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Acute mechanical back pain is a common medical problem. Acute pain is pain
that has been present less than 4 to 6 weeks. Mechanical means the source of the
pain may be in the spinal joints, discs, vertebrae, or soft tissues. Acute
mechanical back pain m... |
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Significant advancements have been made in the field of spinal surgery.
Today, patients of all ages are benefiting from new technology that allows
surgeons to perform complex operations on the spine.
What are minimally invasive and microsurgery?Minimall... |
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About 65 million Americans suffer from lower back pain every year. Of these,
more than 12 million are reported to have degenerative disc disease. As time
goes by, many of these people become so disabled that they need to stay
motionless in bed for lon... |
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Overview
Ninety percent of American adults will experience an episode of back pain
during their lifetime. Back pain is the second most common reason people visit
their family physician (just behind upper respiratory infections). On any given
day, alm... |
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How are back and neck conditions diagnosed?
The most important part of your evaluation is a physical exam and medical
history performed by your doctor. In addition, various diagnostic tests may be
used to help diagnose back and neck disorders, including... |
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What is cervical radiculopathy?
The cervical vertebrae are the seven vertebrae that form the upper part of
the spine. Cervical radiculopathy is the damage or disturbance of nerve function
that results if one of the nerve roots near these vertebrae is co... |
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An overview of the back
The spine, or backbone, is made up of a column of 33 bones and tissue
extending from the skull to the pelvis. These bones, or vertebrae, enclose and
protect a cylinder of nerve tissues known as the spinal cord. Between ea... |
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The back is a complex structure of bone and muscle, supported by cartilage,
tendons and ligaments, and fed by a network of blood vessels and nerves. The
back -- especially the lumbar, or lower, back -- bears much of the body’s
weight during walking, r... |
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OverviewEighty to ninety percent of
the population in the United States will suffer from back pain during their
lifetime. Back pain is the second most common reason for doctor visits. It is
also the direct cause of enormous health care expenses annually... |
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What is a nerve block?A nerve block
is a technique of placing local anesthetics (like Novocaine) near nerves to
temporarily "block" or stop the nerves from transmitting pain signals.
What information does a nerve block provide?
Helps to d... |
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Discectomy is a surgical procedure to remove a portion of a disc to relieve
pressure on the nearby nerve roots. Whatever is causing pressure on the nerves
— such as a piece of bone or material leaking from the center of the disc —
is removed to ease the... |
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The following advice will benefit a majority of people
with back pain. If any of the following guidelines causes an increase of pain or spreading
of pain to the legs, do not continue the activity and seek the advice of a physician or
physica... |
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What is intradiscal electrothermal therapy (IDET)?
Intradiscal electrothermal therapy is used as a treatment option for people
with low back pain resulting from inter-vertebral disc problems. These discs act
as cushions between the vertebrae. Sometimes ... |
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A laminectomy is a surgical procedure to relieve pressure on the nerve roots
by removing the lamina, the flattened segments at the back of the vertebral
arch. The vertebral arch is the ring of bone that joins the vertebral body to
surround the spinal ... |
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What is low back pain?
Low back pain is pain and stiffness in the small of the back. There might also be
pain in the buttocks or legs. Simple exercises and good posture can help most low back
pain. In a few cases, medications, physical therapy, or surge... |
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What exercise can I do to reduce low back pain?
Pelvic
tilt
Lie on your back with your knees bent. In this relaxed position, the small of your back
will not be touching the floor. Tighten your abdominal muscles so that the small of your
back pres... |
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Shuvo Roy, Ph.D., always assumed that some day he’d work for NASA or a
private aerospace company. After all, with an electrical engineering doctorate
from Case, where he worked on ice detection systems for airplane wings and high
temperature flow sens... |
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A heat-based treatment that eases lower back pain also gives patients marked
improvement in activities in daily living, according to Cleveland Clinic
research presented in New Orleans at the annual meeting of the American Society
of Anesthesiologists.... |
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For 13 years Joan Smith* of Alabama endured agonizing back pain. Several
costly, unsuccessful surgeries only compounded the problem. Not only did Smith’s
bank account dwindle with each procedure, but she grew extremely depressed and
addicted to a painki... |
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What is a DO?A DO is a doctor of
osteopathic medicine. Osteopathic medicine represents one of two distinct
schools of medicine in the United States. The education process for a DO
consists of four years of an undergraduate degree, four years of medical ... |
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The spinal column, or the vertebrae, consists of 24 separate bones along with
the fused bones of the sacrum and coccyx. The vertebral column is a strong,
flexible rod that protects the spinal cord, supports the head, and provides an
attachment for the r... |
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What is good posture?
Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity while
standing, sitting or lying down. Good posture involves training your body to stand, walk,
sit and lie in positions where the least strain is placed o... |
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Why is psychological treatment often recommended for a
physical problem such as back pain?
There is a difference between mechanical or structural problems in the back and
back pain. Some people have a high level of structural damage and feel very little... |
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The Mind-body issueMost people think
that the mind and the body are separate and function independently. Instead,
these two usually work together in shaping our experiences. Sometimes
psychological factors can reduce or eliminate the effects of physical... |
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Spinal decompression surgery is a general term that refers to various
procedures intended to relieve symptoms caused by pressure, or compression, on
the spinal cord and/or nerve roots. Bulging or collapsed disks, thickened
joints, loosened ligaments a... |
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With age or injury, cracks or fissures may develop in the wall of the
intervertebral disk. Filled with small nerve endings and blood vessels, these
fissures can be a chronic source of pain. Also, the inner disk material
frequently bulges (herniates) int... |
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Spondylolisthesis is a condition in which one of the bones of the spine
(vertebrae) slips out of place onto the vertebra below it. If it slips too much,
the bone might press on a nerve, causing pain. Usually, the bones of the lower
back are affected.
T... |
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Spondylolysis is a specific defect in the connection between vertebrae, the
bones that make up the spinal column. This defect can lead to small stress
fractures (breaks) in the vertebrae that can weaken the bones so much that one
slips out of place, a... |
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When should I have back surgery?
Surgery for back pain is a last resort treatment. There are
basically two reasons for surgery for back pain. They are: (1) neural
element compression (or squeezing of nerve roots or nerves) or pressure on the dura mate... |
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What common back conditions can be helped by surgery?Two
of the more common conditions for which surgery can be helpful are disc
herniation ("ruptured disc"/"slipped disc") and spinal
stenosis. Both of these conditions may result in ... |
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Eighty to 90 percent of people in the United States will suffer from back
pain at some time during their lives. Back pain is the second most common reason
people visit their family doctors (just after upper respiratory infections). On
any given day, alm... |
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Eighty-five percent of people develop some back pain during their lifetime.
Of this group, most people (95%) get better in six to 12 weeks.
Acute back pain may be related to several common conditions, such as
degenerative arthritis, degenerative disk ... |
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The spine, or backbone, runs from the base of the skull to the pelvis,
serving as a pillar supporting the body’s weight and as protection for the
spinal cord. There are three natural curves in the spine, giving it an
"S" shape when viewed fr... |
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