Low back pain diagnosis should be accurate: Study - Times of Oman

Low back pain needs to be differentiated as to whether it is associated with nerve, joint or muscle pain as each type of pain needs to be treated differently.

“There are two major types of pains:
nociceptive and neuropathic. Nociceptive pain is experienced when an
injury occurs to a person. It is the pain of a strain, a broken bone or
bruise, for example.”

“Nociceptive pain results from either tissue injury or potential
tissue injury. The other type of pain is neuropathic pain which one
experiences after a bout of shingles or from a diabetic neuropathy, for
example.”

“Patients rely on their physicians to
identify the specific mechanism causing their pain and to choose the
most appropriate treatment for it…” To read the full article click on the link below…

technorati tags: back+pain, pain, nerve pain, muscle pain, nociceptive pain, neuropathic pain

To avoid back pain, choose the right exercises - Reading Eagle

It appears that over time, continuous overloading of your spine can damage disks and lead to a cumulative effect that results in lower back pain. Many people actually set themselves up for lower back pain by doing the wrong exercises that end up contributing to back pain rather than helping to prevent it. Read the article below by clicking on the link to find out how you can exercise safely…

technorati tags: back pain, lower back pain, back exercises, damage disks

X-Stop Relieves Some Back Pain Without Surgery - Pittsburgh Channel.com

An arthritic condition known as spinal stenosis causes debilitating lower back pain in some people over the age of 50, but now neurosurgeons at Allegheny General Hospital are using a new device approved by the Food and Drug Administration six months ago called the X-Stop.  To get all the details, you can read the full article by clicking the link below…

technorati tags:X-Stop, back pain, arthritis, spinal stenosis, neurosurgeons, Allegheny General Hospital, Food and Drug Administration, lower back pain, lower back

One of the most common reasons people see a doctor is for back pain. Statistics show that almost 4 out of every 5 people will experience back pain sometime in their lives but unfortunately, most of the time, the exact cause of the back pain can not be determined.

Back pain can be the result of a number of different causes sich as injury, muscle strain, bad posture, muscle disorders, compressed or fractured disks, overuse of the back muscles, among other things.

People who do repetitive lifting, construction workers, and pregnant women all have increased risk of back pain.

For more details on nonspecific back pain including signs and tests, treatment, prognosis, complications, prevention, etc, visit http://www.local10.com/encyclopedia/6860193/detail.html

Every year, more than 65 million Americans suffer from back pain. The condition is extremely common and one of the leading reasons why people seek medical care.

Besides the obvious pain that comes with it, back pain is also highly inconvenient. It can disrupt your work, routine, and daily activities. Some people suffering from back pain find that they will have to forego indulging themselves in recreational activities like sports simply because it would put too much stress on their back. Others are in so much pain that the simple task of standing up becomes an impossible feat.

Fortunately, the recent advances in medical science, research, and technology have opened up numerous back pain treatment options for people who suffer form this condition. How these back pain treatments affect the patient’s back pain varies from individual to individual so that care is advised when choosing the right form of treatment.

Below are some of the more common back pain treatment options you can choose from:

Drug Therapies

There is a wide variety of drugs to choose from, including pain relievers, anti-inflammatory medications, and relaxants which can ease muscle tension and spasm. Several of these drugs are available over the counter without need of prescription. However, since some of these drugs may have side effects, it is advised that you consult your doctor before taking any of them.

The drugs used as back pain treatment are classified as follows:

* Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) - including aspirin, ibuprofen, Naproxen, Ketoprofen
* COX-2 Inhibitors - such as celecoxib
* Acetaminophen - Tylenol, Anacin-3, Phenaphen, Valadol, and other analgesic medications
* Opioids - such as morphine and codeine
* Muscle relaxants - cyclobenzaprine, Valium, carisoprodol, etc.

Chiropractic Manipulation

This form of back pain treatment requires manual manipulation by a professional therapist or a chiropractor or other qualified health professional. The therapy is thought to help relieve back pain by taking pressure off sensitive neurological tissue, restoring blood flow and increasing blood flow. In addition, chiropractic back pain treatment could trigger a series of chemical reactions in the body, releasing natural pain-killing hormones like endorphin.

Epidural Injections

This is another form of back pain treatment that is considered as passive since the therapy is applied to the individual. In this method, steroids are injected into the spine. As the drugs travel through the entire spinal column, inflammation in the painful area is decreased, thus providing relief.

Massage

Massages are therapeutic back pain treatments that provide pain relief in the lower back. The manual manipulation of the muscles is said to improve the blood flow, which in turn results in reduction of muscle stiffness and range of motion increase. Sometimes, the massage may also trigger the body to release endorphins, which are the body’s natural pain killers.

Back Pain

Your back is the workhorse of your body. You rely on your back in nearly every move you make. So although your back is a well-designed body structure of bone, muscles, nerves, and other soft tissues, it is vulnerable to injury and back pain, either of which can be incapacitating.

Back pain is a frequent problem, happening in four out of five adults. While back pain is most likely to occur at one time in your life, there are steps you can take to preclude it from happening to you or to keep the pain from becoming worse.

Causes

Just a bout all back pain takes place in the lower back, where most of your body weight is supported. It is normally brought about by a strained back muscles and ligaments due to any of the following activities:

• Poor posture
• Lifting heavy items
• Sudden clumsy movement
• Muscle spasm
• Stress

In some cases, however, back pain can be retraced back to specific conditions, such as:

• Herniated Disk - When the disk material presses on a nerve.
• Sciatica - When a herniated disk presses on the sciatic nerve. The condition induces sharp, shooting pain through the buttocks and the back of the leg.
• Spinal Stenosis - When the area around the spinal cord and nerve roots becomes narrowed which is usually brought about by arthritis and bone overgrowth. Pain results when a nerve gets pinched in the narrow space.
• Spondylosis - A type of arthritis affecting the spine due to degenerative changes brought on by aging.
• Spondylolisthesis - When one vertebra in the spinal column slips forward over another.
  Because back pain in any of these instances is premised on a definable cause, the treatment process is also easily identified. Back pain could also be caused by other particular circumstances, not mentioned here since they take place only rarely.

Medical Advice

Treatment in the home and self-care are commonly the preferred way to take care of back pain. However, there are uncommon cases where back pain may point to a more serious medical problem, in which case, medical advice is needed.

Pay attention to the following symptoms of back pain:

• Intense or constant back pain, particularly when lying down at night
• Back pain spreads down one or both legs
• Weakness, numbness, or tingling in one or both legs
• New bowel or bladder troubles
• Abdominal pain or pulsation, fever
• Occurs after a fall, blow to your back or other injury
• Accompanied by unexplained weight loss

If you experience any of the above, then be sure to see your doctor at once. Additionally, if you are older than 50, seek doctor’s advice about your back pain even when you do not experience any of the symptoms noted above. People with a history of cancer, steroid use, osteoporosis, or alcohol or drug abuse should also see a doctor if they experience back pain.

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NOTE: This blog is intended to render assistance and information to people who are concerned with knowing more about back pain, or who may be worried about relatives, framily, or friends who might be afflicted with or be at risk of suffering from back pain.

While the articles on this blog/Website were composed with great care, errors or omissions may take place. The information is provided “as-is”, without any warranty whether expressed or implied. All readers agree to apply the information provided on this blog entirely at their own risk.

The information provided here is for educational purposes only and should not be used as a ground for any form of diagnosis or treatment for any medical condition whatsoever - including any type of back pain or other associated or related pains.

Always seek the advice of a professional medical doctor for proper diagnosis and/or treatment.

A number of years ago my wife was washing the bathroom floor and she turned to move the water bucket. When she did so, she twisted her back and a sharp pain shot through her lower back, kocking her to the floor where she was somewhat wedged between the toilet and the bathtub! The pain was so bad that she could not get back up to her feet, or even to her knees.

After a while she was able to slowly get herself free and crawl out of the bathroom, down the hall, through the dinning room and finally into the kitchen. Once in the kitchen she was able to grab the long cord hanging from our wall phone and yank it lose.

Fortunately she was able to call me and I rushed home to assist her and take her to the hospital. She ended up in bed for a week before she recovered. Since then, she has to be very careful of her lower back.

For years I never understood the pain she had gone through. I was lucky enough to have a fairly strong back. But about two years ago, I was spreading some sand with a shovel and as I twisted around to fling the sand to one side, I was suddenly aware of a pain in my lower back.

For the rest of the week, I moved like a very old man and in fact ended up using a cane to help ease the pain as I walked.

After these experiences, I became very interested in the problems of lower back pain. Finally, I decided to try to help others that find themselves in a similar position.

So, I hope that what is posted here will help you find remedies to solve or at least provide some relief to your back pain or other similar body pains.

Wishing you all the best of health,

George