Lower Back Pain

Lower Back Pain Symptoms and Treatment Options

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:30:17 -0800

Lower Back Anatomy

Ben Parr — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:06:01 -0800

The causes of low back pain can be very complex, and there are many structures in the spine that can cause pain.

Diagnosing the Cause of Lower Back Pain

Ben Parr — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 07:37:06 -0800

When determining the underlying cause of low back pain, both the type of low back pain (a description of how the pain feels) and the area of pain distribution (where the pain is felt) help guide the physician in making a preliminary diagnosis and determining the appropriate treatment plan.

Back Care for Lower Back Pain

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:50:16 -0800

Since most episodes of lower back pain are self-limited, it is often advisable for patients to employ back care on their own early in the course of low back pain.

Back Care First Aid

In most cases, do-it-yourself back care for low back pain should center on a combination of:

A short course of rest, limited to one to two days
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Low Back Pain with Referred Pain

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:30:17 -0800

This type of low back pain can vary widely with regards to severity and quality. It tends to be achy, dull and migratory (moves around). It tends to come and go and often varies in intensity. It can result from the identical injury or problem that causes simple axial back pain and is often no more serious.

Conservative Treatments for Coccydynia

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:30:17 -0800

Treatments for coccydynia are usually conservative and local. The first line of treatment typically includes:

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs. NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen, naproxen, COX-2 inhibitors) help reduce the inflammation that can cause pain.
A donut-shaped pillow to help take pressure off the coccyx when sitting

Patience is also very important, since it often takes many weeks, or even months, for the pain to subside.

Understanding Low Back Pain (Lumbago)

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:30:17 -0800

The underlying causes of low back pain (sometimes referred to as lumbago) can be complex and are not always readily apparent. This article is aimed at helping patients understand how physicians evaluate the area of pain distribution in helping to diagnose the source of a patient’s low back pain and determine initial treatment options.

Treatment Options for Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:30:17 -0800

Treatment for sacroiliac joint dysfunction is usually conservative (non-surgical) and focuses on trying to restore normal motion in the joint.

Typical treatments for sacroiliac joint dysfunction include:

Surgical Treatments for Coccydynia

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:30:17 -0800

For people who have persistent pain that is not alleviated or well-controlled with conservative treatment of coccydynia, surgical removal of the coccyx (coccygectomy) is an option.

This surgery is rarely performed, and the procedure is not even included in most spine surgery textbooks. It is, however, a relatively simple operation.

Low Back Pain and Sciatica: Radicular Pain

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:30:17 -0800

Type of pain

Radicular pain is often referred to as radiculopathy, and in lay terms is often described as sciatica. This type of pain is often deep and steady, and can usually be reproduced with certain activities and positions, such as sitting or walking. The pain usually follows the involved dermatome (the area of distribution of the leg covered by the specific nerve) – in the leg, this is usually the sciatic nerve.

Low Back Pain from Muscle Strain

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:30:17 -0800

The majority of episodes of acute lower back pain are caused by damage to the muscles and/or ligaments in the low back. Even though a muscle strain doesn’t sound like a serious injury, the low back pain can be surprisingly severe and is the cause of many emergency room visits each year.

Coccydynia: A Real Pain in the Tailbone

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:30:17 -0800

Introduction

Coccydynia, or tailbone pain, is a fairly rare and poorly understood condition that can cause persistent lower back pain. It is felt as a localized pain at the very bottom of the spine (the coccyx) and will generally feel worse when sitting.

Axial Back Pain: Most Common Low Back Pain

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:30:17 -0800

Axial low back pain can vary widely. It can be a sharp or dull pain, it can be felt constantly or intermittently, and the pain can range from mild to severe. The most common type of axial back pain is "mechanical” and is characterized as:

Accurate Diagnosis of Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:30:17 -0800

Accurately diagnosing sacroiliac joint dysfunction can be difficult because the symptoms mimic other common conditions, such as disc herniation and radiculopathy (pain along the sciatic nerve that radiates down the leg).

A diagnosis is usually arrived at through physical examination and/or an injection.

Diagnosis of Coccydynia

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:30:17 -0800

A health professional diagnoses coccydynia by taking a thorough medical history from the patient and completing a physical examination. Diagnostic tests, such as x-ray or MRI, are also commonly performed in order to rule out other potential causes of the pain.

A thorough physical examination should include:

Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:30:17 -0800

Common Causes of Lower Back Pain

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:30:17 -0800

Causes of Coccydynia

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:30:17 -0800

The coccyx is the very bottom portion of the spine. It represents a vestigial tail (hence the common term "tailbone") and consists of four or more very small bones fused together. The coccyx articulates with the sacrum through a vestigial disc, and is also connected to the sacrum with ligaments (see Figure 1).

When Motion Causes Low Back Pain

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:16:22 -0800

Motion Can Cause Problems

The back is a remarkable combination of strong bones, flexible ligaments and tendons, large muscles and highly sensitive nerves. It was designed to move, to be incredibly strong, protecting the highly sensitive nerve roots, yet highly flexible. However, some motion in the spine, even micro-motion at a specific spinal segment, can cause pain. This newsletter explains how motion segments can cause pain in the lower back and how they can be treated.

Discogram to Diagnose Low Back Pain

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:16:21 -0800

Similar to an SNRB and facet joint block, a discogram is a test to determine the anatomical source of lower back pain for the patient. This procedure is most frequently used to determine if degenerative disc disease is the cause of a patient’s pain (discogenic low back pain). Discograms are also performed to assist in preoperative planning for candidates for a lumbar spinal fusion.

Pregnancy Related Low Back Pain

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:16:20 -0800

As many as 80% of pregnant women will experience low back pain, especially in the their third trimester of the pregnancy.

Typically, the pain will be in the sacroiliac joints, and is probably due to a combination of carrying extra weight and hormonal factors that act to widen the sacroiliac joints and increase the size of the birth canal.