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Although smartphones and tablets are no doubt convenient to use, these devices can result in serious back pain and bad posture. Mobile devices aren’t the only culprits though, bad posture can also occur while reading a book, sitting at a desk, watching television, etc., it just depends on how you’re sitting or standing while doing these activities.

The pain management physicians at Southwest Spine and Pain Center treat patients with chronic back and neck pain on a consistent basis and witness how debilitating these conditions can be for daily functioning. Therefore, in an effort to prevent the likelihood of others suffering from neck aches and other symptoms, the team is sharing ways to maintain a good posture while using phone and tablets.

Patient Safety Awareness Week begins next week, March 8-14^th, and the team at Southwest Spine and Pain Center wants to take part in this initiative by educating patients on ways to stay safe at home, at the office and with their prescription pain medication. Continue reading for more information on how chronic pain sufferers can stay safe in everyday life!

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Somatization disorder develops in individuals suffering from emotional distress and can cause physical symptoms like headaches, chest and back pain, nausea, fatigue and dizziness. Psychosomatic disorder is another general term for a physical condition that is caused, or made worse by, mental factors. The team at Southwest Spine and Pain Center understands overcoming chronic pain requires more than just modern medicine—it requires a positive attitude too. Therefore, the pain management physicians are sharing what psychological and physical conditions can eventually lead to chronic pain symptoms.

Psychological Conditions

An inversion table is a padded, foldable chair-like device that claims to alleviate low back pain. If you have not seen or used an inversion table before, they work a little something like this: the person using the device straps him or herself onto the table and allows the table to slowly flip him or her over. This is the “inversion” point of the process that is supposed to relieve pressure from your bones, joints and vertebral discs.

Inversion therapy does carry some risks though, primarily because it requires hanging upside down to achieve pain-relieving results. Therefore, individuals who have high blood pressure, heart disease or glaucoma are encouraged to proceed devices like these with caution because they can cause an unsafe rise in pressure.

It’s imperative pain patients understand pain doesn’t just affect them, it affects the people around them as well. Family members who have taken on the role as “caregiver” for someone suffering with pain may want to keep a few things in mind before beginning this journey too. Southwest Spine and Pain Center cares about it’s patient’s and the people closest to them, which is why the team of highly qualified physicians is providing tips to help caregivers manage those suffering from chronic pain conditions.

Face pain, or trigeminal neuralgia, is usually caused by a nerve disorder that creates electric-shock-like pain throughout the lower face and jaw, and/or anywhere near the nose, ears, eyes or lips. Patients suffering from this condition usually describe the pain as “intense” or “burning.” According to Medical News Today, roughly 45,000 people in the U.S. and one million people worldwide have trigeminal neuralgia. Additionally, this chronic condition is twice as common in women and rarely affects people under the age of 40.

Research has suggested smartphone apps, or “mobile medicine” as the trend is often referred to as, are helping pain physicians treat and monitor their patient’s chronic pain symptoms.

During the American Pain Society’s 33^rd Annual Scientific Meeting this past May, presenter Robert Jamison, PhD, professor of anesthesia and psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and pain psychologist with Brigham and Women’s Hospital discussed his findings, stating, “Today the ratio is one pain specialist for every 10,000 patients, but mobile technology allows for easy time-effective coverage of patients at a low cost, offering significant opportunities to improve access to health care, contain costs, and improve clinical outcomes.”

There are a number of situations that can create and/or exacerbate back pain: poor posture, walking in heels, sleeping on an old, uncomfortable mattress, etc. Regardless of the reason, back pain is largely preventable and can be avoided by making relatively easy lifestyle changes. The team at Southwest Spine and Pain Center is addressing the five most common causes of back pain and what to do if you’ve already fallen victim to the condition.

If your job requires standing for extended periods of time (i.e. massage therapy, medical professionals, manufacturing, etc.), you unfortunately have an increased risk of developing some of the complications that come with continued standing. Some of these complications may include: low back pain, varicose veins, poor circulation and leg cramps. The team at Southwest Spine and Pain Center wants to minimize your chance of inheriting these symptoms, which is why they’re providing ways to manage back pain while standing for long periods of time.

Be Cognizant Of Your Standing Position