel better, for sure. Our lab is saying you can’t throw the placebo into the trash can. It has clinical meaning, it’s statistically significant, and it relieves patients. It’s essential to what medicine means.”

Claudia Carvalho, who co-authored the study, said that it is important for patients to feel cared for, and added, “Taking placebo pills to relieve symptoms without a warm and empathic relationship with a healthcare provider relationship probably would not work.”

A Comfortable Bed

While medication and placebo pills obviously help with back pain, a good comfortable bed can also work wonders. Here at Beds Glasgow, we have a superb range of beds and mattresses made to provide the ultimate comfort every single night.

Check out our fabulous range of mattresses, which includes orthopaedic options and memory foam for added comfort.

The Original Article Published at Beds Glasgow Blog Here

Could Counselling Help When It Comes to Treating Back Pain?

One of the most common problems that people have these days is back pain, and those who suffer from it know how excruciating it can be. Many will head straight to their doctor or take to their bed when they have back pain, but often it can be a poor mattress that contributes to the pain in the first place.

For those who are in need of a new mattress and suffer regular or occasional back pain, an orthopaedic mattress might be the ideal choice. Orthopaedic mattresses provide plenty of support for the lumbar region while many have hypo-allergenic properties that also make them the perfect choice for those with allergies.

Counselling for Back Pain?

Medication, physio and good support are often the preferred remedies for back pain, but new research has now suggested that social and psychological factors could be one of the causes of back pain. And based on this, researchers recommend that treatment for the issue should include counselling.

David Rogers is a leading physiotherapist who has been practising a psychological approach to back pain for the past six years at Birmingham’s Royal Orthopaedic Hospital. He believes that certain thinking patterns can contribute to back pain, and he has a number of techniques that have proved to be effective when treating the condition.

He said, “Research has identified that psychological and social factors such as the way patients think about their back pain, as well as depression and anxiety are stronger predictors of long-term pain and disability than physical factors.”

Many people are afraid to move when they have back pain because they fear they will make the problem worse, hence causing depression, anxiety and distress, which consequently can all make the pain worse. Changing thinking through the use of counselling can be very effective when treating back pain.

Preventing Back Problems

There is no doubting that prevention of back pain is important, and one way to do this is with good support at night. Here at Beds Glasgow, we have a range of orthopaedic mattresses that will support your back while you sleep, helping to reduce any discomfort or pain.

Contact us today for more information or to find out more about our fantastic prices on beds and mattresses.

The Original Article Published at Beds Glasgow Blog Here

Can Yoga Prevent Back Pain?

Back pain is something that will affect most people at some point in their life. It is not usually a serious condition, but it can be extremely painful. Those who suffer from back pain will commonly find themselves heading straight to their bed for a lie-down. What they are not considering, though, is that the bed could actually be the cause of their problems.

An orthopaedic mattress might be the answer to these individuals’ back problems. This type of mattress provides support to the lumbar region of the back, making them ideal for those suffering from lower back problems. Another great feature of these mattresses is that most are manufactured from hypo-allergenic materials, making them ideal for those who suffer from allergies as well as back pain.

Yoga to Treat Back Pain

Most people will opt for physio or medication if they are experiencing severe back pain. However, new research has shown that yoga can be effective in helping to reduce this back pain.

Robert B. Saper, MD, director of integrative medicine at Boston Medical Centre in the United States presented his study at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Management 2016. He said, “It’s effectiveness was most obvious among those who stayed with the yoga.”

The study enrolled 320 adult patients from community health centres in Boston who suffered from chronic back pain with no apparent causes. Patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups:

1. Yoga
2. Education
3. PT

The yoga group had a weekly class lasting seventy-five minutes and also had a very low student-to-teacher ratio. The PT group had fifteen, sixty-minute sessions that were on a one-to-one basis, which included aerobic exercises. The education group received a voluminous book on back pain.

Those who took part in the yoga reported being ‘very satisfied’ and ‘very improved’.

Affordable Orthopaedic Mattresses

Purchasing a new bed can be challenging for many people, due to a variety of reasons, including health issues and cost. Nevertheless, Beds Glasgow has a huge range of affordable beds that include orthopaedic mattresses that can support your back and minimise pain when sleeping.

The Original Article Published at Beds Glasgow Blog Here