Three must-know things about three important things.

Back pain

Back pain (specially, lower back pain) is an extremely common condition that most of us have experienced and or will experience.

  1. Back pain is most commonly caused by relatively minor issues such as muscular spasm. Most instances of back pain require simple measures like mild painkillers, heat, and a short period of rest.
  2. The biggest worry regarding back pain is usually the possibility of a pinched nerve and or permanent nerve damage. The nerves (that trigger movement and carry all sensation) that run all the way from the brain to the feet, and back, pass through the lower spine. In some cases the lower spine can impinge or compress or pinch these nerves. This might cause pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in the leg and foot. This can, sometimes, lead to permanent nerve damage and significant disability. These are the cases where a surgical intervention may be best.
  3. Staying slim and active is probably the best way to avoid serious back pain problems. It won’t guarantee a perfect spine-life but it will improve the odds quite a bit.

Birth control

Birth control, or contraception, has been used throughout the ages. But it is in in modern times that we have seen the advent of truly effective contraception options.

  1. Contraception allows for the avoidance and or deliberate planning or pregnancies. This offers a great many advantages to the modern parent (father and mother). It also creates some complexities and controversies around matters such as morality, religion, societal opinion, gender roles, potential side effects, and more. These are to be respected and are respected. But this piece will not apologise for seeing modern contraception as empowering and positive (especially for women it must be said). Overall and on balance.
  2. The most reliable contraceptives are hormonal contraceptives. These are used by women either as pills (taken daily) or injections (every two or three months). Used correctly, hormonal contraception is over 99% reliable. By comparison, barrier methods like condoms can only offer something like 85% reliability, although they play an important role in preventing the spread of STIs.
  3. Sterilisation is a surgical procedure that makes the patient infertile. A man or a woman can be sterilised although the male operation is easier, quicker, safer, and cheaper. Sterilisation is permanent – yes, some cases can be reversed but this is tricky, expensive, and often unsuccessful.

Blood pressure

Blood pressure is the physical pressure within blood vessels. It is usually measured in “millimetres of mercury” (mmHg). It comprises two values: the systolic pressure is the pressure as the heart beats while the diastolic pressure is the pressure between heart beats. Blood pressure is therefore expressed as two numerics e.g. 120 / 80.

  1. Low blood pressure is very rare and almost always insignificant and really a non-issue medically. High blood pressure is associated with an increased risk of several medical conditions, most notably heart attack and stroke.
  2. High blood pressure causes no symptoms. You cannot feel your blood pressure. To know your blood pressure you have to physically measure it.
  3. The treatment of high blood pressure is a combination of lifestyle change (diet and exercise mainly) and medication (usually long-term life-long). With good patient compliance this can be quite effective and it can lower the risk of stroke and heart attack significantly.

Written by Dr Colin Burns