Spine
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An attempt was made to determine the effect of pregnancy on the abdominal muscles and to correlate changes in abdominal muscles strength with low-back pain during pregnancy. The study included 328 women. Group A consisted of 164 pregnant women; group B consisted of 164 non-pregnant women. ⋯ Whereas all non-pregnant women could perform a sit-up, 16.6% of pregnant women could not perform a single sit-up. There was no statistically significant correlation between the sit-up performance and backache. It may be concluded that during pregnancy the abdominal muscles become insufficient.
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The author reports on 223 patients who underwent lumbar percutaneous facet rhizotomy for chronic low-back or chronic back and leg pain. The overall success rate was 69%. The procedure is very safe and can offer relief for many patients in whom organic pathology, most commonly a herniated lumbar disc, has been eliminated. The procedure, screening and results are discussed.