Back Pain Relief

Most of us experience back pain at some point our lives - in fact the Mayo Clinic reports that 80 percent of Americans will suffer from low back pain. No matter what form back pain comes in, it can hinder our productivity at work, cause sleeplessness, and make everyday activities - like exercising - next to impossible.

So what are those of us with mild to excruciating back pain to do when it comes to staying fit and healthy?

In the U.S. back pain continues to be a leading cause of disability and one of the most common reasons to see a physician for evaluation. Among various treatment options is spinal fusion surgery, which may use a biological agent known as bone-morphogenetic protein (BMP).

People suffering from chronic low back pain who received acupuncture or simulated acupuncture treatments fared better than those receiving only conventional care according to a recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The study highlights central questions about the mechanisms of benefit seen in acupuncture studies.

This trial, led by Daniel Cherkin, Ph.D., of Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle, was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a component of the National Institutes of Health.

New findings show that both fake and real acupuncture are effective for relief of chronic back pain. Study results appearing in the Archives of Internal Medicine show that both real and simulated acupuncture with toothpicks at acupuncture points was more effective than standard medical care for treating chronic back pain.

When back or leg pain makes a visit to the doctor necessary, the physician will review the patient’s history, perform a physical exam, and make a diagnosis based on those findings.

The precise etiology (or cause) of most back pain is difficult to determine, but typically will resolve with standard treatment. In most cases, diagnostic imaging studies are not required for effective treatment.

When imaging studies for back or leg pain are indicated, they are administered in the following situations:

* The initial diagnosis is either in question or requires confirmation.

This morning as I was visiting the website of Medisana I noticed they are featuring this HWR6500 Back Pain Relief System and thought would take a look at it and explore deeper. Then I looked around online and saw some reviews have already surfaced in other blogs.

Back pain affects more than 80 percent of people and costs more than $100 billion annually in the U.S. But is the surgery cost effective? A study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center suggests that for patients with spinal stenosis, a laminectomy, or surgical removal of some soft bone and tissue, is a reasonable value.

However, for patients with spinal stenosis with associated slipped vertebrae, the benefits of spinal fusion surgery may not be enough to offset costs. The study is published in the December 16 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

During 2009, millions of Americans will undergo unnecessary and costly spinal surgeries and injections or be given mind-altering drugs that fail to eliminate their back pain -- unless their physicians recognize and treat the actual source of most back pain, says pioneering pain specialist, Norman Marcus, M.D.

It's muscles, not the spine, says Dr. Marcus.

Back pain is the most common disabling pain experienced by Americans, and, according to the National Institutes of Health, eight out of ten people will suffer from it during their lifetime.

There is no cure for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a genetic disorder that causes the weakening of muscles and is the leading genetic cause of infant death, but University of Missouri researchers have discovered a new therapeutic target that improves deteriorating skeletal muscle tissue caused by SMA. The new therapy enhanced muscle strength, improved gross motor skills and increased the lifespan in a SMA model.

The updated results of the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT) appeared in the December 1 issue of Spine. This study added 2 additional year on to the previously published 2-year results of research that had found that spine surgery out performs nonsurgical interventions for patients with lumbar disk herniation. Spine surgery does so by providing more rapid and greater relief in back pain symptoms and a greater improvement in function.