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Low back pain:
- One of the most common type of pain experienced by people today (Headaches are the most common)
- Will be experienced by 80% of adults during their lifetime
- Can be caused by a variety of disorders
- Is usually self-limiting and resolves within a few weeks
- Causes 40-50% of lost work days
Risk Factors:
- Genetic Predisposition
- Smoking
- Poor physical fitness
- Prolonged static position (sitting)
- Anxiety/depression
- Repetitive lifting, twisting, bending
- Overweight
Cause:
Unknown and can be related to ligaments, discs, joints, muscles or any combination. Disorders such as: Degenerative Disc Disease, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Herniated Disc, Lumbar Strain, Spondylolisis or Spinal Stenosis.
Treatment:
- Comfort measures - rest, ice/heat, and medication (anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxant, pain pills)
- Physical therapy treatments
- Spine exercise program
- Lumbar support
- Education in back care and prevention
- Surgery in some cases
Goal of Treatment:
- Decrease pain
- Return to normal level of activity
Continued low back pain which lasts longer than three months is diagnosed as chronic low back pain and is addressed differently than acute low back pain.
Emergency exam is needed for:
- Any unrelenting severe low back pain
- Loss of bowel and bladder function
- Progressive numbness/weakness of legs
Treatment of unrelenting low back pain and changes in neurological function will be determined by the physician after clinical exam and diagnostic tests (x-rays, CT's, MRI's, labs) to determine the cause of the problem.
Surgery may be needed to treat the symptoms:
- To relieve pressure on spinal cord or nerve roots
- To stabilize the spine
- To treat the cause of the pain
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