Kathmandu, April 23

Doctors have warned people suffering from back pain against taking long bed rest, as staying in bed for long makes the spine stiff and increases pain.

Doctors say bed rest is not the solution to back pain. Instead immediate consultation with spine surgeon and proper treatment is necessary to ease back pain.

Back pain is very common among people. Four out of five individuals will experience an episode of back pain once in their life time.

However, in majority cases of back pain, the pain subsides in two weeks, according to Dr Gaurav Raj Dhakal, spine surgeon at National Trauma Centre, Bir Hospital.

“Many patients visiting the hospital often say they take bed rest when they suffer from back pain. However, bed rest stretching for longer than two days does not benefit,” says Dr Dhakal.

People also recover without any bed rest, however, in severe cases, physical therapy is the shortest route to recovery. “Longer period of bed rest leads to slower recovery. The muscles become weak and lose their strength. The muscles become weak by 30 per cent if you rest on a bed for a week,” informed the doctor.

However, people with spine injuries, infections and unstable spine may need longer periods of bed rest as determined by the consultant spine surgeon.

It was also found that majority of patients suffering from back pain tend to use lumbar belts for an indefinite period. “Lumbar belts when used improperly cause more harm than good. The spine muscles weaken with continuous use of such belts. Hence, it is advised that such belts should not be worn unless specifically indicated,” added Dr Dhakal.