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A common procedure for back pain is to inject steroids into the affected area. This has been a standard conventional treatment for back pain. You may be surprised to find out that studies, including a recent one, have demonstrated these injections are not all that effective. A recent study compared a shot that combined steroids with the pain reducing/anesthetic medication lidocaine to a shot with only lidocaine in patients with back and leg pain. At the beginning of the study those given the steroid and lidocaine combination did better. But, when patients were monitored over six weeks there was little difference in pain relief. And the most troubling discover as you may expect was that side effects from the steroid combination was approximately five times more common. Of course steroids can also damage your skin, immune system, bones, and other internal organs. Other reviews have found steroid shots no better than placebo. It makes more sense to utilize natural therapies as a first line of treatment. Natural therapies can include chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, cold laser therapy, massage, and pain relieving supplements such as MSM and turmeric. As well, more holistic injections can be used such as your own stem cells or non medicinal ingredients to relieve pain and stabilize the back structure such as prolotherapy.
Collagen and Arthritis | Natural Treatments
