- Low back pain
Infobox_Disease
Name = Low back pain
Caption =
DiseasesDB =
ICD10 = ICD10|M|54|4|m|50-ICD10|M|54|5|m|50
ICD9 = ICD9|724.2
ICDO =
OMIM =
MedlinePlus = 003108
eMedicineSubj = pmr
eMedicineTopic = 73
MeshID = D017116Low back pain (sometimes referred to generally as lumbago) is a common symptom of musculoskeletal disorders or of disorders involving the
lumbar vertebrae . It can be either acute, subacute or chronic in its clinical presentation. Typically, the symptoms of low back pain do show significant improvement within two to three months from its onset. In a significant number of individuals, low back pain tends to be recurrent in nature with a waxing and waning quality to it. In a small proportion of sufferers this condition can become chronic. Population studies show that back pain affects most adults at some stage in their life and accounts for more sick leave and disability than any other single medical condition. [cite web |url=http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/backpain/detail_backpain.htm |title=Lower Back Pain Fact Sheet. nih.gov |accessdate=2008-06-16 |format= |work=]An acute lower back injury may be caused by a traumatic event, like a car accident or a fall. It occurs suddenly and its victims will usually be able to pinpoint exactly when it happened. In acute cases, the structures damaged will more than likely be soft tissue like
intervertebral discs ,muscle s,ligament s andtendon s. With a serious accident or due to osteoporosis or other causes of weakened vertebral bones, vertebral fractures in the lumbar spine may also occur. At the lowest end of the spine, some patients may have tailbone pain (also calledcoccyx pain orcoccydynia ). Others may have pain from their sacroiliac joint at the bottom of the lumbar spine, called sacroiliac joint dysfunction (seesacroiliac joint for more information). Chronic lower back pain usually has a more insidious onset, occurring over a long period of time. Physical causes may includeosteoarthritis ,rheumatoid arthritis , degeneration of the discs between thevertebrae , or aspinal disc herniation , a vertebral fracture (such as fromosteoporosis ), or rarely, a tumor (includingcancer ) or infection. The cause may also be psychological or emotional or due to other non-anatomical factors.cite web |url=http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1-1-77-24-928-1,00.html |title=When Back Pain Starts in Your Head: Is repressed anger is causing your back pain? |accessdate=2007-09-12 |last=McGrath |first=Mike |date=2004-11-03 |work=Prevention.com |publisher=Rodale Inc.]Causes
Possible causes of low back pain:
* Mechanical:
**Apophyseal osteoarthritis
**Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis
** Degenerative Discs
** Scheuermann's kyphosis
**Spinal disc herniation (slipped disc)
**Spinal stenosis
**Spondylolisthesis and other congenital abnormalities
** Fractures
** Non-specific muscular or ligamentous strains or sprains
** Leg Length Difference
** Restricted hip motion
** Misaligned pelvis - pelvic obliquity, anteversion or retroversion* Inflammatory:
** Seronegative spondylarthritides (e.g.ankylosing spondylitis )
**Rheumatoid arthritis
** Infection - epidural abscess or osteomyelitis*
Neoplastic :
**Bone tumor s (primary ormetastatic )
**Intradural Spinal tumor s*
Metabolic :
** Osteoporotic fractures
**Osteomalacia
**Ochronosis
**Chondrocalcinosis *
Psychosomatic
**Tension myositis syndrome *
Referred pain :
** Pelvic/abdominal disease
** Prostate Cancer
**Posture * DepressionFact|date=September 2008
*oxygen deprivation Diagnosis
Diagnosing the underlying cause of low back pain is usually done by a
medical doctor , osteopathic physician, physiotherapist (physical therapist) or by achiropractor . Often, getting a diagnosis of the underlying cause of low back pain and/or related symptoms is quite complex. A complete diagnosis is usually made through a combination of a patient's medical history, physical examination, and, when necessary, diagnostic testing, such as anMRI scan orx-ray . There are a number of health care professionals who may specialize in diagnosing and treating low back pain, including chiropractors, osteopathic physicians, physical therapists (physiotherapists), physiatrists, anesthesiologists/pain medicine physicians, and orthopedic surgeons or neurosurgeons.Research shows that the presence of a leg length difference does not mean you will have back pain. Diagnosis of leg length difference is quite easy; just stand in front of a mirror in your underwear on a flat, level floor (a bathroom is usually good). Look at your hips to see if they are level. If one seems higher, put a magazine under the shorter leg. Keep adding magazines until your hips look level. Measure the height of the magazines. This is the difference in the length of your two legs. 90% of the population has a leg length difference; the same percentage that experiences lower back pain during their lifetime. A difference of only 1% would be ⅓ inch or more.
Diagnosis of restricted internal hip rotation is also easy. Lie on your stomach with your legs together. Bend your knees 90 degrees so that the soles of your feet point up toward the ceiling. Keeping your knees together, move your feet apart. Your lower legs will form a V. Have someone measure the angle of each lower leg in relation to a vertical line. The angle should be the same for both legs. Each leg should be a minimum of 45 degrees; 60 degrees if you play golf or tennis. Vad, et al, found restricted internal hip rotation on the lead hip associated with lower back pain in professional golfers.
Treatments
The course of treatment for low back pain will usually be dictated by the clinical
diagnosis of the underlying cause of thepain .Conservative treatment
For the vast majority of patients, low back pain can be treated with non-surgical care. For those with acute, short-term back pain, certain home remedies [cite web |url=http://www.back.com/articles-back_pain_relief.html |title=Acute back pain. Causes and treatment options. |accessdate=2007-09-26 |format= |work=] may be effective.Fact|date=September 2007 [http://clinicalevidence.com/ ClinicalEvidence.com] has systematically reviewed
randomized controlled trials published through April, 2004 and concluded:Treatments likely to be beneficial
*
The McKenzie Method or Mechanical Diagnosis and Treatment (MDT) of the pain. This is based on a set of repeated movements or statically held postures to determine if symptoms can be changed (better or worse). Treatment is then based on avoiding postures or movements that aggravate symptoms, as well as performing or adhering to postures to assist in symptom reduction.Robin McKenzie , Founder of the McKenzie Institute, originally based his premise for treatment on a intervertebral disc model. Hence, he believes this type of assessment and treatment is beneficial for degenerative disc disease including disc herniation. The McKenzie Institute, along with Robin, expanded it's scope of treatment to any mechanical origin of spine pain. Health care professionals such as Doctors, Physical Therapists and Chiropractors can follow a postgraduate study in the McKenzie Method. (http://www.mckenziemdt.org/)
*Analgesic s (pain medications), such asNSAIDs oracetaminophen .cite journal |author=van Tulder M, Koes B |title=Low back pain (chronic) |journal=Clinical evidence |volume= |issue=15 |pages=1634–53 |year=2006 |pmid=16973063 |doi=|url=http://clinicalevidence.bmj.com/ceweb/conditions/msd/1116/1116.jsp]
*Arch support
*The Alexander Technique was shown in a UK clinical trial to have long term benefits for patients with chronic back pain.Paul Little et al., [http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/337/aug19_2/a884 Randomised controlled trial of Alexander technique (AT) lessons, exercise, and massage (ATEAM) for chronic and recurrent back pain] ,British Medical Journal , August 19, 2008.]
*Spinal manipulation for acute or chronic pain. Aclinical prediction rule can guide who is most likely to respond to manipulation.cite journal |author=Childs JD, Fritz JM, Flynn TW, "et al" |title=A clinical prediction rule to identify patients with low back pain most likely to benefit from spinal manipulation: a validation study |journal=Ann. Intern. Med. |volume=141 |issue=12 |pages=920–8 |year=2004 |pmid=15611489 |doi=10.1001/archinte.141.7.920 [http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/141/12/920/T1 Summary of the rule] ]
*Muscle relaxant s for acute or chronic pain.
*Antidepressant s for chronic low back pain.
* Stay physically active.cite journal |author=Koes B, van Tulder M |title=Low back pain (acute) |journal=Clinical evidence |volume= |issue=15 |pages=1619–33 |year=2006 |pmid=16973062 |doi=|url=http://clinicalevidence.bmj.com/ceweb/conditions/msd/1102/1102.jsp]
* Exercise for chronic pain.
* Intensive multidisciplinary treatment programs may help subacute or chronic low back pain.
*Behavioral therapy
*Acupuncture may help chronic pain; however, a more recentrandomized controlled trial suggested insignificant difference between real and sham acupuncture.cite journal |author=Haake M, Müller HH, Schade-Brittinger C, "et al" |title=German Acupuncture Trials (GERAC) for Chronic Low Back Pain: Randomized, Multicenter, Blinded, Parallel-Group Trial With 3 Groups |journal=Arch. Intern. Med. |volume=167 |issue=17 |pages=1892–8 |year=2007 |pmid=17893311 |doi=10.1001/archinte.167.17.1892]Other treatments
Additional treatments have been more recently reviewed by the
Cochrane Collaboration :
*Massage therapy may benefit some patients.cite journal |author=Furlan AD, Brosseau L, Imamura M, Irvin E |title=Massage for low back pain |journal=Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Online) |volume= |issue=2 |pages=CD001929 |year=2002 |pmid=12076429|doi=10.1002/14651858.CD001929]* Ice and/or heat application (or moist heat) has uncertain benefit.cite journal |author=French SD, Cameron M, Walker BF, Reggars JW, Esterman AJ |title=Superficial heat or cold for low back pain |journal=Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Online) |volume= |issue=1 |pages=CD004750 |year=2006 |pmid=16437495 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD004750.pub2]
Individual
randomized controlled trials , thus interpretation may be subject topublication bias , also confounded by absence ofdouble blinding have shown benefit for:* Viniyoga,cite journal |author=Sherman KJ, Cherkin DC, Erro J, Miglioretti DL, Deyo RA |title=Comparing yoga, exercise, and a self-care book for chronic low back pain: a randomized, controlled trial |journal=Ann. Intern. Med. |volume=143 |issue=12 |pages=849–56 |year=2005 |pmid=16365466 |doi=] Iyengar,cite journal |author=Williams KA, Petronis J, Smith D, "et al" |title=Effect of Iyengar yoga therapy for chronic low back pain |journal=Pain |volume=115 |issue=1-2 |pages=107–17 |year=2005 |pmid=15836974 |doi=10.1016/j.pain.2005.02.016] and Hatha
yoga (small trial).cite journal |author=Galantino ML, Bzdewka TM, Eissler-Russo JL, "et al" |title=The impact of modified Hatha yoga on chronic low back pain: a pilot study |journal=Alternative therapies in health and medicine |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=56–9 |year=2004 |pmid=15055095 |doi=]* Correcting leg length difference may help.cite journal |author=Defrin R, Ben Benyamin S, Aldubi RD, Pick CG |title=Conservative correction of leg-length discrepancies of 10mm or less for the relief of chronic low back pain |journal=Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation |volume=86 |issue=11 |pages=2075–80 |year=2005 |pmid=16271551 |doi=10.1016/j.apmr.2005.06.012] To correct leg length difference, insert a hard rubber or cork heel pad into the shoe of the short leg if the difference between the two legs is 3/8ths inch or less. If more, have a shoe repairman build up the sole and heel. Taper the toe to avoid tripping. If more than 3/4 inch, start with 1/2 of what you need so that your body can adjust.
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