Health Help

How can I treat my lower back pain, and prevent it from getting worse, without surgery?

Lower back pain is very common, and may not always originate from slipped discs. While the origins of back pain may be difficult to identify, there are some ways to manage the pain and prolong your lower back health without surgical intervention. These include:

• Maintaining proper posture is key advice that is all too often ignored. Try paying more attention to the positions that expose you to lower back pain so that you can reduce the risk of developing that pain.

• Physiotherapy, which usually entails muscle strengthening exercises, heat and traction, and other techniques. A physiotherapy programme is also beneficial because it can help you understand how your back and legs move in relation to other muscles.

• An active lifestyle that includes calisthenics, yoga and Pilates; these types of exercise can help conserve your back health by strengthening the surrounding core.

Additionally, there are specialised, minimally invasive procedures that can be performed by pain management doctors to help reduce the pain symptoms, and with minimal downtime for the patient. While most of these interventions involve needles to apply medication or therapy to the likely sources of pain, there is no acupuncture involved.

A detailed consult with your pain management physician can help you gain clarity on the most suitable treatment for your lower back pain.

Be A Lifesaver

Imperative for both planned treatments and urgent interventions, blood can help patients suffering from life-threatening conditions to live longer, and support medical and surgical procedures. It’s also vital for treating wounds during emergencies, from natural disasters to accidents that can affect any of us. In fact, every blood donation can save up to three lives, according to Singapore Red Cross. Once the blood is donated, it’s tested, stored and distributed, then used for transfusions.

So, in honour of World Blood Donor Day on 14 June, here’s a list of blood banks across Singapore where you can safely donate this life-saving gift.

• Bloodbank@HSA (Health Sciences Authority), 11 Outram Road

• Bloodbank@Dhoby Ghaut, #B1-05-10 Dhoby Exchange, 11 Orchard Road

• Bloodbank@Woodlands, #05-07 Woodlands Civic Centre, 900 South Woodlands Drive

• Bloodbank@Westgate Tower, #10-01-05 Westgate Tower, 1 Gateway Drive

Book your appointment and learn more at redcross.sg/give-blood.