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Pain in the lower back or low back pain is a common concern, affecting up to 90% of Americans at some point in their lifetime. Up to 50% will have more than one episode. Low back pain is not a specific disease. Rather, it is a symptom that may occur from a variety of different processes. In up to 85% of people with low back pain, despite a thorough medical examination, no specific cause of the pain can be identified.
Back pain can have many underlying reasons, but often no specific cause will be found and the pain will stop. This chapter tries to touch on many of the causes of back pain and proper evaluation and diagnosis. Please make sure to discuss your individual symptoms as well as the suggested treatments with your health-care provider to determine the appropriate diagnostic and treatment plan for your circumstances.
To understand the sources of your particular back problem and / or how to prevent back pain, it helps to understand the anatomy of your spine.
The human spine consists primarily of a line of interlocking bones called vertebrae
Vertebra : – One of a series of irregular bones that form the spine. A vertebra has 2 parts: the vertebral body and the arch; there are 33 vertebrae total: 7 CERVICAL,12 THORACIC, 5 LUMBAR, 5 FUSED to form the SACRUM and 4 COCCYGEAL; feature of a typical vertebra include: body, pedicles, transverse processes, laminae, articular processes, spinous process.
The vertebrae are held together by muscles, tendons and ligaments. Between the vertebrae are intervertebral disks, which act as “shock absorbers” by preventing the vertebrae from hitting one another when you walk, run or jump. The intervertebral disks also allow your spine to twist, bend and extend.
Mental wellbeing of a person also has a role in back pain. If the condition is chronic, your doctor may recommend that you have an assessment of your wellbeing in a pain clinic.
‘Conservative treatment‘ is a common term used for describing the different types of non-surgical treatments. As almost all people who have spine-related problems do not need surgery, conservative treatment plays a major role in treatment of spinal disorders. However, there is a wide selection of conservative treatments available and sometimes it can be very difficult to make sense of all the choices.
NSAIDs, Pain reliever, Muscle relaxants, spinal injections and antidepressants are used in back pain. NSAIDs work by reducing inflammation and providing pain relief. Inflamed ligaments and joints can cause pain directly or by irritating nerves as they leave the spine. NSAIDs must be taken on a regular basis at therapeutic dosing to have a true anti-inflammatory effect. Conservative treatment is always the first option in order to reduce pain. The most common form of treatment that is used is physical therapy.
Physical therapy offers a wide range of treatments for back problems.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_message style=”square” message_box_color=”mulled_wine”]
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