Archive for the ‘Back Pain’ Category

Back pain is pain felt in the back. Episodes of back pain may be acute, sub-acute, or chronic depending on the duration. The pain may be characterized as a dull ache, shooting or piercing pain, or a burning sensation. The pain may radiate into the arms and hands as well as the legs or feet, and may include tingling, weakness or numbness in the legs and arms. The most common area of pain is the lower back, or lumbar area.

The pain may originate from the muscles, nerves, bones, joints or other structures in the spine. Internal structures such as the gallbladder and pancreas may also refer pain to the back.

Although back pain is common, it is rare for it to be permanently disabling. In most cases of disc herniations and stenosis, rest, injections or surgery have similar outcomes of general pain resolution after one year. In the United States, acute low back pain (also called lumbago) is the fifth most common reason for physician visits. About nine out of ten adults experience back pain at some point in their life, and five out of ten working adults have back pain every year.[1] Low back pain causes 40% of missed days of work in the United States.[2] Additionally, it is the single leading cause of disability worldwide.[3]

Back pain may be classified by various methods to aid its diagnosis and management. The anatomic classification of back pain follows the segments of the spine: cervical, thoracic, lumbar or sacral.

The duration of back pain is considered in three categories, following the expected pattern of healing of connective tissue. Acute pain lasts up to 12 weeks, subacute pain refers to the second half of the acute period (6 to 12 weeks), and chronic pain is pain which persists beyond 12 weeks.[4]

The character of back pain indicates its likely tissue of origin. Nonspecific back pain is believed to be due from the soft tissues such as muscles, fascia, and ligaments.[5]Radicular pain with or without spinal stenosis indicates involvement of nervous tissue. Secondary back pain results from a known medical diagnosis such as infection or cancer.[6] Non specific pain indicates that the cause is not known precisely but is believed to be due from the soft tissues such as muscles, fascia, and ligaments.[5]

Back pain has several causes. Approximately 98 percent of back pain patients are diagnosed with nonspecific acute back pain in which no serious underlying pathology is identified.[7] Nearly 2 percent are comprised by metastatic cancers, while serious infections such as spinal osteomyelitis and epidural abscesses account for fewer than 1 percent. The most common cause of neurologic impairment including weakness or numbness results from a herniated disc. Nearly 95 percent of disc herniations occur at the lowest two lumbar intervertebral levels.[8]

Back pain does not usually require immediate medical intervention. The vast majority of episodes of back pain are self-limiting and non-progressive. Most back pain syndromes are due to inflammation, especially in the acute phase, which typically lasts from two weeks to three months.

Back pain can be a sign of a serious medical problem, although this is not most frequently the underlying cause:

A few observational studies suggest that two conditions to which back pain is often attributed, lumbar disc herniation and degenerative disc disease, may not be more prevalent among those in pain than among the general population, and that the mechanisms by which these conditions might cause pain are not known.[9][10][11][12] Other studies suggest that for as many as 85% of cases, no physiological cause can be shown.[13][14]

A few studies suggest that psychosocial factors such as on-the-job stress and dysfunctional family relationships may correlate more closely with back pain than structural abnormalities revealed in X-rays and other medical imaging scans.[15][16][17][18]

There are several potential sources and causes of back pain.[19] However, the diagnosis of specific tissues of the spine as the cause of pain presents problems. This is because symptoms arising from different spinal tissues can feel very similar and it is difficult to differentiate without the use of invasive diagnostic intervention procedures, such as local anesthetic blocks.

One potential source of back pain is skeletal muscle of the back. Potential causes of pain in muscle tissue include muscle strains (pulled muscles), muscle spasm, and muscle imbalances. However, imaging studies do not support the notion of muscle tissue damage in many back pain cases, and the neurophysiology of muscle spasm and muscle imbalances is not well understood.

Another potential source of lower back pain is the synovial joints of the spine (e.g. zygapophysial joints/facet joints). These have been identified as the primary source of the pain in approximately one third of people with chronic low back pain, and in most people with neck pain following whiplash.[19] However, the cause of zygapophysial joint pain is not fully understood. Capsule tissue damage has been proposed in people with neck pain following whiplash. In people with spinal pain stemming from zygapophysial joints, one theory is that intra-articular tissue such as invaginations of their synovial membranes and fibro-adipose meniscoids (that usually act as a cushion to help the bones move over each other smoothly) may become displaced, pinched or trapped, and consequently give rise to nociception (pain).

There are several common other potential sources and causes of back pain; these include spinal disc herniation and degenerative disc disease or isthmic spondylolisthesis, osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) and lumbar spinal stenosis, trauma, cancer, infection, fractures, and inflammatory disease.[20] The anterior ligaments of the intervertebral disc are extremely sensitive, and even the slightest injury can cause significant pain.[21]

Radicular pain (sciatica) is distinguished from 'non-specific' back pain, and may be diagnosed without invasive diagnostic tests.

New attention has been focused on non-discogenic back pain, where patients have normal or near-normal MRI and CT scans. One of the newer investigations looks into the role of the dorsal ramus in patients that have no radiographic abnormalities. See Posterior Rami Syndrome.

In most cases of low back pain medical consensus advises not seeking an exact diagnosis but instead beginning to treat the pain.[22] This assumes that there is no reason to expect that the person has an underlying problem.[22] In most cases, the pain goes away naturally after a few weeks.[22] Typically, people who do seek diagnosis through imaging are not likely to have a better outcome than those who wait for the condition to resolve.[22]

In cases in which the back pain has a persistent underlying cause, such as a specific disease or spinal abnormality, then it is necessary for the physician to differentiate the source of the pain and advise specific courses of treatment.

The management goals when treating back pain are to achieve maximal reduction in pain intensity as rapidly as possible, to restore the individual's ability to function in everyday activities, to help the patient cope with residual pain, to assess for side-effects of therapy, and to facilitate the patient's passage through the legal and socioeconomic impediments to recovery. For many, the goal is to keep the pain to a manageable level to progress with rehabilitation, which then can lead to long-term pain relief. Also, for some people the goal is to use non-surgical therapies to manage the pain and avoid major surgery, while for others surgery may be the quickest way to feel better.

Not all treatments work for all conditions or for all individuals with the same condition, and many find that they need to try several treatment options to determine what works best for them. The present stage of the condition (acute or chronic) is also a determining factor in the choice of treatment. Only a minority of back pain patients (most estimates are 1% - 10%) require surgery.

For back pain with sciatica, injecting the spine with steroids into the epidural space under X-ray guidance may improve pain and reduce the need for surgery.[34]

For sacroiliac joints radiofrequency neurotomy is of unclear benefit.[35]

Surgery may sometimes be appropriate for people with:

Surgery is usually the last resort in the treatment of back pain. It is usually only recommended if all other treatment options have been tried or in an emergency situation. A 2009 systematic review of back surgery studies found that, for certain diagnoses, surgery is moderately better than other common treatments, but the benefits of surgery often decline in the long term.[36]

The main procedures used in back pain surgery are discetomies, spinal fusions, laminectomies, removal of tumors, and vertebroplasties.

There are different types of surgical procedures that are used in treating various conditions causing back pain. Nerve decompression, fusion of body segments and deformity correction surgeries are examples. The first type of surgery is primarily performed in older patients who suffer from conditions causing nerve irritation or nerve damage. Fusion of bony segments is also referred to as a spinal fusion, and it is a procedure used to fuse together two or more bony fragments with the help of metalwork. The latter type of surgery is normally performed to correct congenital deformities or those that were caused by a traumatic fracture. In some cases, correction of deformities involves removing bony fragments or providing stability provision for the spine. Another procedure to repair common intervertebral disc lesions which may offer rapid recovery (just a few days) involves the simple removal of the fibrous nucleus of the affected intervertebral disc.[37] Various techniques, such as in the following paragraph, are described in the literature.

A discectomy is performed when the intervertebral disc have herniated or torn. It involves removing the protruding disc, either a portion of it or all of it, that is placing pressure on the nerve root.[38] The disc material which is putting pressure on the nerve is removed through a small incision that is made over that particular disc. The recovery period after this procedure does not last longer than 6 weeks. The type of procedure in which the bony fragments are removed through an endoscope is called percutaneous disc removal.

Microdiscetomies may be performed as a variation of standard discetomies in which a magnifier is used to provide the advantage of a smaller incision, thus a shorter recovery process.

Spinal fusions are performed in cases in which the patient has had the entire disc removed or when another condition has caused the vertebrae to become unstable. The procedure consists in uniting two or more vertebrae by using bone grafts and metalwork to provide more strength for the healing bone. Recovery after spinal fusion may take up to one year, depending greatly on the age of the patient, the reason why surgery has been performed and how many bony segments needed to be fused.

In cases of spinal stenosis or disc herniation, laminectomies can be performed to relieve the pressure on the nerves. During such a procedure, the surgeon enlarges the spinal canal by removing or trimming away the lamina which will provide more space for the nerves. The severity of the condition as well as the general health status of the patient are key factors in establishing the recovery time, which may be range from 8 weeks to 6 months.

Back surgery can be performed to prevent the growth of benign and malignant tumors. In the first case, surgery has the goal of relieving the pressure from the nerves which is caused by a benign growth, whereas in the latter the procedure is aimed to prevent the spread of cancer to other areas of the body. Recovery depends on the type of tumor that is being removed, the health status of the patient and the size of the tumor.

People with back pain lasting for 3 months or more are at risk of physical, psychological and social dysfunctions. Such individuals are likely to experience less pain and disability if they receive a multidisciplinary intervention. This typically involves a combination of physical, psychological and educational interventions delivered by a team of specialists with different skills. Such multidisciplinary treatment programs are often quite intensive and expensive. They are more appropriate for people with severe or complex problems.[43]

People who have chronic back pain may have limited range of motion and/or tenderness upon touch. If the pain continues to worsen, or certain red flags that might indicate a variety of serious conditions are present further testing may be recommended. These red flags include weakness, numbness or tingling, fever, weight loss or problems with bowel and/or bladder control.

About 50% of women experience low back pain during pregnancy.[52] Back pain in pregnancy may be severe enough to cause significant pain and disability and pre-dispose patients to back pain in a following pregnancy. No significant increased risk of back pain with pregnancy has been found with respect to maternal weight gain, exercise, work satisfaction, or pregnancy outcome factors such as birth weight, birth length, and Apgar scores.

Biomechanical factors of pregnancy that are shown to be associated with low back pain of pregnancy include abdominal sagittal and transverse diameter and the depth of lumbar lordosis. Typical factors aggravating the back pain of pregnancy include standing, sitting, forward bending, lifting, and walking. Back pain in pregnancy may also be characterized by pain radiating into the thigh and buttocks, night-time pain severe enough to wake the patient, pain that is increased during the night-time, or pain that is increased during the day-time.

The avoidance of high impact, weight-bearing activities and especially those that asymmetrically load the involved structures such as: extensive twisting with lifting, single-leg stance postures, stair climbing, and repetitive motions at or near the end-ranges of back or hip motion can ease the pain. Direct bending to the ground without bending the knee causes severe impact on the lower back in pregnancy and in normal individuals, which leads to strain, especially in the lumbo-sacral region that in turn strains the multifidus.

Back pain is regularly cited by national governments as having a major impact on productivity, through loss of workers on sick leave. Some national governments, notably Australia and the United Kingdom, have launched campaigns of public health awareness to help combat the problem, for example the Health and Safety Executive's Better Backs campaign. In the United States lower back pain's economic impact reveals that it is the number one reason for individuals under the age of 45 to limit their activity, second highest complaint seen in physician's offices, fifth most common requirement for hospitalization, and the third leading cause for surgery.

An evolutionary perspective has been used to try to explain why humans have back pain. Selective pressures often resulted in our evolution as a species. At times we are able to postulate the reason for these changes, and other times we cannot seem to arrive at a logical conclusion about the possible benefits of the tradeoff. In the case of back pain, researcher Aaron G. Filler believes the evolutionary changes seen in the human skeleton occurred to ensure the survival of the species. Of special mention here is our ability to walk upright. Walking upright meant that our hands were now free to carry heavy objects and the young across great distances.[53]

See the original post here:
Back pain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Upper back pain is any type of pain or discomfort throughout the back side of the chest and upper abdominal area. The upper back area includes the shoulder blades and where the rib cage connects to the thoracic (chest region) spine. The upper back is also referred to as the middle back or the thoracic spine.

Most people will experience back pain at some point in their lives. However, upper back pain is not as common as lower back pain, which is the most common cause of job-related disability and absenteeism from work, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Upper back pain is not as common because the thoracic spine does not move as much as the spine in the lower back and neck.

Upper back pain may last briefly or it may be chronic, which is defined as lasting more than three months. Your pain may be dull and throbbing or sharp and stabbing. You may be in constant pain, or perhaps the pain occurs only during a particular activity, such as lifting grocery bags or after working at your desk for a prolonged period of time.

In addition to the thoracic spine and shoulder blades, there are numerous nerves, muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the upper back. Any of these structures can become irritated or inflamed in response to a variety of different factors and conditions, such as poor posture, overuse, trauma, arthritis, and bone cancer. However, upper back pain is most often due to muscle irritation or joint problems and is usually not a cause for concern.

Upper back pain occurring with other symptoms, such as chest pain or difficulty breathing, may be a sign of a heart attack and should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. In addition, if your pain is extreme, persistent, or causes you concern, contact a medical professional.

Continue reading here:
Upper Back Pain - Back Pain - Symptoms, Diagnosis ...

Typically, younger individuals (30 to 60 year olds) are more likely to experience back pain from a lower back muscle strain or from within the disc space itself - such as a lumbar disc herniation or lumbar degenerative disc disease.

This article details a description of typical symptoms and their possible causes in younger adults. The next page details typical causes of lower back pain in adults older than age 60.

These lower back pain symptoms include any combination of the following:

A back muscle strain or ligament strain is one of the most common causes of acute lower back pain. Lifting a heavy object, twisting, or a sudden movement can cause muscles or ligaments stretch or develop microscopic tears.

Article continues below

With a lower back strain, the severity of the pain ranges from mild discomfort to severe, disabling pain, depending on the extent of strain and the lower back muscle spasms that result from the injury.

Sciatica includes any combination of the following symptoms:

Sciatica describes the symptoms caused when a nerve root in the lower spine is compressed, causing pain and numbness to travel along the large sciatic nerve that serves the buttocks, legs and feet.

In younger adults, sciatica can be caused by a wide range of conditions, most commonly a lumbar herniated disc (may also be caused by degenerative disc disease, isthmic spondylolisthesis, and other conditions).

Symptoms may include any combination of the following:

Lumbar degenerative disc disease can affect patients as young as 20. When the lumbar discs between the vertebrae begin to break down, the damaged disc can cause both inflammation and slight instability in the lower back, bringing about pain, muscle spasms, and sometimes sciatica.

Degenerative disc disease is common and is often successfully treated.

Symptoms may include any combination of the following:

Isthmic spondylolisthesis occurs when a vertebra in the low back slips forward on the disc space below it. It is most common at the L5-S1 level and can cause low back pain from instability and nerve root pain due to compression of the nerve root.

The fracture occurs in childhood, but normally does not create a lot of pain until a patient is in young adulthood.

Symptoms may include any combination of the following:

Sacroiliac joint disease or dysfunction can occur if there is too much or too little movement in the sacroiliac joint - the joints that connect the sacrum at the bottom of the spine to the hip on each side.

The above are typical causes of lower back pain in younger adults, but not all. Younger adults can also be affected by arthritis and other conditions that are typical causes of back pain in older adults. Symptoms for each type of condition will vary based on a number of factors, such as the severity of the pathology, and the individual's unique anatomy and perception of pain.

Read the original here:
Lower Back Pain Symptoms and Causes - Spine-Health

If you've ever groaned, "Oh, my aching back!", you are not alone. Back pain is one of the most common medical problems, affecting 8 out of 10 people at some point during their lives. Back pain can range from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp pain. Acute back pain comes on suddenly and usually lasts from a few days to a few weeks. Back pain is called chronic if it lasts for more than three months.

Most back pain goes away on its own, though it may take awhile. Taking over-the-counter pain relievers and resting can help. However, staying in bed for more than 1 or 2 days can make it worse.

If your back pain is severe or doesn't improve after three days, you should call your health care provider. You should also get medical attention if you have back pain following an injury.

Treatment for back pain depends on what kind of pain you have, and what is causing it. It may include hot or cold packs, exercise, medicines, injections, complementary treatments, and sometimes surgery.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Continued here:
Back Pain: MedlinePlus

Welcome to the worlds largest and most comprehensive back pain database. We are a completely free online community devoted to ending the epidemic of chronic pain. This web resource offers reliable and honest information in language you can easily understand. You are amongst friends here.

Our writing is highly critical of back pain treatment. The medical industry is broken and someone needs to speak up and inform people of the problems that exist. We are proud to be called healthcare renegades in the international press. We embrace our subversive point of view, since the accepted and traditional stance on chronic pain has fostered monumental suffering worldwide. We dont want to be part of a medical fraternity that has ruined more lives than it has helped. Our no-compromise attitude is what saves our readers from falling victim to the abuses of a healthcare system that has failed them on all fronts.

We are unique in the healthcare information sector. We do not have or want universal appeal, since there is no universally-applicable answer to back pain. Resources that promote a one size fits all approach to patient education fail miserably. We would rather educate the people who really want to be cured then to provide content that speaks to everyone, but helps no one. Our writing is different than what you might have read before. That is the whole idea, since thinking the same as everyone else seems to promote pain and leads to poor therapy outcomes in the general patient population.

All this being said, we do not outwardly reject any mainstream medical theory or practice. However, we are always mindful of the downsides of these ideas and methods, especially when they reflect the true financial motivations of the treatment industry more than the actual needs of patients. We do not provide an alternative view of back pain; merely an objective view.

Healthcare providers hate to be questioned. We go beyond merely questioning them. We demand answers and make them accountable for their opinions and decisions. Furthermore, we publicly expose their failings for all to see; not in an effort to discredit doctors, but instead to help improve treatment results for patients who are still not sure about the best approach to care for their own situations.

Despite our criticism, we find that year after year, our most loyal readers are doctors, chiropractors and various therapists. We know that so many healthcare professionals are dissatisfied with the present status quo and want to do better for their patients. These courageous professionals have chosen to be free of their egos in an effort to improve the lives of their patients. They know that change is needed and are working to implement better diagnostic and treatment protocols one patient at a time. We acknowledge and thank these caregivers for their efforts.

We have helped to cure hundreds of thousands of people over the past decade. No other health website dares to make this claim, because they all recycle the same old information that has not helped anyone to recover from back pain ever. This is exactly why you are here and ready to try something different

I have suffered with crippling lower back pain, neck pain and sciatica symptoms for most of my life. I know what you must endure every day while living with back problems. I have empathy for you. I understand because I was there myself. I lived the nightmare and was forever changed by the ordeal. I hope that this web resource can help you to achieve your goals of finding true back pain relief. I have been involved in spinal research and patient advocacy on an international level for over 25 years. I am passionate about my work because it is a reflection of the very fabric of my life. I am here to help you.

Sensei Adam Rostocki Founder and Editor-in-Chief

The navigation bar appears on every page of this site, so you will never get lost. Each navigation button corresponds to a different topic of discussion. Each of these main resource sections is broken down into several more focused guides, so it is best to read every article contained in the section in order to gain a full understanding of the diagnosed condition in its entirety. All the information is free, so you have nothing to lose. The time you invest in research will surely pay dividends in improved health.

Virtually all possible causes of back symptoms are detailed here, including degenerative disc disease, facet joint syndrome, fibromyalgia, herniated discs, lordosis, kyphosis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, pinched nerves, piriformis syndrome, sacroiliac joint pain, sciatica, scoliosis, spinal cord injury, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis and all varieties of pain in the coccygeal, sacral, lumbar, thoracic and cervical spinal regions.

There are also dedicated sections on diagnostic methods, back pain treatment options, mindbody medicine and back surgery. You can learn about the spinal anatomy and even read through an inspiring section devoted to recovering from chronic pain. You will never find a more comprehensive collection of back and spine pain reports anywhere.

Remember, it is vital to become more active in your own health and treatment. Learning more about your diagnosis is the best way to start and we have made it easy for you by organizing everything you need to know by topic. All you have to do is take the time to read. There are thousands of topics on this web resource. Make sure to check back often to stay up to date on all the latest research.

Share Your Story Share your own back pain story by taking part in our interactive forum. Speak out now and make a difference! You might be surprised how good it feels to vent about your pain. Go for it! Your experience will help other suffering patients.

Research Survey Take 1 minute to help others by sharing your own back ache experiences.

Healthcare providers, please add your practice details to our Doctor Directory

Updates are listed on theBack Pain Blog.

The complete list of site topics can be found on theSite Map.

We are not a dotcom. Many people do not realize that .com stands for company and this is simply not what we are all about. We are a grassroots organization (.org) which has grown from a humble single person project to one of the largest and most peer-respected health websites on the internet.

We are not going to market to you or try to take advantage of the trust you have placed in us. We do not have pages full of overpriced garbage to sell you. We do not want your money. You don't have to buy anything at all to benefit from this website.Enjoy the volumes of free information without any pressure.

Our writing is based on actual patient reports, citations and clinical evidence, not speculative or theoretic research designed to sell a product or treatment. We never confuse advertising with content and will never endorse anything in exchange for any financial compensation or other benefit.

This site is intensive, detailed and thought provoking. It is not the usual bland and useless information found everywhere else. We do not feel that the large commercial health websites provide any information about back pain that is not common knowledge or common sense, yet they are so prominently featured in search engine results. Most large search providers have hidden us away in their recesses, since we do not pay huge amounts of money to be featured on page 1 of their results. Just because a website pays does not mean it is truthful or useful. It just proves that it is out to make money and has done so effectively enough to silence its competitors. They can keep their stupid money. Making money is not our goal here. We rely on real people to spread our message, as well as support our cause, and real people have done so for us effectively for ten years now. We do not care about playing games to make search engines like us. We write for humans, not search algorithms.

The content of this site is 100% original and is self-written by the editorial board. Our content is never shared, distributed or syndicated.

Go here to see the original:
Back Pain

Back pain is a very common complaint. According to the Mayo Clinic, approximately 80% of all Americans will have low back pain at least once in their lives.

Back pain is a common reason for absence from work and doctor visits. Although back pain may be painful and uncomfortable, it is not usually serious.

Even though back pain can affect people of any age, it is significantly more common among adults aged between 35 and 55 years. Experts say that back pain is associated with the way our bones, muscles and ligaments in our backs work together.

Pain in the lower back may be linked to the bony lumbar spine, discs between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and discs, spinal cord and nerves, lower back muscles, abdomen and pelvic internal organs, and the skin around the lumbar area. Pain in the upper back may be due to disorders of the aorta, tumors in the chest, and spine inflammation.

You will also see introductions at the end of some sections to any recent developments that have been covered by MNT's news stories. Also, look out for links to information about related conditions.

A risk factor is something which increases the likelihood of developing a condition or disease. For example, obesity significantly raises the risk of developing diabetes type 2. Therefore, obesity is a risk factor for diabetes type 2.

The following factors are linked to a higher risk of developing low back pain:

The main symptom of back pain is, as the name suggests, an ache or pain anywhere on the back, and sometimes all the way down to the buttocks and legs. In most cases signs and symptoms clear up on their own within a short period.

If any of the following signs or symptoms accompanies a back pain your should see your doctor:

Strain - the most common causes of back pain are:

Originally posted here:
Back Pain: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments - Medical News ...

Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain (lumbago) is not a disorder. Its a symptom. It usually refers to a problem with one or more parts of the lower back like:

It can also describe pain caused by a problem with nearby organs, like the kidneys or lungs.

According to the American Associate of Neurological Surgeons, 75 to 80 percent of Americans will experience back pain in their lifetime. Fifty percent of those will have more than one episode. Although it can be painful, in 90 percent of all cases, the pain goes away without surgery. Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing back pack.

To understand the causes of lower back pain it helps to understand the back. Your back is composed of many parts, including:

The lower spine is one of the keys to low back pain. Its made up of:

The most common causes of lower back pain are strain and problems with back structures.

Strained muscles and ligaments often cause back pain. Strain commonly occurs with incorrect lifting of heavy objects and sudden awkward movements. Strain can also result from over-activity. An example is the sore feeling and stiffness that might occur after a few hours of yard work or after playing a sport.

Vertebrae are the interlocking bones stacked on top of one another at the back of the torso or trunk of your body. Disks made of cartilage cushion the area between each vertebra. Disk injuries are a fairly common cause of back pain.

Sometimes these disks can bulge (herniate) or rupture. Nerves can get compressed when this happens. Herniated disks can be very painful. A bulging disk pressing on the nerve that travels from your back down your leg can cause sciatica or irritation of the sciatic nerve. Sciatica can be experienced as a pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness in the leg.

Excerpt from:
Back Pain - Healthline

Back pain is one of the most common reasons people self-treat and seek medical care. It will affect approximately three in four adults during their lifetime. When we speak about back pain we mean pain that originates in the spine anywhere between the upper and lower back.

Besides back pain, other symptoms may present. There are many different types of pain. Acute back pain is defined as severe but lasting a short period of time. Chronic back pain usually occurs every day. It can be severe, but may be characterized as mild, deep, achy, burning, or electric-like. Back pain that travels into another part of the body, such as the leg may be consider radicular pain, particularly when it radiates below the knee. This scenario is commonly called a lumbar radiculopathy. Fortunately, not all occurrences of back pain include leg pain!

It is not unusual for back pain to be accompanied by other symptoms, such as numbness and tingling sensations, stiffness, achiness, and weakness. Certain activities may increase or aggravate back pain. Sitting, walking, standing, bending over, and twisting at the waist are a few of the movements that can make back pain worse. Of course, that is not true for every patient. Rather, it depends on what level of the spine is affected and the diagnosis, or cause.

Back pain Doctor-speak If you see a doctor for back pain, he (or she) may use terms such as thoracic, lumbar, lumbosacral, or sacrum. The point is, back pain is a large topic covering many different regions (or levels) of the spine.

Back pain is a big topic because between the upper back and tailbone, there are 17 vertebral bodies, many joints, the sacrum and tailbone. Plus fibrous and muscular supporting structures, intervertebral discs, spinal cord and nerve roots, and blood vessels. A simple injury, such as a back sprain/strain from lifting and twisting simultaneously, can cause immediate and severe pain that is typically self-limiting.

Of course, not all incidences of back pain are injury or trauma-related. Many back problems are congenital (found at birth), degenerative, age-related, disease-related, and may be linked to poor posture, obesity or an unhealthy lifestyle such as smoking. Sometimes the back pain is worse than the severity of the injury or disorder. That statement raises the question, When should I seek medical attention for back pain?

Many patients with back pain have reported feeling afraid and anxious, which is normal. Most people who experience upper, low or lower back paineven down into one or both legsintuitively know when its time to seek medical care.

What to expect from your doctor Whether you back pain falls into the seek urgent medical care list above, or you are following your gut reaction that says, Go see your doctor, below is what you can expect.

After a thorough review, your doctor probably has come to one or two conclusions as to what is causing your back pain and other symptoms. To obtain more information about your back problem, and to help confirm the diagnosis, the doctor may order an x-ray, CT scan, or MRI. Sometimes lab tests are ordered too. Keep in mind that an accurate diagnosis is essential to a well-developed treatment plan.

See the original post:
Back Pain Center | Lower Back Pain Relief, Treatments ...

Story at-a-glance + Back pain is a prevalent problem in the United States, with at least 31 million Americans experiencing low back pain at any given time. Sports injuries are common causes of back pain. But there are other factors that increase your risk of this condition, such as poor posture, obesity, poor physical conditioning and inactivity, psychological and emotional stress, and silent diseases like osteoporosis. Prolonged sitting and poor posture put you at risk of not only chronic back pain, but other health issues as well, such as weight gain, obesity, joint problems, and other diseases. Prescription drugs for back pain are saddled with severe, even life threatening side effects. NSAIDs, one of the most commonly prescribed painkillers in the market, put you at a two- to four-fold higher risk of heart attack, stroke, as well as a variety of other health problems. There are many safe and effective alternatives to prescription and over-the-counter painkillers, and while they may require some patience for them to work, the improvements they generate are often longer lasting. Some of the effective strategies I recommend include chiropractic care, yoga, massage, exercises for back pain, and Neuro-Structural Integration Technique (NST).

Fibromyalgia: Are We Getting Anywhere?

Get Your FREE REPORT and receive our Free Natural Health Newsletter

By Dr. Mercola

Back pain is a common health issue today that affects at least eight out of 10 people. It is a prevalent problem among Americans. In fact, statistics from the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) reveal that at least 31 million Americans experience lower back pain at any given time.

The ACA report also says that:

Chronic back pain has become such a debilitating problem and its costly, too. According to the ACA, Americans spend at least 86 billion dollars each year on back painand thats just for the more easily identified costs!

I cannot stress enough that preventing or treating disease is possible without the intervention of medications. The same is true for back pain. You only need to address the root cause of the problem by changing your lifestyle and the way you eat and move.

Accidents and sports injuries are the most common causes of chronic back pain. But sometimes, even simple activities or movements like bending over to pick up an object from the floor can trigger pain.

Read more here:
Back Pain Causes, Relief and Natural Treatment - Mercola.com

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Free Healthy Living Email Newsletter

Get the latest health, fitness, anti-aging, and nutrition news, plus special offers, insights and updates from Health.com!

Having an osteopath move your back muscles using techniques that include stretching, light pressure and resistance (called OMT) may trump ultrasound therapy for the relief of lower back pain, new research suggests.

MONDAY, Dec. 17 (HealthDay News) More costly, intensive treatment is no better than usual care at hastening recovery from whiplash, a new study finds. Researchers looked at more than 3,800 British whiplash patients to compare a more intensive approach to treatment (active management) against usual care at 15 hospital emergency departments. Active management included pain control [...]

All of the patients were thought to be injected with methylprednisolone acetate, a steroid drug commonly used for back pain that investigators suspect was contaminated with a fungus usually found in leaf mold, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health officials in 23 states that received shipments of the steroid are still trying to track down patients who got the injections.

FRIDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) Delaying treatment for a herniated disc beyond six months may reduce your chances of recovery, new research finds. A study of nearly 1,200 U.S. patients found that those treated within six months of first experiencing herniated lumbar disc symptoms had less pain and disability years later than those who waited [...]

By Maureen SalamonHealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, July 6 (HealthDay News) For the millions of Americans with chronic low back pain, a silver bullet to alleviate the condition has yet to be identified, a new study suggests. Reviewing 26 studies comparing spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) to other treatments such as medication, exercise or physical therapy, researchers from the [...]

Read more:
Back Pain Condition Center - Health.com

Maybe you lifted something heavy or swung a golf club a little too enthusiastically. Or maybe you've been hunched over a desk or computer for two weeks, battling a deadline. Whatever the reason, now your back is "out," and you're wishing for something, anything, that will put an end to the agony.

Take heart; you're not alone. Almost every American suffers from back pain at some point in his or her life. The bad news is that unless you have a major injury or disc problem, your doctor may not be able to do much for you other than prescribe some pain medication and advise you to rest. The good news is that by following some simple steps, you can be back in the swing of things in just a few days. Even better, you can help ensure that you won't have to endure similar discomfort in the future.

In this article, you will learn all about back pain and how to relieve it over the following sections:

More here:
How to Relieve Back Pain: Tips and Guidelines - HowStuffWorks

Back pain as a symptom of lung cancer. istockphoto.com

Updated March 11, 2015.

Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.

Its not uncommon for people to experience back pain with lung cancer, or even have back pain as their first symptom of lung cancer. Of course, there are many causes of back pain that are more common than lung cancer. In addition, back pain in people with lung cancer may be related to their cancer, or another cause such as arthritis. What causes back pain with lung cancer, and how does the pain differ from other causes of back pain?

Back pain also may be caused by the spread (metastasis) of lung cancer to bones in the spine, or adrenal glands, small glands in the abdomen near the top of the kidneys. Roughly 30 to 40% of people with lung cancer experience the spread of cancer to their bones at some time during their illness.

That said, back pain that is present along with other symptoms of lung cancer may be more concerning.

These may include a persistent cough, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, or general symptoms such as fatigue or unexplained weight loss. Other symptoms that may be of concern include back pain that is present at rest or at night, that occurs without any activity, or is worse when you take a deep breath.

Lung cancer that is first noticed as back pain is often diagnosed after treatments such as physical therapy fail to make the pain go away. If you have pain that is persisting despite treatment be sure to make your doctor aware so she can recommend further evaluation.

The treatment of back pain related to lung cancer depends upon the underlying cause. If the pain is related to pressure from the tumor, treatments to decrease the tumor size such as surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy may be considered. If bone metastasesare present and causing pain, treatment to address the metastasesis important.

Sources:

Go here to read the rest:
Back Pain as a Symptom of Lung Cancer

Back to TopWhat to Expect at Your Office Visit

When you first see your doctor, you will be asked questions about your back pain, including how often it occurs and how severe it is. Your doctor will try to determine the cause of your back pain and whether it is likely to quickly get better with simple measures such as ice, mild painkillers, physical therapy, and proper exercises. Most of the time, back pain will get better using these approaches.

Questions will include:

During the physical exam, your doctor will try to pinpoint the location of the pain and figure out how it affects your movement. You will be asked to:

Your doctor will also move your legs in different positions, including bending and straightening your knees. All the while, the doctor is assessing your strength as well as your ability to move.

To test nerve function, the doctor will use a rubber hammer to check your reflexes. Touching your legs in many locations with a pin, cotton swab, or feather tests your sensory nervous system (how well you feel). Your doctor will instruct you to speak up if there are areas where the sensation from the pin, cotton, or feather is duller.

Most people with back pain recover within four to six weeks. Therefore, your doctor will probably not order any tests during the first visit. However, if you have any of the symptoms or circumstances below, your doctor may order imaging tests even at this initial exam:

In these cases, the doctor is looking for a tumor, infection, fracture, or serious nerve disorder. The symptoms above are clues that one of these conditions may be present. The presence of a tumor, infection, fracture, or serious nerve disorder change how your back pain is treated.

Tests that might be ordered include an x-ray, myelogram (an x-ray or CT scan of the spine after dye has been injected into the spinal column), CT of the lower spine, or MRI of the lower spine.

Hospitalization, traction, or spinal surgery should only be considered if nerve damage is present or the condition fails to heal after a prolonged period.

Read more from the original source:
Back Pain - Low - Symptoms, Causes, Tests - NY Times ...

Back pain or discomfort is common during pregnancy and should beexpected to some degree by most women.Back pain may be experiencedduring any point of your pregnancy; however, it most commonly occurslater in pregnancy as baby grows.

Back paincan disrupt your daily routine or interfere with a good night of sleep. The good news is there are steps you can take to manage the back painthat you experience.

You are not alone if you experience back pain during your pregnancy. The prevalence varies with reports showing between 50 to 70 percentof pregnant women experiencing back pain.

Back pain during pregnancy is related to a number of factors.Somewomen begin to have lower back pain with the onset of pregnancy. Women who are most at risk for back pain are those who are overweightor had back pain prior to pregnancy.

Here is a list of potential causesof back pain or discomfort during pregnancy:

Back pain may not be prevented completely, but there are things thatyou can do to reduce the severity or frequency.

Here are a few steps you can take to help reduce the back pain you are experiencing:

There are a number of things you can do to treat back pain duringpregnancy.Some of the steps you take to avoid back pain may alsobe used to treat current back pain.

Here are some other common interventions:

Experiencing back pain is usually not a reason to contactyour health care provider, but there are situations where contactingyour provider is necessary.

Read this article:
Back Pain During Pregnancy: Causes, Treatment & Prevention

Description

An in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of back pain, including sciatica.

Herniated disk; Sciatica

Overview:

Treatment:

Back pain is one of the most common reasons people visit their doctor. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, 25% of adults have at least a day of back pain during a typical 3 month period.

Back pain can be acute, subacute, or chronic.

Back pain can occur in any area of the back, but it most often strikes the lower back, which supports most of the body's weight.

The back is highly complex. Pain may result from damage or injury to any of its various bones, nerves, muscles, ligaments, and other structures. Still, despite sophisticated techniques, which provide detailed anatomical images of the spine and other tissues, the cause of most cases of back pain remains unknown.

Vertebrae. The spine is a column of small bones, or vertebrae, that support the entire upper body. The column is grouped into three sections:

See the original post here:
Back pain and sciatica | University of Maryland Medical Center

Back pain is a common problem that affects most people at some point in their life.

It may be triggered by bad posture while sitting or standing, bending awkwardly, or lifting incorrectly. Its not generally caused by a serious condition. Find out more about thecauses of back pain.

In most cases, back pain will improve in a few weeks or months, although some people experience long-term pain or pain that keeps coming back.

Backache is most common in the lower back ('lumbago'), although it can be felt anywhere along your spine, from your neck down to your hips. Read information onneck pain andshoulder pain, which are covered separately.

Sometimes, back pain can be caused by an injury or disease, such as:

The rest of this information will focus on back pain that doesnt have an obvious cause. Doctors call this non-specific back pain.

Most cases of back pain get better on their own and you may not need to see a doctor.

If youve only had back pain for a few days or weeks, the following advice may help relieve your symptoms and speed up your recovery:

Although it can be difficult to be cheerful or optimistic if you are in pain, its important to stay positive because this can help you recover faster.

Read more about treatments for short-term back pain.

Original post:
Back pain - NHS Choices

Rafael Nadal to Receive Stem Cell Treatment for Back Pain - TOI
Rafael Nadal to Receive Stem Cell Treatment for Back Pain Rafael Nadal #39;s doctor says the 14-time Grand Slam winner will receive stem cell treatment on his ailing back. Angel Ruiz-Cotorro...

By: The Times of India

Originally posted here:
Rafael Nadal to Receive Stem Cell Treatment for Back Pain - TOI - Video

Updated NOV 10, 2014 8:59p ET

BARCELONA, Spain

Rafael Nadal's doctor says the 14-time Grand Slam winner will receive stem cell treatment on his ailing back.

Angel Ruiz-Cotorro told The Associated Press by phone on Monday that "we are going to put cells in a joint in his spine" next week in Barcelona.

The Spanish tennis star was already sidelined for the rest of the season after having his appendix removed last week.

Ruiz-Cotorro, who has worked as a doctor for Nadal for the past 14 years, said Nadal's back pain is "typical of tennis" players and that the treatment is meant to help repair his cartilage and is similar to stem cell treatment Nadal received on his knee last year.

He said Nadal is expected to return to training in early December.

Several NFL players and baseball players have received stem cell treatment. Nadal's fellow Spaniard Pau Gasol, center of the Chicago Bulls, received stem cell treatment on his knee in 2013.

Nadal experienced severe back pain during the final of the Australian Open in January when he lost to Stanislas Wawrinka.

Continued here:
Rafael Nadal to receive stem cell treatment for back pain

Rafael Nadal's doctor says the 14-time grand slam winner will receive stem cell treatment on his ailing back.

Angel Ruiz-Cotorro told AP by phone on Monday that "we are going to put cells in a joint in his spine" next week in Barcelona.

The Spanish tennis star was already sidelined for the rest of the season after having his appendix removed last week.

Ruiz-Cotorro, who has worked as a doctor for Nadal for the past 14 years, said Nadal's back pain is "typical of tennis" players and that the treatment is meant to help repair his cartilage and is similar to stem cell treatment Nadal received on his knee last year.

He said Nadal is expected to return to training in early December.

Several NFL players and baseball players have received stem cell treatment.

Nadal's fellow Spaniard Pau Gasol, centre of the Chicago Bulls, received stem cell treatment on his knee in 2013.

Nadal experienced severe back pain during the final of the Australian Open in January when he lost to Stanislas Wawrinka.

"(Nadal) has a problem typical in tennis with a back joint, he had it at the Australian Open, and we have decided to treat it with stem cells," Ruiz-Cotorro said.

He said that stem cells were recently extracted from Nadal for a cultivation process to "produce the necessary quantities."

See the rest here:
Nadal to receive stem cell treatment

Contact Information

Available for logged-in reporters only

Newswise LOS ANGELES (Sept. 4, 2014) An interdisciplinary research team in the Cedars-Sinai Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Regenerative Medicine Institute and Department of Surgery received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop the first imaging technique used to identify biomarkers that could indicate patients have a painful, degenerative back condition.

Biomarkers are certain body substances, such as proteins or body fluids that can indicate specific health conditions. When noninvasive imaging procedures can identify exactly where the biomarkers are, researchers may alleviate the need for painful and invasive diagnostic procedures and, in the future, provide targeted, stem cell-based therapies to patients with the condition.

More than 85 percent of the United States population suffers from low back pain, much of which is caused by intervertebral disc degeneration. Disc degeneration is a progressive condition, resulting in chronic pain in the back and neck. For some patients, degeneration can occur for years before pain sets in, presenting symptoms, while others are affected almost immediately.

As described in an article in the journal Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, identifying the exact disc that is the source of pain by employing the latest imaging techniques may save patients from painful and invasive diagnostic procedures, such as procedures in which physicians inject a contrast agent or non-toxic dye into patients spinal discs.

The goal of our institute is to develop and apply novel imaging techniques that translate to clinical significance, said Debiao Li, PhD, director of the Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, corresponding author of the article and a co-principal investigator on the NIH grant. This imaging technology may allow us to do just this. By mapping a patients lower spinal region, we can identify the discs causing discomfort, which allows physicians to then treat accordingly.

In the study, investigators developed various imaging techniques using magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, which can identify specific biomarkers to potentially provide a noninvasive diagnostic approach to intervertebral disc degeneration. The approach, which has been tested on patients and in the laboratory, enabled investigators to precisely pinpoint the origin of pain and monitor the progression of each patients condition.

With this imaging technique, investigators in the Regenerative Medicine Institute aim to generate a stem cell-based therapeutic for patients suffering from the degenerative condition.

Our research team is interested in the role of stem cells in this disease and how we can utilize these cells to regenerate the disc and turn it back into a functional tissue, said Dan Gazit, PhD, co-principal investigator on the grant and director of the Skeletal Regeneration and Stem Cell Therapy Laboratory in the Department of Surgery, the Skeletal Program in the Regenerative Medicine Institute and the Molecular and Micro Imaging Core Facility. Using this novel imaging technique, we will be able to evaluate the effect of our future stem cell therapies on back pain.

See more here:
Researchers Developing Noninvasive Method for Diagnosing Common, Painful Back Condition

Gilbert, Arizona (PRWEB) July 08, 2014

The top Gilbert pain management clinic, Arizona Pain Specialists, is now offering over 25 effective back pain treatment options. The Arizona pain management center has now added regenerative medicine options along with cutting edge back pain treatments, which often provide over a year of pain relief. Call (480) 535-6722 to take advantage of the options.

Back pain affects 90% of individuals at some point. It may be disabling and prevent those affected from working, playing with one's kids or enjoying life. Arizona Pain continues to add back pain treatment options at its Gilbert location, combining both traditional and alternative therapies for optimal relief.

Board Certified pain management doctors work closely with chiropractors, acupuncturists and physical rehabilitation providers to customize treatment regimens for patients. New additions to the options include regenerative medicine treatments with stem cell procedures. These include both amniotic and bone marrow derived procedures.

Cutting edge additions to the interventional procedures include spinal cord stimulator implants and radiofrequency ablation procedures. These are excellent options for those suffering from chronic low back pain to provide much needed relief.

The Gilbert chiropractors at Arizona Pain offer revolutionary spinal decompression therapy, which is FDA cleared and effective in over 85% of patients. With all of the options available now with pain management Gilbert AZ trusts, Arizona Pain achieves over 95% success rates.

Over 50 insurance plans are accepted at the Center including PPO's, some HMO's, Medicare, Medicaid, personal injury liens, workers compensation and self pay as well. Call (480) 535-6722 for more information and scheduling.

See the article here:
Top Gilbert Pain Management Center, Arizona Pain Specialists, Now Offering Over 25 Nonoperative Back Pain Treatments

Wounded Warrior severe low back pain 3 months after stem cells by Dr Harry Adelson
Seven years ago while serving in Special Forces in Afghanistan, Ben was hit directly in the chest by a Rocket-Propelled-Grenade which slammed him against a wall and crushed his spine. THEN...

By: Harry Adelson, N.D.

Read more from the original source:
Wounded Warrior severe low back pain 3 months after stem cells by Dr Harry Adelson - Video

Stem Cells for back pain, Dr. Grande
Stem cell Therapy for spine disease explained.

By: SunCoastSeminars

View post:
Stem Cells for back pain, Dr. Grande - Video

Mesoblast on FOX News - Treating back pain with adult stem cells
FOX Network News announced the promising news of the results of a clinical trial that the reporter says is "pretty cool stuff.... and the results have been s...

By: AHPRvideo

More:
Mesoblast on FOX News - Treating back pain with adult stem cells - Video

Stem Cell Injections Reduce Low Back Pain
A single injection of stem cells into degenerative discs reduced low back pain for at least 12 months according to results of a 100-patient, phase II, intern...

By: LabEquipment

The rest is here:
Stem Cell Injections Reduce Low Back Pain - Video