American Society Of Anesthesiologists Urges Americans To Fight Back Against Pain
Whether the result of injury, illness or a chronic condition, 70 million Americans experience pain annually. The individual pain sufferer may experience a diminished quality of life, lack of mobility and added stress. For the country as a whole, pain has far-reaching cost implications. It is estimated that more than 140 million work days are lost because of back pain. (1, 2) As a result of chronic pain and the loss in productivity that it causes, approximately $60-100 billion is wasted each year. (3) To help fight this debilitating condition and combat its detrimental impact, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is offering practical ways for sufferers to take an active role in the treatment of pain.
New Interdisciplinary Approach To Treating Lower Back Pain Unveiled By MSU Researcher
Using a branch of science that crosses disciplines to study complex problems, a Michigan State University researcher is introducing a new way to understand and treat lower back pain, a condition affecting more than 40 million Americans and costing billions of dollars each year. N. Peter Reeves, a researcher in Osteopathic Surgical Specialties in MSU's College of Osteopathic Medicine, is studying the spine using systems science, which became popular in the early 20th century. With a systems approach, it is possible to study complex systems in a way that not only includes their parts but also how the parts interact to affect the entire system. "The attractiveness of the systems approach is that it allows the research community to share results and integrate data to provide a coherent picture of the spine system, which in turn can be used to better diagnose and treat back pain, " Reeves said.
What Is Back Pain? What Causes Back Pain?
Back pain is a very common complaint. According to the Mayo Clinic, USA, approximately 80% of all Americans will have low back pain at least once in their lives. Back pain is a common reason for absence from work, or visiting the doctor's. According to the NHS (National Health Service), UK, back pain is the largest cause of work-related absence in the United Kingdom. Although back pain may be painful and uncomfortable, it is not usually serious. Even though back pain can affect people of any age, it is significantly more common among adults aged between 35 and 55 years. Experts say that back pain is associated with the way our bones, muscles and ligaments in our backs work together.
Outpatient Disc Treatment Gives Long-Term Back Pain Relief
A randomized, controlled study comparing standard conservative therapy to a minimally invasive treatment called percutaneous disc decompression for painful herniated disc revealed that while both treatments help patients in the short run, only disc decompression kept patients pain free up to two years later. Results of the study, the first of its kind, were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Discs are sponge-like cushions that rest between the bones of the spine. When a disc bulges or herniates outward, it can cause irritation or pressure on the spinal nerves, resulting in a condition known as sciatica.
Intensive, Progressive Physical Therapist Exercise Program Plus Educationreduces Disability And Improves Patient Function After Back Surgery
Patients who have undergone a single-level lumbar microdiskectomy for lumbar disk herniation experienced significant improvement in physical function following an intensive, progressive physical therapist guided exercise and education program, according to a research report published in the November issue of Physical Therapy (PTJ), the scientific journal of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Low back pain continues to be the most prevalent musculoskeletal problem, and one cause is lumbar disk herniation accompanied by sciatica - with many cases resulting in lumbar diskectomy. Up to 35 percent of patients continue to have pain and impaired function after surgery, which may be related to the type of postoperative care that they receive.
Overweight Children May Develop Back Pain And Spinal Abnormalities
Being overweight as a child could lead to early degeneration in the spine, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). "This is the first study to show an association between increased body mass index (BMI) and disc abnormalities in children, " said the study's lead author, Judah G. Burns, M.D., fellow in diagnostic neuroradiology at The Children's Hospital at Montefiore in New York City. In this retrospective study, Dr. Burns and colleagues reviewed MR images of the spines of 188 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 20 who complained of back pain and were imaged at the hospital over a four-year period.
Implications For Spinal Cord Research From Gecko Model
Geckos and other lizards have long been known for their incredible ability to shed their tails as a decoy for predators, but little is known about the movements and what controls the tail once it separates from the lizard's body. Anthony Russell of the University of Calgary and Tim Higham of Clemson University in South Carolina are closer to solving this mystery as outlined in a paper they co-authored published in the journal Biology Letters. The scientists demonstrate that tails exhibit not only rhythmic but also complex movements, including flips, jumps and lunges, after the tails are shed. Although one previous study has looked at movement of the tail after it is severed, no study up to this point has quantified movement patterns of the tail by examining the relationship between such patterns and muscular activity.
62-Year-Old Man Becomes First Patient In China Implanted With Rechargeable Neurostimulator For Chronic Pain
St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) announced that a 62-year-old man from Shenzhen, Guangdong province has become the first patient in China to be implanted with the Eon™ neurostimulator, a rechargeable device used to help manage chronic pain. Despite prior back surgeries, the patient suffered from chronic back pain for more than a decade. The Eon neurostimulator, which is the first rechargeable spinal cord stimulator to be approved for use in China, was recently approved by the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) for the management of chronic low back pain and pain from back surgeries that have failed. "Chronic pain is a serious health issue in China, " said Professor Zhang De Ren, M.
Minimally Invasive Surgery Corrects Scoliosis And Relieves Retired Teacher's Chronic Pain
Carole Riggs, a retired teacher and school principal, points to her work during one Christmas vacation bending, twisting and sitting on the floor to create games and teaching aids as the primary culprit behind many years of back pain. Burak M. Ozgur, M.D., the neurosurgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center who performed the minimally invasive procedures that relieved the pain, attributes the problem to adult degenerative scoliosis affecting the disks and structures between five vertebrae (thoracic 12 to lumbar 5) in Riggs' lower back. The operations took place in Oct. 2008, and Riggs, 71, has celebrated a year without back pain for the first time in about three decades.
Suffering From Back And Neck Pain? Investing In Treatment Pays Off In The Long Run
Layoffs, loss of insurance, and rising medical costs are forcing people to gamble with their health. According to a recent survey, 25 percent of respondents said they have skipped a doctor's visit because of cost, while 20 percent of U.S. residents say they have trouble paying medical bills(1). Delaying visits to the doctor's office or forgoing preventive care can actually increase the cost of medical care while prolonging pain and recovery time. Back pain is one of the most common reasons for chronic disability and incapacity for work in the western world, and the second leading reason why Americans see physicians; upper respiratory infections are first.