Got Back Pain? Try Yoga Or Massage Before Reaching For The Pills

 

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Lower back pain - yeah, you know who you are. You're not alone, though. Most of us will suffer from lower back pain sometime in our lives. And when it happens, many of us will reach for pain medication. But new guidelines from the American College of Physicians say don't do it. You're supposed to try yoga or acupuncture¹. Now, before you roll your eyes, listen to Patti Neighmond's report.

PATTI NEIGHMOND, BYLINE²: Your back is killing³ you. You really want pain relief. But not so fast, says Dr. Nitin Damle, president of the American College of Physicians. In contrast to lots of other pain, he says, acute back pain - not the chronic⁴ kind - usually goes away.

NITIN DAMLE: The body will adjust, and it'll heal. And the inflammation will go down pretty much on its own.

NEIGHMOND: It may take a week or even 10 days, but there are things you can do, other than medication, to speed the process along.

DAMLE: Superficial heat, massage⁵, acupuncture, spinal⁶ manipulation really is adequate for treating this problem.

NEIGHMOND: Exercise like yoga and tai chi can relax muscles, joints⁷ and tendons.

DAMLE: So that people can, you know, be relieved of their low back pain a little bit sooner rather than later.

NEIGHMOND: Techniques that distract people from pain, like mindfulness and purposeful relaxation⁸, can also help. Bottom line - if not needed, why risk the side effects of medication?

DAMLE: They can give you gastritis. They can give you stomach upset. They can raise your blood pressure.

NEIGHMOND: Now, if non-drug treatments just aren't working and pain continues, the guidelines suggest medication to reduce inflammation and, in some cases, low-level painkillers⁹. Primary care doctor Steven Atlas¹⁰ with Massachusetts General Hospital says the guidelines are a needed change.

STEVEN ATLAS: It's moving away from simple fixes to a more complex view that how to make the back better involves a lot of lifestyle changes that a pill isn't going to solve.

NEIGHMOND: Regular exercise can strengthen core muscles and protect the back. And powerful painkillers, like opioids, should be considered only as a last resort.

Patti Neighmond, NPR News.

1 acupuncture   

n.针灸，针刺法，针疗法

参考例句：

• Written records show that acupuncture dates back to the Song Dynasty.文字记载表明，宋朝就已经有了针灸。
• It's known that acupuncture originated in China.众所周知，针灸起源于中国。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

5 massage   

n.按摩，揉；vt.按摩，揉，美化，奉承，篡改数据

参考例句：

• He is really quite skilled in doing massage.他的按摩技术确实不错。
• Massage helps relieve the tension in one's muscles.按摩可使僵硬的肌肉松弛。

6 spinal   

adj.针的，尖刺的，尖刺状突起的；adj.脊骨的，脊髓的

参考例句：

• After three days in Japan,the spinal column becomes extraordinarily flexible.在日本三天，就已经使脊椎骨变得富有弹性了。
• Your spinal column is made up of 24 movable vertebrae.你的脊柱由24个活动的脊椎骨构成。

7 joints   

接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语）

参考例句：

• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on gas mains. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在煤气的总管道上了。
• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on steam pipes. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在蒸气管道上了。

8 relaxation   

n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐

参考例句：

• The minister has consistently opposed any relaxation in the law.部长一向反对法律上的任何放宽。
• She listens to classical music for relaxation.她听古典音乐放松。

9 painkillers   

n.止痛药( painkiller的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The doctor gave him some painkillers to ease the pain. 医生给了他一些止疼片以减缓疼痛。 来自辞典例句
• The primary painkillers - opiates, like OxyContin - are widely feared, misunderstood and underused. 人们对主要的镇痛药——如鸦片剂奥施康定——存在广泛的恐惧、误解，因此没有充分利用。 来自时文部分

10 atlas   

n.地图册，图表集

参考例句：

• He reached down the atlas from the top shelf.他从书架顶层取下地图集。
• The atlas contains forty maps,including three of Great Britain.这本地图集有40幅地图，其中包括3幅英国地图。