Posts Tagged ‘lower back pain’
Arthritis Low Back Pain
Arthritis affects millions of people each year worldwide. It can cause debilitating effects for the person who is afflicted, causing varying degrees of symptoms and disability.
Many people worry that certain pain they are having may be something more serious, such as in that case of arthritis low back pain. Arthritis in the lumbar spine, or the lower back, is a common problem and one which can cause a variety of symptoms.
Lumbar spine arthritis is more common in older people, but it can also be found in other age groups as well. Some of the people who are more prone to developing arthritis in the lower back, besides the older population, include people who are obese, those who are involved in heavy labor, and those who have suffered a previous injury to their spine.
Arthritis of the lumbar spine happens in the joints that connect each segment of the spinal column, or the vertebrae. When the joints become arthritic, movement in the back becomes stiff and painful. Lumbar spine arthritis is sometimes found along with other spinal conditions such as disc degeneration and spinal stenosis.
Lumbar spine arthritis normally causes the symptoms of stiffness in the lower back and often severe pain. The stiffness is especially noticeable in the morning as they get out of bed, but can sometimes become more loosened up throughout the day. Sometimes strenuous activity and prolonged use of the lower back muscles can cause symptoms to become worse.
If lumbar facet arthritis worsens, it can result in the joints forming bone spurs and the tissue becoming inflamed. These joints contain nerves around them which can become pinched resulting in a disorder called spinal stenosis. This condition is seen often in patients with arthritis of the lower back.
The treatment options that are offered will depend on the severity of the person’s symptoms. Treatment always starts with more simple measures to be sure that the patient can tolerate them and find relief. Some of the methods of treatment include physical therapy, chiropractic care, anti-inflammatory medicine, weight loss, alternative treatment (acupuncture, magnet therapy, natural remedies, and massage), ice and heat applications, epidural injections of steroid medicine and spinal fusion surgery. Surgery is normally a last resort after relief has not been found through other methods of treatment.
Of all the symptoms of lumbar spine arthritis, low back pain can be the most difficult to manage and live with. The constant pain and stiffness can be the cause of much stress and can seriously alter a person’s way of life. It is important to recognize symptoms and begin treatment early to ensure that the progression of the disease is slowed down. Finding a treatment that works may take some time as everyone will have different levels of pain and treatment requirements.
Published by Relief For Back Pain
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Three Different Forms of Arthritis
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Alternative Medicine And Back Pain
Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine in people without back pain. However, arthritis can affect any joint in the body, including the small joints of the spine. Arthritis of the spine can cause back pain with movement. …
Chair Massage Can Contribute In Treatment Of Arthritis
When you have arthritis, muscle and soft tissue become tends and are difficult to bend. Some cases of lumbar spine arthritis have been reported for spinal conditions such as spinal stenosis and disc degeneration. …
Lumbar Laminectomy for Lower Back Pain
Facet arthritis and/or cysts. The surgery is usually performed under local anaesthesia. The patient lies face-down on the operating table. This then opens the lumbar spine for inspection and operation. …
Low Back Pain Relief With A Massage Chair For Arthritis
Of all the symptoms of lumbar spine arthritis, low back pain can be the most difficult to manage and live with. The constant pain and stiffness can be the cause of much stress and can seriously alter a persons way of life. …
Dr. Jeffrey Wang, M.D., is the Chief of Spine Surgery and Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Neurology at the UCLA School of Medicine. He specializes in all spine disorders in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar area. …
Arthritis Pain Relief for Ankylosing Spondylitis
A dramatic loss of flexibility in the lumbar spine is usually the first symptom of this disease. Arthritis might also be present in the hips, feet and shoulders. The symptoms often mimic those of other more likely back problems, …
Lower Back Pain Rehab
Free Back Pain Video and eBook
Lower back pain is a condition that affects nearly everyone at some point or another in their lifetime. Low back pain will interfere with work, daily activities or hobbies and recreation.
Interestingly money in the U.S. tops 50 billion dollars a year to diagnose and treat lower back pain. Back pain is the second most common neurological condition in the U.S. and is the most common cause of job related disability and leading contributor to missed work.
Lower back pain comes as an acute problem which is short term and lasts only a few days to a few weeks or chronic pain, which is measured as lasting more than 3 months and can be progressive.
The treatment for low back pain usually incorporates the use of non-invasive recommendations and usually doesn’t involve surgery. Rehabilitation with a physical therapy will involve the use of analgesics or pain medications, protocols to help reduce inflammation, restore proper function and strength. Most patients will recover without any residual functional loss.
There are several things that a patient can do at home to start caring for their back. The first is NOT to stay in bed all day. Bed rest used to be the treatment of choice but now physicians and physical therapists understand that by resting the back completely patients are allowing the muscles to stiffen which makes the pain even worse.
Using ice or heat, although never scientifically proven to quickly resolve low back injury, may help to reduce inflammation or swelling. As soon as possible after an injury an individual should use ice pack over the area. This can be a bag of ice or frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel. Use ice for 20 minutes several times a day for 2 to 3 days. The ice will help to reduce the inflammation.
If the pain and discomfort isn’t reduced after 72 hours you should consult with a physician for treatment protocols that will help to rehabilitate the area so that there is no functional loss in the mobility of the back.
Using warm baths or hot packs after 3 or 4 days will help to relax the muscles and increase the blood flow to the area. Individuals should never sleep with a heating pad which can result in burns and other tissue damage.
Believe it or not exercise is an important aspect of rehabilitation of the lower back muscles, even within one week of the injury. Now, this doesn’t mean Olympian efforts but rather slowly building muscle strength and flexibility. A routine of back-healthy activities should be included each week that will keep the muscles moving and speed the recovery process. These activities will include stretching, swimming, walking and movement therapy to improve coordination.
Yoga is another method of incorporating stretching and strengthening into your exercise routine. At the start of exercising there may be some mild discomfort but this should disappear as the muscles grow stronger and more flexible. If the pain is more than mild or persists for longer than 15 minutes during the exercises then you should stop the activity.
Rehabilitation specialists will also incorporate over the counter medications to help alleviate pain and relax muscles. Sometimes doctors will also use anti-convulsant (anti-seizure) to treat certain kinds of nerve pain. Antidepressants are also used to relieve pain and help with sleep. Opioids are used to treat severe pain but should only be used for short periods of time because they are addictive.
Acupuncture may be used to help relieve pain by inserting thin needles to trigger the release of naturally occurring painkilling molecules. There are current clinical studies being done to measure the effectiveness of this method compared to other more conventional methods that involve the use of chemicals and drugs.
Other treatment modalities may include biofeedback, interventional therapy (injections to block pain), traction, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and ultrasound. All initial treatment modalities attempted are minimally invasive to reduce the risk of unnecessary surgery. But when the most serious cases don’t respond to conventional and alternative therapies then surgery may be considered.
It’s important for the individual to keep doing the exercises even after the pain has resolved. Back pain, although acute the first time, can become chronic if the patient doesn’t take good care of their back.
Published by Relief For Back Pain
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Sciatica – Can You Find Relief?
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Surgery For Low Back Pain: A Review of the Evidence
For nonradicular back pain with common degenerative changes, fusion is no more effective than intensive rehabilitation, but associated with small to moderate benefits compared to standard nonsurgical therapy….
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My Original Blog Post: http://dance-wear.tilido.com/wp2/rehabilitation-for-low-back-pain-with-a-massage-chair/). Do you know that 80% of us will have low back pain during our lifetimes. Our spine is very important to our …
How do you fix low back pain from a slipped disc?.
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Massage Chairs Help Rehabilitation For Low Back Pain
Low back pain can come from disease, injury and even stress. Even slight discomfort may be signs of needing attention. Healing and rehabilitation are important to restore and maintain the vitality of the spine and its soft tissues.
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Lower Back Pain
Free Back Pain eBook and Video
Low back pain is a condition that affects many people in the world today. One reason may be that the reasons for having low back pain are varied and the second reason may be that much of today’s employment involves individuals sitting at a desk or standing in a manufacturing plant for hours.
Both of these activities promote poor back health which leads to spinal disc problems and poor muscle strength. Lower back problems are also the root cause of the majority of workman’s compensation claims and a large number of lost work days.
When an individual suffers from low back pain they will experience a reduced ability to do daily living activities, hobbies, recreational activities and will have difficulty with work. One of the hallmarks of back pain is that it is almost impossible NOT to use the back. You may be able to splint an arm, cast a leg or even decrease movement to splint ribs but it is impossible not to use the back muscles when you are walking, sitting or standing.
At all times the core muscles of the body will be motion holding the body in place and making minute changes to the muscles to hold the body in balance. For this reason the only place that people may find relief is when they are lying down, and then, only in certain positions based on the placement of the injury or disability in the back.
Individuals will find that they suffer more pain in certain circumstances than in others. In other words, some will find it more difficult to stand while others will have more difficulty with sitting. In most cases though, individuals will find relief with walking and movement or with lying down.
The relief found in lying down often leads people to lie down more often and thus increase the amount of time it takes for a back injury to heal. Doctors have found that the maximal amount of time a person should spend on bed rest is two days. And they have found that those people who don’t use bed rest as a means of rehabilitation will recover faster than those who do.
The reason that this is the case is because as the individual ‘rests’ on the couch the muscles in the back become stiff. Because they are either injured from a muscle injury or spasms from a disc problem, the muscles get stiff and shorten when they aren’t being used. Then, as the individual gets out of bed those same muscles are asked to work again. Because, remember, they can’t be splinted in any way.
This movement from spasm to shortening to work again only leads to more pain and discomfort. Sometimes this leads the person to stay in bed and repeat the vicious cycle making recovery all the more difficult.
Instead, physicians and chiropractors have found that individuals who protect their back while walking, sitting and standing but continue to do those activities are more likely to recover faster and without function loss.
Our backs are an integral part of every movement we make each day. Whether we are turning over in bed, getting up from a chair or just walking down the street, these are the muscles that are always used. Because they are so important to our overall health and ability to do our daily tasks it is that much more important that we take care of the muscles that protect our back.
Published by Relief For Back Pain
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Getting To A Diagnosis of Back Pain
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“I have had low back pain with radiation down the left leg due to three herniated discs and a ruptured disc above the herniated discs. After having an MRI and a surgical consult, it was determined that there are no surgical procedures …
Do Disc Problems Cause Back Pain
Low back pain is a common health challenge that at some time affects more than 80% of the population, making it second in prevalence only to the common cold. However, unlike the common cold, back pain is often perplexing to most of its sufferers. Your Fort Worth Chiropractor is an expert at solving that mystery.
Anatomy
To understand back pain, it is important to understand the anatomy of the spine. The spinal bones or vertebrae of the lower back are comprised of posterior joints called facets that join vertebrae to one another and serve to dictate the motion of the spine. The inter-vertebral discs link the bodies of the vertebrae and are comprised of a form of dense cartilage that surrounds a soft material in the center, called the nucleus. The discs act as shock absorbers and spacers between the vertebrae. Ligaments and muscles also join the vertebrae. The sacrum is a wedge-shaped bone at the bottom of the spine. It is connected to the two pelvic bones at the sacroiliac joint. In a canal found between the body and the facets of the vertebrae is the spinal cord. The spinal nerves go out from the spine between the vertebrae.
Causes of Back Pain
Most back pain patients have not experienced any trauma, accidents or major injuries prior to the onset of their problem. The cause of most back pain is the cumulative effects of awkward sitting posture, poor work habits, incorrect lifting, lack of healthy exercise and other poor lifestyle-related factors. These cumulative factors produce stresses and imbalances on the spine and, therefore, some may injure their back just by bending over to pick up a piece of paper. The spine was already at risk and just the simple act of bending was enough to set off the challenge. When this happens, the surrounding back muscles go into spasm to protect the stressed or injured tissues of the back. Chiropractors are back pain specialists. Your Fort Worth Chiropractorcan help you to get out of pain quickly.
Disc Problems & Sciatica
Prolonged sitting, particularly in a unsuitable position causes increased pressure on the intervertebral discs and imbalances in the muscles encompassing the spine. Eventually the lower spine loses its customary function and no longer can accommodate for the normal day-to-day stresses in ones life. Finally, the intervertebral disc develops small fissures, or cracks, letting the soft nucleus to protrude the disc outward. If the disc pushes on sensitive tissues, it causes the pain that is often referred to as a slipped disc. Sciatica develops when the disc presses on the spinal nerve. The symptoms of sciatica include pain, tingling, numbness, and often weakness in the lower extremities. Regrettably, if the disc protrusion or herniation is large and the condition isn’t managed properly, surgery may be needed to remove the herniated disc material. With chiropractic adjustments and care, which often includes postural exercises, most disc challenges, including sciatica, can be resolved. If you are experiencing any of the conditions defined above, it is crucial for you to seek chiropractic attention.
Spondylosis
Repetitive damage to the discs, facet joints, and surrounding ligaments may result in increased erosion and weight-bearing stress on the spine. Bone spurs are formed when the cartilage around the joints is negatively affected by stress that engenders calcium to deposit in the tissues around the vertebrae. These spurs can compress adjacent nerves, blood vessels and soft tissue resulting in symptoms ranging from minor pain and numbness to gross sensory loss and muscular atrophy. This condition known as Spondylosis – is a form of arthritis that is likely to affect almost everyone at some point in life, as it is a common part of the aging process of the spine as well. Nevertheless, determinants such as previous trauma, unhealthy lifestyle, and repetitive stress injury influence the time of onset in life. Regular chiropractic treatment and overall chiropractic management is extremely beneficial in slowing the aging process of the spine, as well as aiding Spondylosis sufferers in managing their condition. Your Fort Worth Chiropractor has helped many Spondylosis sufferers.
Sacroiliac Problems
Another common area of dysfunction or injury in the low back is in the sacroiliac joints. These weight-bearing joints connect the upper part of the body to the lower pelvic portion and are usually very strong and stable. Disturbances from falls, sports injuries, or the lifting of heavy objects can cause the joints to become unstable and move to an abnormal position. This condition is called a sacroiliac subluxation. Pregnancy can also cause this condition. The imbalances in the lower extremities caused by sacroiliac subluxation can produce a functional long and short leg. Those with this syndrome will feel pain particularly with prolonged standing and walking, or during or after physical activity. Many complain of lack of energy and exhaustion. Many times this imbalance can affect structures further up the spine and individuals can develop neck and shoulder pain, as well as headaches. Chiropractic adjustments establish the proper alignment of the joints and are extremely affective in ameliorating sacroiliac problems. Ask your Fort Worth chiropractor how you can experience effective pain relief.
Spinal Subluxation
Subluxated or misaligned facets joints are a prevalent disorder of the lower back, as well as the entire spine. Subluxations can exist on their own or in conjunction with disc problems and Spondylosis. They not only produce pain, but they can also endanger the spinal nerves as they exit the foramen or spaces between the vertebrae, and produce nerve compression, known as paraethesia. Paraesthesia is a change of sensation described as a tingling, burning or “funny feeling.” Paraesthesia in the upper extremities more often than notoriginates from nerve problems in the neck, while paraesthesia in the lower extremities is most often associated with nerve dysfunctionin the lumbar region (lower back). Visceral problems such as asthma and gastric conditions can also becorrelated with, or complicated by, spinal subluxations and nerve compression. Subluxations are best eliminated by chiropractic adjustments.
Trauma
Injury such as a fall, car accident, or sports injury can cause trauma to the spine and lower back. Often these traumas cause over-stretching or tearing of the tissues of the spine. When this occurs a person can encounter considerable pain and immobility. In order to prevent long term disability or the development of any of the conditions listed above, chiropractic adjustments and treatment at the onset of symptoms is vital. If you experience a trauma, call your chiropractor as soon as possible.
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is often associated with low back pain. Chiropractic care offers exceptional pain relief.
When it comes to the spine, chiropractors have more education and training than medical doctors. I can provides state of the art diagnosis and expert treatment for any of the above-mentioned problems of the spine and lower back.
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Dealing With Lower Back Pain
One-sided lower back pain is a fairly common problem that affects most people at some time in their life. Each year millions of people have experienced the pain and discomfort of one-sided, or unilateral, lower back pain. Many of those people are disabled to the point of being unable to hold their jobs and continue working.In fact, back pain ranks number one among all reasons cited for workman’s compensation claims.
The pain in a one sided lower back pain will present as either sharp or dull. It can also present as a general acheiness and be constant or intermittent. There are a variety of conditions that will account for this pain such as a herniated disc, muscle injury,muscle imbalance, or resulting muscle spasms.
Bad Posture Is A Major Cause
Sometimes lower back pain that happens on one side is a result of postural distortion. When an individual has postural distortion it means that their posture, or the way in which they normally hold their body, is distorted or off the center line of gravity, as demonstrated in the opening video. This problem can be a result of a twist of the pelvis when one hip joint is higher than the other as when there is a leg length discrepancy. Or the hip can be pulled higher making one leg higher than the other artificially.
Leg Length Discrepancy
In one instance this is called a functional leg length discrepancy because one leg isn’t really shorter than the other it is the hip joint that has twisted and made the leg function shorter. In the other instance it is called structural leg length discrepancy because one leg really is shorter than the other when measured from heel to hip.
The body will attempt to compensate for the tilt with muscle contractions and this often involves the muscles of the lower back. As long as the twist of the pelvis and the body tilt is the same the muscles have to work very hard to keep the center line of gravity. This will eventually wear down the muscles and cause pain and spasms.
Correcting the problems that cause the one sided lower back pain is the only way to relieve the person of the pain permanently. Otherwise the muscles spasms will diminish with time and treatment and then flare again not long afterward. In the cause of a structural discrepancy the leg length can be corrected with additions to the shoe. In the case of a functional discrepancy the original problem at the hip must be corrected.
Start With A Specialist
In either case it’s best to start with a practitioner who is adept at measurements and back manipulation, such as a qualified chiropractor. After measuring the legs and determining the origination of the pain they will recommend either pelvic manipulations to correct the torsion or a visit to a podiatrist for a shoe insert to correct the leg length discrepancy. But even in the case of a structural deformity, after years of walking on one leg shorter than the other there is bound to be some pelvic deformity as well as the body attempts to correct the imbalance.
Self Care Measures
Even before seeing a chiropractor there are several self-care things that can be done at home to help alleviate the pain and discomfort. First make that appointment with an osteopathic or chiropractic physician. Second, you can use over the counter anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, to help decrease the body’s response to inflammation which has caused the muscle spasms in the back.
Don’t resort to going to bed but instead stay active and as mobile as you can. Continue to walk, sit and stand but use frequent rests where you are lying flat to take the strain off of the lower back. Try not to stay flat for longer than an hour, except when sleeping at night, because as you stay quiet the muscles will begin to contract making it more difficult to get up after lying down.
Ice Down The Pain
Try using ice in the first 48 hours after the initiation of the pain and then heat to help the muscles relax and move more easily. Heat will also increase the blood flow to the area and assist in healing the injured tissue. Don’t sleep with a heating pad because of the danger of greater tissue damage from the heat. Use a low setting on the heating pad to decrease the risk of damage to tissues.
Unilateral low back pain is a common ailment. It is often secondary to postural distortion but is can be a result of poor posture that is initiated by the individual. For instance, chronically sitting on your leg in a chair will also cause a twisting or torsion of the hips and start you down the road to low back pain.
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Diagnosing Back Pain
Free Back Pain eBook and Video
Lower back pain is a painful condition that can put people out of work for weeks and reduce their ability to do basic activities like climbing stairs or getting in and out of bed.Even putting on your shoes or pants can be a painful ordeal. Low back pain is responsible for a vast majority of workman’s compensation issues. And, fortunately, chronic or acute lower back pain is preventable by maintaining good strong and flexible back muscles.
Self Examination
When you’ve injured your lower back there are several things you can do at home to help start treatment. Ice your back for the first 3 days and don’t stay in bed. Take take over the counter analgesics like ibuprofen to help decrease the pain. But if these measures don’t significantly reduce the pain in 3 days time it’s time to see the doctor.
See A Doctor
Lower back pain can be a result of several different factors and it’s up to the doctor to find the cause so that the best treatment can be recommended. The doctor will start with a thorough medical history and physical examination. This will help them to identify any dangerous conditions or family history that could be associated with the back pain.The doctor will ask when the pain started, where it started and the severity of the pain, how long the pain lasts and how it feels. The doctor will ask about limitations in movement and will also ask the individual to make movements that may or may not elicit the pain.
Doctors may also run blood tests to look for possible reasons not to order specific medications or other reasons that the individual may be feeling back pain. If the doctor isn’t able to determine the reason for the back pain through medical history and examination he or she may also recommend imaging tests.
Diagnostic Tests
There are several types of diagnostic tests your physician might ask you to take:
- X-Rays. X-rays are pretty conventional but some of the more enhanced methods can help diagnose back pain. The x-ray looks for broken bones or an injured vertebra. It will will show the bony structures and any vertebral misalignments. Other tissue injuries such as muscle or bulging discs are not visible in these imaging tests.
- Discography. A discography is an imaging test where a technician injects a special contrast dye into a spinal disc that the doctor believes is causing the low back pain. The dye will outline the damaged area on x-ray and is suggested for individuals who are considering undergoing a lumbar surgery or whose pain hasn’t responded to conventional treatment.
- Myelograms. Myelograms are another imaging technique that improves the diagnostic imaging possibilities. Contrast dye is injected into the spinal canal which allows the spinal cord and any nerve compression by a herniated disc to be seen on x-ray.
- Imaging .Computerized tomography (CT) is a painless imaging process used when the doctor believes that a disc has ruptured, there is spinal stenosis or damage to the vertebrae is suspected. This is a specialized test and requires an expensive machine that will be located at an imaging center or hospital.
- MRI. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test is used to see more soft tissue than the CT scan will normally show. It is also more expensive than a CT scan. MRI scanning will look at tissue and nerves, muscles, ligaments and blood vessels. Radio waves are passed through the body using a magnet. The images are passed to a computer which slices the images and differentiates between bone, soft tissue and fluid filled spaces.
Other imaging scans may include elctrodiagnostic procedures such as EMGs. Doctors may use bone scans or ultrasound imaging to look for ligaments, muscle, tendon or other soft tissue masses in the back that could be causing low back pain.
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