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Monday, April 30, 2018

By Carolyn Allen


While it may appear to be just a simple symptom, sometimes backace can reveal serious underlying conditions that if not addressed early enough could result in permanent disability. It is one of the common presentations in clinics and hospitals in both men and women worldwide. These are some of the facts on back pain Long Island residents may wish to know.

The lumbar region of the spine is known to be the largest bearer of the human weight. The weight is felt more when a person sits or flexes their back all day every day. This is especially true for people who spend most of the day in the office. Thus, low spine discomfort is common among these individuals who often present with the slowly progressing kind of discomfort.

Occasionally, this condition can occur suddenly and the affected individual is usually in unbearable pain. Sudden, severe discomfort is a classic presentation in trauma cases involving the spine. The problem is, on many occasions, preceded by involvement in an automobile accident, gunshot injury or any other similar physical trauma. Your doctor will assess you as they lookout for any signs pointing to damage to the spinal cord (such as paralysis).

Ironically, a person can present with back tenderness and yet the primary source of their problem is in another body region such as the lungs or even the heart. It is therefore important to for the doctor to work closely with the patient to determine other systemic symptoms that may be present in concurrent with the presenting complaint. For the doctor, it is important to remember that sometimes patients tend to only mention the problem that stresses them the most, failing to realize that the other issues may equally be important.

During evaluation of an individual with spine discomfort, the health care provider needs to deliberately look for any signs or symptoms that could suggest something more serious than just a mere strain. A person who also goes to the physician with a fever in addition to back tenderness is likely to be have an infection which needs to be promptly treated. Cancer could also be likely if the individual complains of abnormal fatigue, they are sweating excessively at night and have suffered recent loss of weight.

The management of this problem aims at relieving the discomfort and ultimately addressing the root cause. Symptomatic relief is achieved by analgesics, physiotherapy and adequate bed rest. Infections should be recognized early and treated with appropriate antibiotics. Surgical management is preserved for suspected spinal cord compression and severe discomfort uncontrolled by conservative methods.

The analgesic agents used often have some side effects especially when used in large doses or for a prolonged period of time. These include gastric irritation, nausea, vomiting and even damage to kidneys. This can be addressed by minimizing the use of traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents(NSAIDS) such as diclofenac, aspirin and ibuprofen and using more of the new generation drugs such as celecoxib and eterocoxib. Since the pain itself can result in skeletal deformities and emotional stress, treatment should take into account these complications as well.

The gravity of spinal pain as a serious condition cannot be emphasized enough. The best way to approach is employing preventive measures as the main tactic. Always wearing our seat belts every time we board a vehicle not only helps prevent serious injuries but also saves life. Proper sitting postures have been shown to significantly reduce the incidence of spine problems.




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