Back Pain

Many Medical Tests, Procedures Not Always Needed

New Public Service Campaign Questions Overuse of Commonly Ordered Tests By Denise Mann Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD April 5, 2012 -- Major medical and consumer groups are coming together to...

Experimental Treatment May Help Relieve Back Pain

Study Shows Injections of Ozone Helped Treat People With Back Pain Due to a Herniated Disc By Charlene Laino Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD Dec. 1, 2011 (Chicago) -- An experimental treat...

To prevent future spinal compression fractures, it's also important to treat the osteoporosis that likely caused your fracture and begin building stronger bones. Natural ways to prevent spinal compression fractures include taking calcium supplem...

Preventing Back Pain

Prevention The prevention of back pain is, itself, somewhat controversial. It has long been thought that exercise and an all-around healthy lifestyle would prevent back pain. This is not necessarily true. In fact, several studies have found t...

Ankylosing Spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that affects the spine. Ankylosing spondylitis symptoms include pain and stiffness from the neck down to the lower back. The spine's bones (vertebrae) may grow or fuse together, resulting in a rigid spine...

What Are the Risk Factors for Back Pain?

A risk factor is something that increases your chances of having back pain. Having more risk factors means you have a higher chance of having back pain. Risk factors that you can't change These include: ...

Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of spaces in the spine (backbone) which causes pressure on the spinal cord and/or nerves. About 75% of cases of spinal stenosis occur in the low back (lumbar spine). In most cases, the narrowing of the spine associ...

Causes of Lower Back Pain

Back Pain Causes Back pain is a symptom. Pain arising from other organs may be felt in the back. This is called referred pain. Many intra-abdominal disorders -- such as appendicitis, aneurysms, kidney diseases, bladder infections, pelvic...

Spine Anatomy and Back Pain

There can be many causes of back pain including accidents, strains, and injuries. Two types of back injury are spondylolisthesis and cervical radiculopathy. Both have their own set of symptoms, causes, and treatments. The spine, or backbone, is ...

Cauda Equina Syndrome

Low back pain is very common. It affects millions of people. In most cases, you don't need surgery for low back pain. But in rare cases, severe back pain can be a sign of cauda equina syndrome (CES), a condition that usually requires urgent surgi...

10 Questions to Ask Your Doctor

Back pain is common. If you or a loved one is suffering from back pain you may want to ask your doctor these questions. 1. What is causing my back pain? 2. What can I do to prevent my ...

Time to See a Doctor?

When Should I See a Doctor for Pain? In most cases, it is not necessary to see a doctor for back pain because pain usually goes away with or without treatment. However, a trip to the doctor is probably a good idea if you have numbness or tingl...

Upper, Middle, and Low Back Pain Symptoms

What Are the Symptoms of Back Pain? Most people have experienced back pain sometime in their life. The causes of back pain are numerous; some are self-inflicted due to a lifetime of bad habits. Other back pain causes include accidents, muscle st...

What Kind of Back Problem Do You Have?

How Do I Know What Kind of Back Problem I Have? Unless you are totally immobilized from a back injury, your doctor probably will examine your range of motion and nerve function and touch your body to locate the area of discomfort. Blood and u...

Back Pain Tests

Exams and Tests Medical history Because many different conditions may cause back pain, a thorough medical history will be performed as part of the examination. Some of the questions you are asked may not seem...

Laminectomy

Laminectomy is one of the most common back surgeries. During a laminectomy, a surgeon removes the rear portion of one or more spinal bones (vertebrae), bone spurs, and ligaments that are pressing on nerves. Here's what to expect before, during, and a...

Lower Back Pain Relief at Home

Self-Care at Home General recommendations are to resume normal, or near normal, activity as soon as possible. Stretching or activities that place additional strain on the back are discouraged, however. Sleeping with a pillow betwe...

Injections for Back Pain Relief

Injecting medicines to reduce back pain and inflammation is helpful for some people. The injections usually consist of a steroid and a numbing medicine. However, it's important to keep in mind that not everyone gets the same relief. ...

Sciatica Pain Relief

As many as one in 10 people with low back pain also get sciatica, or irritation of the sciatic nerve. This nerve comes from either side of the lower spine and travels through the pelvis and buttocks. Then the nerve passes along the back of each upper...

TENS for Back Pain

TENS, or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, is a back pain treatment that uses low voltage electric current to relieve pain. TENS is typically done with a TENS unit, a small battery-operated device. The device can be hooked to a belt a...

Back Pain and Acupuncture

Nearly eight out of every 10 people will have low back pain at some point in life. Back pain is one of the top reasons people seek medical treatment. It is also the No. 1 reported reason for seeking acupuncture. The good news is low back pain is one ...

Back Pain Surgery

Operative treatments Depending on the diagnosis, surgery may either be the first treatment of choice - although this is rare - or it is reserved for chronic back pain for which other treatments have failed. If you are in constant pain or if p...

Spinal Stimulation for Back Pain

When other pain treatments have failed, spinal cord stimulation may be an option. Spinal cord stimulation is a procedure that delivers low-level electrical signals to the spinal cord or to specific nerves to block pain signals from reaching the ...

Bioelectric therapy is a safe, drug-free treatment option for people in pain. It is used to treat some chronic pain and acute pain conditions. It relieves pain by blocking pain messages to the brain. When you are injured, pain receptors send a mes...

Nerve blocks are used for pain treatment and management. There are several different types of nerve blocks that serve different purposes. Often a group of nerves, called a plexus or ganglion, that causes pain to a specific organ or body region c...

TENS and IDET for Back Pain

The most common form of electrical stimulation used for pain management is transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy, which provides short-term pain relief. Electrical nerve stimulation and electrothermal therapy are used to relie...

Back Pain: Alternative Approaches

Got back pain? Alternative therapies might help. By Gina Shaw Feature Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD Have you ever had back pain? If so, you're not alone. About 8 out of every 10 people hav...

Chiropractic Care and Back Pain

Among people seeking back pain relief alternatives, most choose chiropractic treatment. About 22 million Americans visit chiropractors annually. Of these, 7.7 million, or 35%, are seeking relief from back pain from various causes, including accidents...

Back Pain Medication Chart

Medical Reference Reviewed by James E. Gerace, MD There is no perfect treatment for pain and sleeplessness. It all depends on your particular case -- the kind of pain you have and the other medications you ...

Back Pain Treatment

How Is Back Pain Diagnosed? Before a doctor can begin treating back pain, he or she may do tests to diagnose what is causing the patient's problem. Unless you are totally immobilized from a back injury, your doctor probably will test your range ...