Articles: low-back-pain.
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Back pain is one of the most common patient complaints brought forth to physicians. Mechanical back pain accounts for 97% of cases, arising from spinal structures such as bone, ligaments, discs, joints, nerves, and meninges. Acute back pain in the absence of progressive neurologic deficits and other underlying nonmechanical causes may be treated conservatively, with specific emphasis on maintaining activity levels and function. ⋯ Common causes of mechanical back pain include spinal stenosis, herniated discs, zygapophysial joint pain, discogenic pain, vertebral fractures, sacroiliac joint pain, and myofascial pain. A wide variety of treatments are available, with different treatments specifically targeted toward different causes. A balanced approach, which takes into account patient psychosocial factors and incorporates multidisciplinary care, increases the likelihood of success from back pain interventions.
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Eur J Phys Rehabil Med · Dec 2008
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyRandomized trial comparing the effects of one set vs two sets of resistance exercises for outpatients with chronic low back pain and leg pain.
Progressive resistance exercises (PRE) are prescribed to reverse the deconditioning associated with chronic back pain. The spine rehabilitation program has utilized 2 sets of progressive resistance exercises during each session, with increased resistance between sets, and with successive sessions. Exercise literature has challenged the need for multiple sets of resistance exercises, with a single set producing similar functional benefits. The authors studied whether completing 1 versus 2 sets of resistance exercises would affect strength, pain and disability outcomes in subjects with chronic low back pain (CLBP). ⋯ These findings suggest that there were no added benefits for completing a second set of resistance exercises during therapy sessions for patients with CLBP.
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Scand J Work Environ Health · Dec 2008
Occupational loading, health behavior and sleep disturbance as predictors of low-back pain.
Risk factors for low-back pain are known to co-occur, but their joint effect has not often been studied. Little is also known about the variation of the risk factors or their effects with age. ⋯ In this study, workers of different ages were affected by slightly different risk factors. The results support the provision of health promotion and stress management as part of programs to prevent work-related low-back pain. In particular, aging workers may benefit from such an integrated approach. More prospective studies on the joint effects of age-specific risk factors of low-back pain are warranted.
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Acta neurochirurgica · Dec 2008
Minimally invasive spinal surgery using nucleoplasty: a 1-year follow-up study.
Nucleoplasty is a minimally invasive percutaneous intradiscal coblation therapy option in patients with chronic discogenic low back pain. The purpose of this prospective study was to assess the effectiveness of nucleoplasty in our patients up to 1 year after treatment. ⋯ Nucleoplasty is an effective therapy for chronic, discogenic back pain which results in significant reductions in levels of disability and incapacity for work as well as decreased analgesic consumption.