Pain In The Back

Summary

Every year around 6 million American citizens visit their treating physicians with complaints of pain in the back and almost 500,000 are hospitalized for the same. However, with the advancement in technology, new techniques are being used to alleviate the pain.

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Back pain is something that can strike at any time. If it is ignored, it can turn into debilitating pain and can seriously impact the quality of life. Severe pain can take away the joy of living and even participating in fun activities may become impossible.

Pain in the back is something that is a common complaint with the elderly citizens. However, even youngsters these days complain of back pain. Very often people suffer from chronic back pain. This pain may be aggravated with twisting, bending, picking up objects etc.

Physicians generally face challenging situations when patients present with back pain. Around 6 million Americans make annual visits to the physicians, out of which around 500,000 are in a state where they have to be hospitalized. It has been estimated that the treatment costs for back pain alone is around $24 billion, and the additional costs due to loss of income and workers’ comp adds up to another $30 to $40 billion.

Dr. Gunnar Anderson is the Professor and Chairman at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago. He states that out of the three areas of the spine, the lower back is the one that is most affected due to weight-bearing activities. Hence, it is the lower back or lumbar region that is more prone to injury.

There are a number of treatment options for pain in the back these days. Fusion surgery is a surgical option where around two or more vertebrae are fused together to eliminate the motion in those discs. Dr. Nagy Mekhail, Chairman, Department of Pain Management, Cleveland Clinic, states that fusion surgery has become quite popular as it treats the discogenic back pain effectively. However, there are other factors such as the cost, healing time, as well as reduced flexibility that make fusion surgery a second option as people opt for the other less invasive options.

Around 2 million Americans have failed to respond to non-operative treatments for chronic lower back pain. Treatments such as spinal injections, medication, as well as physical therapy have not worked on these individuals and they don’t wish to opt for fusion surgery. For such individuals, another minimally invasive procedure, which is known as the IntradiscalElectrothermal Therapy or IDET may be a better alternative. This is especially helpful in individuals who are suffering from unbearable pain in the backfor a long period of time.

This procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, where controlled heat is used to modify the tissue in the disc wall. When the temperature is raised, the collagen fibers contract and thicken inside the disc wall. This helps in closing the tears and cracks and also cauterizes the nerve endings, which cause the pain. The whole procedure takes about 40 minutes from start to finish.

2011? Dr. Brendal Norris, Chiropracticbackpainrelief.org, Read other articles about back pain and back pain relief at http://chiropracticbackpainrelief.org for more answers to your questions about back pain, its causes, and cures.This article is from http://chiropracticbackpainrelief.org/pain-in-the-back