Author Login | Submit Articles | Popular Articles | RSS Feeds | Links | Sitemap
Search:

Home | Health | Medicine


Lower Back Pain: Definitions & Options

By: Dr. Stefan Tarlow

The lumbar region of the back consists of the lowermost five vertebrae. Vertebrae are cushioned and separated by cartilage-coated, spinal discs that consist of a gel-like substance.

The spinal cord and the nerves that branch off from it are contained in the spinal canal, which extends through the entire spinal column. The lower back is very prone to pain because it has the job of supporting most of the body's weight. The spine, nerves and muscles are under a lot of stress and can experience quite a bit of pain.

Actually, after the flu, low back pain is the most common complaint doctors are presented with. There are a number of causes for back pain. Often, one patient's problems are caused by multiple reasons. However, the most common reasons are injury and trauma. Here is a list of the types of low back pain and their causes:

A muscle injury is a strain.

Sprain: Injury to a ligament.

Sciatica: Pinched nerve.

Inflammation of a hip joint is called sacroiliitis.

Disc degeneration caused by disease.

Pressure can cause a herniated disc.

There are a number of reasons why sprains and strains happen. They could be the result of multiple events. For example, improper lifting, obesity, and poor posture each cause cumulative damage to the lower back as well as other body structures.

Click here for more on reconstruction of torn ACL.

Following a sprain or a strain, it is a good idea to apply heat and cold packs alternately. You might also treat with ultrasound, massage therapy, or electrical stimulation. Tractions and reductions (physical maneuvering of the bones) may also be helpful. A doctor can provide local injections of anesthetics or corticosteroids for pain relief. It is important to ease back into regular activity after a couple of days rest.

Conditioning and strengthening of the lower back muscles can help to avoid and treat lower back pain. This can be achieved through a combination of general aerobic exercise and specific strengthening exercises.

If you have tried all of the non-surgical options without relief, you may wish to consider surgery. Spinal fusion is the most common back surgery. It works by limiting the movement in the most painful area of your back.

If your pain is reduced, your surgery is successful. Keep in mind, however, that it may take more than a year to experience full recovery. Additionally, it is quite unusual for a person to truly have complete relief of pain. Discuss all of the options with your doctor. You may find that surgery is not the right treatment for your situation.

Click here for more on knee surgery and knee surgeons.


Article Source: http://www.bigfreearticles.com

The lumbar region of the back consists of the lowermost five vertebrae. Vertebrae are cushioned and separated by cartilage-coated, spinal discs that consist of a gel-like substance.

About the Author:
Dr. Tarlow is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon with over 20 years specializing in knee surgery. He opened his own clinic, Advanced Knee Care, with a focus on specialty patient care. Click here to learn more about Dr. Tarlow, knee surgeries and Knee Arthroscopy in Mesa.

Please Rate this Article

Comments

Share This Article - Quick and Easy Using This Button:

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Medicine Articles Via RSS!

  • Do not neglect eating disorder just because it does not involve drugs or alcohol By: Justin Hamlin - A new problem has aroused nowadays among the human beings, the eating disorder. Although it does not seem to be a worrying problem, negligence can lead to fatal results. However, this problem is increasing at an alarming rate nowadays, thousands people are getting affected to this problem. Eating disorder is caused due to two main reasons, under-diet or over-diet. The only risk involved with eating disorder is malnutrition. If you realize that you are going to such a position or any of your close people has an eating disorder, consult a doctor as soon as possible.
    Tags: health, medicine, alcohol rehabs, drug rehabilitation, depression treatment, addiction treatment, drug treatment program
  • Just why Try Dog Glucosamine By: Dave Tee - In just in the last number of recent years there have been a assortment of new pain treatment and pet care products showing in the market.Dog glucosamine is at this moment absolutely one of the most well acknowledged and in addition the most popular treatments for easing common problems many Animals have. There are a good amount of varying products obtainable that have glucosamine. These range from tablets to powders although the most common picks by far are the squashy chews.
    Tags: health, medicine, dog glucosamine, dog chew glucosamine
  • How To Get The Lowest priced Frontline Plus By: Dave Tee - Getting frontline at good prices is often difficult. Now I wish to provide some suggestion on exactly how to attain the cheapest charges for all number of animal medicines, including frontline plus. Mainly web sites are charging you way too much and if you are having to pay in excess of $55 to get a six month amount intended for a big Dog then you may be having to pay a lot more than you need to. Please read on if you wish to get good priced dog meds.
    Tags: health, medicine, frontline plus for cats
  • How To Getting Cheap Frontline Plus For Dogs By: Dave Tee - Frontline Plus flea and tick treatment is almost certainly the most well identified of all the countless problem flea treatment options obtainable used for Canines in addition to Cats. It is a per month external spot on type applicator that is purchased in small pipettes . Added to your animals skin it after that progressively distributes about the pets entire system and gives total protection from fleas in addition to problem ticks. Frontline plus for Dogs is now the most regular form bought and older variants are steadily being phased out.
    Tags: health, medicine, frontline plus for dogs, cheapest frontline plus
  • A good environment is very important for addiction treatment By: Justin Hamlin - Drug addicts often do not want to get out of their addiction and get proper treatment. Intervening in those addicts’ addiction life and giving them proper treatment is the duty of the people related to them. This is the only option that they have got to get the addicts out of their addiction to deadly drugs. People must intervene in a drug addict’s personal life to save them from premature death. The rate of substance abuse is increasing at an alarming rate every year. Even after trying hard the govt. of several countries cannot stop people from taking the lethal drugs.
    Tags: alcohol rehabs, drug rehabilitation, depression treatment, addiction treatment, drug treatment program, drug abuse, substance abuse
  • Buy Colloidal Silver To Benefit Your Health By: Rob Hutchings - When conventional therapies against life threatening diseases do not seem to work and you may have given up hope and hit a brick wall, there is still an alternative therapy left to try that may possibly be effective against your disease. Colloidal silver is increasingly being used in new age treatments against life threatening diseases like MRSA, Flu , E coli, Staphalococcus,HIV/AIDS and many other infections. When all other treatments and medicines fail to work, there still remains a possibility that this may work and prolong the health and life of your near and dear ones.
    Tags: health, medicine, colloidal silver, silver colloid, medicine, alternate medicine, dietary supplements
  • Luxury Drug Rehab has an addiction treatment which can make addict recover fully By: luxurydrugrehab - There are many obstacles on the way to overcome the hurdles of drug addiction and alcohol addiction. If anyone suffers from this type of addictions then it is very important to feel the smallest thing of inspiration to break free of this situation. In an addiction it is seen that the person depends on something and loses the willingness to counter the substance dependence. Some consider addictions simply as bad habits that can be conquered by willpower alone, but many people become so dependent on a behavior or a substance that they no longer see how to abstain from it.
    Tags: health, medicine, drug addiction, drug abuse treatment center, private detox centers, drug detox program, inpatient detox program
  • Alcohol addiction is nothing to worry about By: Justin Hamlin - With the addiction to various kinds of drugs among the teenagers nowadays, the attention of people from alcohol addiction has got removed. The case of alcohol addiction is not much heard nowadays, but if we observe carefully we can see that this addiction remains and the numbers of addicts are much greater than it was before. Alcohol abuse is increasing every year with increase in tension in a person’s life. People start taking alcohol in huge amount just to get rid of the depression and tension they face in everyday life. This slowly drives them towards addiction.
    Tags: health, medicine, drug intervention, drug detox, depression treatment centers, drug abuse treatment center, drug abuse
  • Natural Bodybuilding Routines By: miike argiro - The Benefits of Natural Bodybuilding There is a whole range of benefits in practicing natural bodybuilding. With the proper effort you will have as good a body as any other bodybuilder. The added advantage is that you will know that the integrity of your body and your character has not been compromised in the process. You have done it the hard way, and you should be immensely proud about it. Basics of Natural Bodybuilding Routines Natural Bodybuilding separates itself from other streams of bodybuilding mainly on the issue of dietary habits and practices.
    Tags: health, medicine, bodybuilding, muscle building, bodybuilding exercise, bodybuilding supplements, health
  • Intermediate Bodybuilding Routines By: miike argiro - Things to Look Out For During the beginner days muscle development is relatively significant. This is because when you start out the opportunities are endless. Since there is so much scope for improvement, even the minor improvements are noticeable. Things however change when you graduate to the intermediate level. Although now the routine becomes tougher, the gains are less evident. This is because, by the time you move to the intermediate level, your muscles have already developed and now to gain even the slightest of muscle mass you will have to put in a lot extra.
    Tags: health, medicine, intermediate bodybuilding routines, muscle building, bodybuilding exercise, bodybuilding supplements

Copyright 2007 - 2008 MJE Sales, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Proud member of the ArticleCkr Search Network Search Network!
BigFreeArticles.com is free for both publishers and authors to use and is supported entirely from advertising revenue.
Use of our service is protected by our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.