New Research Suggests THIS Secret Weapon for Fixing Back Pain
September 17, 2021
New Research Suggests THIS Secret Weapon for Fixing Back Pain
Back pain can make even the simplest things, such as walking or bending over, extremely difficult. It can impact both your physical and mental health as well as your energy levels and productivity.
If you suffer from back pain, you aren’t alone. According to the American Chiropractic Association, back pain is the single leading cause of disability across the globe. It's also one of the most common reasons for missed work.
Understanding the back
The back is a complex structure. It's made of bones, joints, muscles, and ligaments. A strained muscle, sprained ligament, or ruptured disk can all cause back pain, especially low back pain.
Back injuries are caused by all sorts of things, including:
Those with physical jobs that require a lot of bending over and heavy lifting are also more prone to experiencing injuries that lead to back pain.
Treatment for back pain
While many people take over-the-counter pain and anti-inflammatory medications to ease back pain, these treatments only target the symptoms. This means that relief is temporary.
To address back pain once and for all, treatment must address the underlying cause. One of the latest advances in treating back pain are intramuscular B12 injections.
Here’s what you need to know about this innovative treatment for addressing your back pain.
B12 injections for low back pain
Aside from medications and supplements, many people use chiropractic, physical therapy and other non-pharmaceutical approaches to help heal their back. And while these therapies work, wouldn’t it be nice to get back to a pain-free life even sooner?
Vitamin B12 may help you get back to feeling your best even faster!
Also known as cobalamin, vitamin B12 plays a role in the production of healthy red blood cells in the body. These cells carry oxygen throughout the body. Research has also found that B12 plays a role in spine health.
Not only do B vitamins reduce inflammation throughout the body, they also help to replace damaged spinal nerves. Inflammation is the most common cause of chronic back pain.
You may have a B12 deficiency
Even if you take a multivitamin and eat a relatively balanced diet, you can still be deficient in vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 deficiency is common in people who have anemia, which impacts one in every 10,000 people.
Other groups of people are also at risk of a vitamin B12 deficiency. Females, people over the age of 60, and patients with autoimmune conditions are more likely to be deficient in B12. Other conditions, such as stomach ulcers, celiac disease, and Crohn’s disease can also contribute to a B12 deficiency.
How B12 injections work
Studies have found that vitamin B12 injections decrease lower back pain. While you can eat foods rich in B12, such as salmon, clams, and fortified cereals, injections are the best way to not only ensure that your levels are in a healthy range but also that you are targeting the right area.
Instead of having to ensure you eat certain foods each day, an injection is quick, simple, and straight-forward. Injections contain a carefully measured amount of vitamin B12, so the dose is always accurate.
What research shows
Both animal and human-based trials have seen great results. A study review conducted in 2019 found that animal studies support many beneficial effects of vitamin B12, including the inhibition of cyclooxygenase enzymes and other pain-signaling pathways.
Animal studies also found that the vitamin regenerates nerves in the back. When combined with other pain medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamin B12 offers synergistic benefits.
The same review also found that clinical trials show evidence of vitamin B12 injections used for treating low back pain and neuralgia.
How often are injections needed?
Everyone’s back pain is different. Some people respond well to just one or two injections while others require them more frequently to keep their back pain at bay.
The number of injections that you’ll need is also dependent on how deficient you are in vitamin B12. Generally, injections are administered monthly, which gives all of the structures in the back time to benefit.
Other uses
While more studies need to be conducted to confirm the effectiveness of B12, it’s thought that these injections can also be used to treat pain in other areas of the body.
For example, B12 injections may be useful in helping those who experience neck pain, especially due to the proximity to the back.
No one should live a life led by pain and discomfort. As animal and clinical studies continue to be conducted, there’s more hope than ever that safer treatment options for pain are right around the corner.
Interested in intramuscular B12 therapy? Choose Align Integrated Medical
From back pain to knee pain to fatigue, Align Integrated Medical offers short term care that provides long term results. We use a modern approach to solve some of today’s most common functional health problems.
Instead of just treating your aches and pains, our team works to identify and fix the underlying cause. We do this using an approach known as fundamental medicine. This is a team approach that involves a combination of regenerative and functional medicine, as well as chiropractic services, massage therapy, and progressive focused rehab.
Our goal is to focus on the “why” instead of just the “what.”
Ready to get back to a pain-free life? Align Integrated Medical offers B12 injections along with other treatment options for back pain along with many other functional health issues.
To learn more or to schedule an appointment, contact our team at 208-639-1397. We look forward to helping you feel your best.
