Herniated discs, muscle strains and degenerating spine nerves can cause back pain. Significant weight gain and hormonal shifts can also contribute to the discomfort. Physicians and lay persons continue to create and find medications and therapies that will alleviate back pain. Lidoderm is a medicine provides relief from spinal and related muscle pain.
About Lidoderm
Lidoderm is an adhesive patch that contains 5% lidocaine. The medication gives users relief from back pain caused for a myriad of reasons including herpetic neuralgia (PHN). The drug is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for pain associated with PHN. Ingredients in the drug include gelatin, kaolin, dihydroxyaluminum aminoacetate, edetate, glycerin, sodium polyacrylate, D-sorbitol, tartaric acid, and urea. The FDA approved the usage of three Lidoderm patches within a span of 24-hours. The medicated patch works its way beneath epidermal and dermal layers of the user's skin. Because the medication penetrates the skin, Lidoderm patches should only be applied to areas of your skin that have no breaks or cuts.
Back Pain Causes
Back pain can strike people of all ages, cultures and walks of life. You might begin to experience back pain as you age, if you gain a significant amount of weight, become pregnant, do a lot of heavy lifting, smoke, fail to give yourself regular exercise or as a result of other pre-existing illnesses like arthritis, endometriosis or fibromyalgia. Genetics can cause back pain directly related to disc disease. The discomfort can be mild or sharp and can start suddenly or increase in severity over time. Many people begin to feel pain in their back when they reach their late 30s or 40s. Poor diet can prevent your back from receiving adequate nutrients to keep the discs in your back strong. Prolonged stress can cause your muscles to tighten or tense up which, over time, can cause significant discomfort.
Joint Pain
Lidoderm requires a written physician's prescription before you can use the medication. Your doctor might prescribe the drug for pain relief if you have shingles on your back or if you are experiencing joint back pain. The lidocaine patches numb the pain in your back and are applied over the affected area for 12 hour time periods. Lidoderm has low incidences of interfering with other medicines that users might be taking and is a non-narcotic drug.
Application
Examine the area of your back where you plan to apply the patch. Make sure that the area is clean and clear of bruises, blisters or cuts. Open the package. Take out three patches. You must remember to close the package because if the package is left open, the remaining patches might begin to dry out. If needed, cut the patches so that they are shaped to easily fit over the area you want to treat. After you peel the liner off the back of the patch, apply the patch to your skin. It's important to wash your hands after each application and to avoid reusing a patch.
Side Effects
As with many medications, Lidoderm can cause side effects. You might experience burning, redness or swelling on the part of your skin where you applied the patch. These are considered mild side effects. More serious side effects include shallow or uneven breathing, nausea, dizziness, skin itching, hives or fainting. If you experience any side effects with the medication, remove and stop using the path. Contact your physician.
Tags: your back, back pain, side effects, your skin, About Lidoderm
