Articles: low-back-pain.
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Early-stage spondylolysis (ESS) is a common cause of acute low back pain (LBP) in adolescents. When treating patients with ESS, early diagnosis is essential, yet difficult without magnetic resonance imaging. This study evaluates a self-reported questionnaire for detecting ESS. ⋯ Exercise frequency, training time, pain-provoking situations, and gender could be important factors to detect ESS within this questionnaire.
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Low back pain (LBP) is ranked in the top 10 conditions presenting to emergency departments (ED) in Australia. We aimed to investigate ED re-presentation rates and length of stay (LOS) of patients with LBP, including associated factors. ⋯ A re-presentation within 12 months occurs in 7.7% of episodes of LBP in ED. Over one-quarter of patients stayed longer than 4 h.
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The transition from acute to non-specific chronic low back pain (CLBP) is especially associated with psychological factors. However, working mechanisms of psychological factors have been little examined in non-specific CLBP, especially the mediator effect of pain self-efficacy. ⋯ To improve the success of work-related rehabilitation in the long-term, pain self-efficacy in particular, but also depressive symptoms should be targeted by treatments of non-specific CLBP.
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Chronic pain involves communication between neural and immune systems. Recent data suggest localization of glial (brain immune cells) activation to the sensorimotor regions of the brain cortex (S1/M1) in chronic low back pain (LBP). As glia perform diverse functions that impact neural function, activation might contribute to sensorimotor changes, particularly in LBP maintained by increased nervous system sensitivity (i.e., nociplastic pain). This preliminary proof-of-concept study aimed to: (i) compare evidence of neuroinflammatory activation in S1/M1 between individuals with and without LBP (and between nociceptive and nociplastic LBP phenotypes), and (ii) evaluate relationships between neuroinflammatory activation and sensorimotor function. ⋯ Neuroinflammatory activation localized to sensorimotor areas of the brain in individuals with nociplastic pain might contribute to changes in sensory and motor function and aspects of central sensitization. If cause-effect relationships are established in longitudinal studies, this may direct development of therapies that target neuroinflammatory activation.
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Low back pain and neck pain are primary causes of disability, with low back pain being a frequent reason for medical consultations. After conservative and pharmacological treatments, spinal injections are considered the next option. Despite multiple guidelines, spinal blocks remain controversial in terms of indication, technique, and operator, leading to considerable interinstitutional variability. The absence of regional studies in Latin America on how spinal surgeons handle spinal injections prompts the objectives of this study: to evaluate spinal surgeons' knowledge and experience, analyze techniques, and identify barriers and challenges in implementing spinal injections, including resource limitations, technology access, and training. ⋯ The study addresses a critical gap in the literature by focusing on spinal interventions in Latin America, where there is a notable lack of regional studies. The majority of the surgeons enrolled perform their own spinal injections, and they are interested in keep on learning. The findings not only contribute to the global discourse on spinal care but also offer a basis for the development of region-specific guidelines and educational initiatives.