Lower back pain affects around 15% and 45% of the general American population (Schoenfeld). There are several conditions that can create lower back pain and sensory symptoms. Typically conditions cause is degeneration of disk, compression of nerves and/or arteries, or bony formation/ inflammation. One of the most common lower back condition is Spondylosis, degeneration of intervertebral disk and is often paired with Spondylitis which creates inflammation of the joints of the spine. It is important to note conditions can create other issues such as referred pain and compensations. Thoracic outlet syndrome causes neurological complications and referred pain in other structures. Sometimes there is underlying compensations which are not found secondary to other conditions, an example of this is Vertebral …show more content…
Spondylitis occurs with repeated extension and hyperlordosis of the lumbar spine. The condition is more common in young adult females who tend to have low bone density and muscle imbalances. (Starkey, 519) The patient will complain of joint stiffness and loss of mobility. (Wang,1) Spondylitis if not treated early con gradually affect the intervertebral discs and paravertebral ligaments. (Yang,1) Because of the vertebral inflammation there may be gross visible deformity such as bamboos spine, vertebral body fusion by marginal syndesmophytes and posterior vertebral elements. There may also be a palpable “step-off” deformity at the lumbar level. Several tests well be completed to element other possible diagnosis such as disc herniation and facet joint pathology. A spring test and single leg stance with resistance may reveal pain and hypermobility of at the involved segment. There is currently no standard of care typically treatment is focuses on control of spinal inflammation by anti-inflammatory drugs and physical therapy to reduce pain and stiffness.
Imagine living in a world where everything is super-sized. Imagine having to step on a stool to crawl into bed, or having to climb onto a shelf to be able to reach a light switch. Most of all, imagine having to look up to your much taller younger sister when she speaks to you. Situations like these are what Ivy Broadhead, a teenager with achondroplasia, have to go through everyday.
Tests after tests including MRI’s, X-rays, and experimental procedures were performed to show I had five ruptured disks in the lower lumbar section of my back. Tedious Examination done by a group of doctors concluded I had a crippling disease of the spinal column called spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal that causes compression of the spinal cord. (Lohr,1) If this disease was ignored any longer, it would lead to many other problems affecting other areas of my back to help support this weakness. It was an extremely rare case for an athlete my age.
Harvey Simon, MD, and David Zieve, MD (2012, May 3). Back Pain and Sciatica. Retrieved
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that attacks the joints and connective tissue. Autoimmune diseases are illnesses that occur when the bodys tissue is mistakenly attacked by its own immune system. The immunes system is primarly organized to look for infections and destroy them, patients with rheumatoid arthritis have antibodies in their blood which target their own tissue which leads to inflammation. RA is basically a chronic syndrome that is characterized by inflammation of the peripheral joints, but it may also involve the lungs, the heart, the blood vessels and eyes.
Arthritis is a general term for approximately 100 diseases that produce either INFLAMMATION of connective tissues, particularly in joints, or noninflammatory degeneration of these tissues. The word means "joint inflammation," but because other structures are also affected, the diseases are often called connective tissue diseases. The terms rheumatism and rheumatic diseases are also used. Besides conditions so named, the diseases include gout, lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, degenerative joint disease, and many others, among them the more recently identified LYME DISEASE.
Zhang Y, Wang X. (1994). 56 cases of disturbance in small articulations of the lumbar vertebrae treated by puncturing the effective points- a new system of acupunctue.Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 14(2), 115-20.
Pain Relief – Causes of acute and/or chronic back pain may include weak stomach and/or back muscles, poor posture, spinal misalignment, and the force of compression caused by gravity. Inversion therapy is used like traction to relieve pressure on the discs and elongate the spine, which reduces the pressure on nerve roots, discs, and ligaments. All that relates to lessening back and neck pain. Sometimes those tense muscles create painful muscle spasms, which are also temporarily relieved by inversion therapy.
The big picture. Where the two schools of medicine differ is in philosophy. Doctors of osteopathy "treat people, not just symptoms," says Karen Nichols, dean of the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. "The course list looks exactly the same, but the M.D.'s focus is on discrete organs. The osteopathic focus is that all of those pieces are interrelated. You can't affect one with out affecting another." That means paying more than simple lip service to the idea of the "whole" patient: It means that diagnosis and treatment rely on an examination of a person's environment and family and general situation as well as his or her body. Not surprisingly, about 65 percent of the nation's 52,000 licensed osteopaths (by comparison, the country boasts at least 900,000 M.D.'s) are primary-care physicians. The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine has a description of osteopathic training, as well as short profiles of 20 schools, at www.aacom.org. The D.O. programs and their contact information are listed in the directory section of this book.
There is suggested evidence that a number of anatomical structures such as, bones, intervertebral discs, muscles, ligaments, joints and neural structures cause back pain (Hoy, Brooks, Blyth & Buchbinder, 2010). Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) is a condition that is believed to cause chronic back pain (Weiner & Nordin, 2010). It occurs when there is an extrusion of disc material into the surrounding tissue (Weiner & Nordin, 2010). It is also suggested that abnormal stress of the ligaments, muscles and mechanoreceptors contribute to back pain (Weiner & Nordin, 2010). The main cause of chronic back pain has not been identified, but there are many suggested issues that are believed to contribute to chronic back pain.
Bone diseases most directly influence the ability to walk or to move any part of the body--hands, limbs, neck, and spine. They are related to joint disorders--ARTHRITIS, COLLAGEN DISEASE, DISLOCATION of joints, and RHEUMATISM. The medical specialty pertaining to bone disorders is ORTHOPEDICS. Fractures are the most common bone disorders. They can occur as the result of an accident or be secondary to metabolic diseases.
Scoliosis is a progressive disease. In its early stages a mild rotation and rib deformity is detected. As it progresses more vertebrae rotate, causing the ribs to crowd together on one side of the chest and to spread apart on the opposite side. The disease is usually first identified in persons 10 to 17 years old. Most cases occur in girls and become apparent during the rapid growth phase of puberty. Conditions also include shoulder unleveling, waistline discrepancies, acute headaches, shortness of breath, rib hump, chronic fatigue, and mood swings.
The most common cause of sciatica is a herniated spinal disc (aka slipped disc). When this happens, the natural cushion between the vertebra of your spine ruptures, causing the disc to push out into areas usually occupied by these nerves. The nerves are compressed, and people then experience the symptoms of pain, weakness, and numbness. Other conditions, such as spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, or piriformis syndrome can also cause sciatica symptoms by irritating the nerve.
As we grow older our bodies begin to degenerate, and stop working. There are many different kinds of diseases that we are subject to as we age, cancers, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, and many others. All have a negative affect on our lives, making it difficult to function. Arthritis is the second leading chronic disease in the United States.
Around the time I turned twenty-two this year I started to experience constant back pain for an unknown reason. Now I always knew back problems ran in my family, but I always assumed that it would not apply to me. I could not have been more wrong. After three weeks of enduring constant back pain I finally broke down and made an appointment to meet with my doctor to find out the problem. After some x-rays and a physical exam later, my doctor told me I had a case of slight scoliosis in the lumbar region of my spine. While numerous options were made available to me the one my doctor most recommended was to strengthen the muscles in the core to help my back.
There are a number of “variations” to the disease. The standard or basic form of the disease is known simply as Degenerative Disc Disease. As mentioned earlier, it results in pain to the lower back or to the neck, sometimes bearable, often severe. There is another form of this illness known as a Herniated Disc. In this manifestation, one or more of your spinal discs bulge abnormally or even break open. The pain can be enormous, extremely debilitating and may require surgery as a