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Degenerative Disk Disease and Back Pain

December 29th, 2011 | Add a Comment

Cushiony pads called disks are nestled between the individual bones of your spine and help keep your back highly flexible and capable of absorbing stress and strain. Unfortunately, as you age, those back disks can wear down. This is called degenerative disk disease. In fact, it is not an actual disease but the normal aging of the spine. And this degeneration of the back disks can sometimes lead to back pain. “The disk is like a tire between the vertebrae, or bones in the spine,” says Nick Shamie, MD, associate professor of spine surgery at UCLA School of Medicine, director of spinal deformity surgery at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital, and spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. “It acts as a shock absorber. But with the passage of … Read entire article »

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Breast Size and Upper Back Pain

The upper part of the spine is very strong, acting as an anchor to the rib cage and supporting the upper body, but it can also be prone to upper back pain. As with lower back pain, upper back pain is most often caused by strain on the muscles and ligaments from poor posture and repetitive motions. But for women with very large breasts, it doesn’t take hours spent slouched in front of a computer or a vigorous game of tennis to cause upper back pain. Simply the weight of their breasts alone can be enough to cause back pain, sometimes even leading to long-term chronic pain that lasts for months or years. The Link Between Large Breasts and Back Pain Having very … Read entire article »

Study Questions Use of MRI Before Back-Pain Injections

Patients who need steroid injections to ease lower back pain frequently undergo an MRI beforehand. But a new study finds that the expensive imaging tests have little or no clinical value for these patients. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that the MRI does not typically improve results for patients who are candidates for the injection, and it has only a minor effect on doctors’ decision-making. “More is not necessarily better,” said study researcher Dr. Steven P. Cohen, an associate professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at Hopkins. The study is published online Dec. 12 in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Lower back pain is one of the top three reasons people seek medical attention in the United … Read entire article »

It’s No Stretch to Say Yoga May Be Good for Your Back

MONDAY Oct. 31, 11 (MedPage Today) — In the second study in as many weeks, yoga has again proven superior to routine care as a treatment for chronic lower back pain, researchers found. The stretching-and-mindfulness-based therapy improved back function in adult patients in the U.K. with the condition, more than usual care, Helen Tilbrook, MSc, of the University of York, and colleagues reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine. “Yoga seems to be a safe and effective activity that clinicians could consider recommending for patients with a history of low back pain,” they wrote. Studies have shown that yoga could effectively treat back pain. In fact, just last week, a trial found that it boosted functioncompared with those on usual care. However, it was … Read entire article »

Yoga, Stretching Classes Outdo Self-Care for Back Pain

MONDAY, Oct. 24 (HealthDay News) — Yoga instruction and conventional stretching classes are equally good at relieving discomfort from chronic moderate lower-back pain, new research suggests. Both are also better than trying to manage pain on your own by following the exercise, lifestyle and flare-up advice provided in self-help books, the study found. “For a person with garden-variety back pain who is willing to move their body, the bottom-line is that a beginner’s yoga class geared for back pain or a very intensive stretching exercise program would be equally suitable as a treatment,” said study lead author Karen J. Sherman, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington and a senior investigator with the Group Health Research Institute … Read entire article »

Massage Beats Meds for Lower Back Pain

TUESDAY, July 5 (HealthDay News) — Massage therapy may be better than medication or exercise for easing low back pain in the short term, a new government-funded study suggests. Seattle researchers recruited 401 patients, mostly middle-aged, female and white, all of whom had chronic low back pain. Those who received a series of either relaxation massage or structural massage were better able to work and be active for up to a year than those getting “usual medical care,” which included painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants or physical therapy, the researchers found. Lead study author Daniel Cherkin, director of Group Health Research Institute, said he had expected structural massage, which manipulates specific pain-related back muscles and ligaments, would prove superior to relaxation or … Read entire article »

Helmet Spine Injury Claim Is ‘Hog’ Wash

Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011 — Contrary to claims by opponents of universal helmet laws, motorcycle riders who wear helmets are less likely to sustain cervical spine injuries in a collision, analysis of a national database showed. Unadjusted analyses found that the frequency of injury to theneck and upper spine was significantly higher among non-helmeted riders compared with those who wore helmets according to Dr. Joseph G. Crompton, of the University of California Los Angeles, and colleagues. In addition, an adjusted analysis revealed that wearing a helmet was associated with a 22 percent reduction in the odds of injury to the cervical spine, the researchers reported online in the Journal of the American College of Surgery. “Forty years ago, nearly all states required helmets … Read entire article »

Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Scoliosis

Scoliosis is when the spine curves to the side. It usually happens during a growth spurt just before a child becomes a teenager. It sometimes can be the result of other medical conditions such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy, but in most cases the cause is unknown. Most cases of scoliosis are mild and don’t require any treatment. Severe cases of scoliosis can be serious and require surgery and/or a back brace to correct the curvature. In some cases you doctor will order an x-ray and ask the radiologist (a specialist that reads x-rays) to measure the exact amount of curvature. The degree of curvature determines if anytreatment is necessary. Scoliosis can run in the family. … Read entire article »

Help for Spinal Arthritis

Arthritis back pain is a very common type of back pain affecting older people. In fact, if you take an X-ray to look for spinal arthritis, 95 percent of people over age 50 will have some degenerative or “wear and tear” changes in their spines. This type of arthritis is classified as osteoarthritis. “Arthritis can affect any joint in the body, including the joints in the back,” says S. Christine Kovacs, MD, a rheumatologist at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Mass. “Although any part of the back can have arthritis, the lower back is the most common area.” Symptoms of arthritis of the spine are caused when the bones or other structures of the back put pressure on or pinch … Read entire article »

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