Back Pain Relief

Back pain affects almost everyone at some point in their lives. Some treatments provide temporary back pain relief, while others work on long term. For people who suffer from back pain, there are several treatment options and home remedies that help manage the discomfort associated with this health condition.

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Ice Helps Reduce Discomfort

Applying ice causes the body to send more blood to the affected areas and warm them up. This helps heal the tissue and shuts down the nerves responsible for carrying pain signals. For back pain relief, ice should be applied soon after an injury occurs. A simple ice application helps reduce postoperative pain, neck pain, or lower back pain. The ice cubes should be wrapped in towels before applying them to the skin. This form of treatment is highly effective when combined with massage therapy.

Heat Therapy for Back Pain Relief

Heat therapy increases circulation to the areas affected. Research has shown that this form of treatment is beneficial for many types of back pain. To reduce discomfort and obtain back pain relief, patients can use heat wraps, heating pads, warm gel packs, and hot baths. These remedies are inexpensive and can be easily applied at home. Alternating heat and cold therapy can help reduce inflammation, heal muscles, and minimize discomfort.

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Hamstring Stretches

Most people with back pain will benefit from incorporating hamstring stretching exercises into their daily routine. Tight hamstrings limit motion of the pelvis, which puts more stress on the lower back. However, there are several exercises that help increase flexibility and provide back pain relief.

Soothing Therapies with Proven Effects

Some of the treatments recommended for back pain relief are not only effective, but relaxing too. Massage therapy is by far one of the most popular forms of treatment for lower back pain. This therapy reduces anxiety and depression, and improves the quality of sleep. Some insurance companies provide coverage for this form of treatment. Patients with back pain can also benefit from water therapy. Due to water temperature and hydrostatic pressure, this treatment helps the body relax and reduces pressure on the joints.

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Lumbar Stenosis Treatment

When an individual’s spinal canal narrows to the point where the spinal cord and nerves of their lower back are compressed, they can be said to suffer from lumbar stenosis. While aging is the most common cause of this medical condition, this can also arise due to osteoporosis, tumors or spinal disc herniation. The affliction can cause pain in one’s back and lower extremities, as well as fatigue and loss of sensation in their legs. Fortunately, there are a number of treatment options available.

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Activity modification and exercise are the simplest treatment options. As individuals afflicted will generally feel more at ease when flexed forward, many patients can ease their discomfort by leaning forward on a walker, cane or even a shopping cart.

Since inactivity amongst patients can lead to further debilitation, it is also important for patients to devise an exercise regimen as part of their treatment. A physical therapist or spine doctor can recommend a number of spinal stenosis exercises for a patient to try.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are another non-surgical lumbar stenosis treatment option. These drugs combat the inflammation that accompanies most cases and include brands such as Advil, Celebrex and Aleve.

Outpatients can be given epidurals for their lumber stenosis treatment. With this treatment, a doctor will stick a needle into a patient’s spinal canal and inject a steroid solution into it. These injections help to reduce inflammation and may also provide temporary pain relief.

If one’s lumbar stenosis has left them unable to participate in their normal everyday activities, they may turn to surgery for their lumbar stenosis treatment. Through surgery, one’s spinal canal will be widened until the pressure on their spinal cord or spinal nerve is decompressed.

The most common form of surgical lumbar stenosis treatment is a laminectomy. Other surgical options include a foraminotomy, a laminotomy, an interspinous process spacer and microendoscopic decompression.

With the many lumbar stenosis treatment options available, it is possible for patients to effectively cope with their affliction.

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Alternatives to spinal fusion

Spinal fusion surgery, also known as spondylodesis, uses bone tissue to fuse at least two vertebrae. A technique used to prevent undesirable, painful vertebrae movement, spinal fusion surgery is helpful for patients suffering from many spinal ailments, including kyphosis and scoliosis. However, spinal fusion is not the only option available to patients suffering from vertebrae pain. Other alternatives include intradiscal electrothermal coagulation (IDET), artificial discs, posterior dynamic stabilization and disc regeneration.

During IDET, also called annuloplasty, a catheter passed through a needle that has been inserted into the lumbar disc space heats its outer core (annulus). IDET is thought to relieve pain by cauterizing nerve endings, as well as contracting and thickening the disc wall’s collagen fibers. This may help close painful cracks in the disc. IDET treatment is generally geared toward people who have degenerative disc disease that is less severe.

Unlike spinal fusion surgery, disc replacement surgery focuses on preserving normal spine motion rather than eliminating disc movement entirely. The procedure involves replacing problematic discs with artificial ones such as the PRODISC-L and Charite lumbar artificial discs. Although it puts the patient at greater risk during the procedure, disc replacement surgery also helps prevent parts of the lumbar spine from wearing down too quickly and may reduce more pain than spinal fusion.

Another alternative to spinal fusion surgery, posterior dynamic stabilization aims to preserve spinal motion while simultaneously relieving pressure from the troublesome area. This approach focuses on reducing pain by using movable stabilization devices, comparable to knee or ankle braces.

Finally, the regeneration process attempts to render spinal fusion surgery (and other types) unnecessary. Cellular and molecular biology researchers are studying gene therapy that might naturally slow or cease disc degeneration, as well as stimulate regrowth. Thus far, the BMP-12 gene, a bone morphogenetic protein, has proven successful in regenerating cells in the nucleus and annulus of spinal discs in animals.

Spinal fusion surgery is not the only option available to those suffering from vertebral disc pain. While many alternatives are still in the research stage, the possibility of eliminating spinal surgery altogether seems promising.

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Minimally Invasive Spine Specialist:  What’s different.

A minimally invasive spine specialist can provide spine surgery with far less damage to tissue and blood loss than a more invasive technique. A shorter hospital stay, reduced post-operative pain, smaller scars and quicker recovery are also benefits of obtaining spinal surgery from one of these spine specialist.

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In the past, spinal surgery could require as much as a year of recovery before a patient could return to normal activity levels. Minimally invasive techniques have altered the landscape of spinal surgery, improving a patient’s quality of life more rapidly than conventional techniques. Traditional spinal surgery, of necessity, requires a long recovery period and involves a lengthy patient incision. Minimally invasive surgery involves significantly smaller incisions, approximately 1 to 1.5 centimeters in size, and the use of a small instrument similar to a tiny telescope, called an endoscope. The endoscope is attached to a small video camera – smaller than a thumbnail. The camera then projects an inside-look at the patient’s body on television monitors in the operating room. These images serve as a guide to lead the minimally invasive spine specialist through the procedure. Minimally invasive spinal surgery is as safe or safer than traditional spinal surgery when performed by a qualified minimally invasive spine specialist.

Should a spine fusion be required once of these spine specialists can reduce the risk of ligament disruption and muscle retraction, loss of support and stability which can occur from traditional open spinal fusion procedures. A minimally invasive spine specialist will utilize a fusion system designed to place pedicle screws on either side of the vertebral bone and rods connecting the screws into the spine. This precise procedure uses several small skin incisions rather than one long incision. The minimally invasive spine specialist is guided in this process by anatomical images projected in the operating room. The advantage to this technique is that overall trauma to the back muscle and tendons is reduced and post-operative pain and scarring is also lessened greatly. Deformity corrections and herniated disc surgery can also be addressed successfully by this type of procedure.

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While most people who suffer from neck and upper back pain don’t need surgery to relieve the pain and correct the problem, some severe cases require cervical spine surgery.  What situations warrant surgical intervention, and what is involved in this type of surgery?

When is surgery necessary? Most of the time, neck pain can be managed with physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, a spinal block, or narcotics; however, there are some cases when these measures are not enough.  One example would be a patient who has a herniated disc that causes so much pain that the patient cannot continue to function and other treatment methods have not been able to give any relief.  Another example would be a patient who not only experiences pain, but also has a significant loss of sensation or motor function.  In this case, the result of not relieving the pressure on the nerve in a timely manner could lead to the loss of function of the affected muscle group.

What is involved in spine surgery? The primary surgical procedure for neck, shoulder, and arm pain that comes from the compression of nerve roots is a cervical discectomy with fusion.  In this procedure, cervical spine specialists create an incision along the side of the chest wall and remove the damaged and diseased tissue, including the disc.  A bone graft is placed where the disc tissue had been and the vertebrae above and below that area are fused together.  This procedure is the best available option for treating a variety of neck and spine problems.  Often this is a day surgery procedure.

If spine surgery is necessary, talk to your doctor about the specific risks involved in your case, and the expected recovery time.

As people age, they often have more aches and pains than they did when they were younger, and they are especially prone to having pain in the hips and legs. There are explanations for why this is the case, and there are treatment options available.

As the body ages, the spinal discs that provide stability and joint motion to our spine slowly but progressively degenerate.  As a disc degenerates, it can herniate into the spinal canal.  The weakest spot along the outer core of the disc is directly under the spinal nerve root.  Thus a herniation in this area puts direct pressure on the nerve, which in turn can cause sciatica with pain that radiates down the leg.  Nearly everyone experiences lower back and leg pain at some point in their life.

People experiencing back, hip, and leg pain are diagnosed most often using a combination of clinical criteria and imaging of the spine, often with an MRI.  This enables doctors to determine whether there is any disc degeneration, hernias or pressure on nerve endings.  Once a diagnosis is made, it is possible to determine which treatment options are needed.

Treatment options depend on the severity of the pain, the cause of the pain, and how long symptoms have been present.  Treatments often include watchful waiting, activity modification, physical therapy, orthotics, spinal blocks, and anti-inflammatory medications.  Most patients suffering from back, hip, and leg pain gain complete pain relief from these types of treatment, or at the very least, a significant improvement.  In rare cases these treatments don’t work and surgery is necessary.

Because pain can increase with age, it is especially important to take care of your back as you get older.  Use proper lifting techniques, stretch before exercising, and eat a well-balanced diet.

Most treatments for herniated disc don’t require surgical treatment and symptoms typically resolve with physical therapy for herniated disc and anti-inflammatory medications. A herniated disk can cause varying degrees of pain and even lead to more serious conditions if left undiagnosed. A herniation happens when a disk between the vertebrae of the spine presses on the nerves around the backbone. It’s caused by a disc that degenerates and the risk factors vary by location.

If you suffer from neck and arm pain, you might wonder, exactly what it is that causes all that pain.  Where the pain comes from depends on the type of pain that you have – is it chronic pain that has gotten worse over time, or is it extreme pain that began suddenly? 

Sudden Pain: Sudden pain in the neck can be caused by a pulled neck muscle, or it could be more severe.  In many cases, the pain occurs due to the rupture or herniation of a cervical disc.  When this happens, nerve roots in the neck are often pinched and irritated, causing them to become inflamed, and in turn causing the patient to experience a lot of pain.

Chronic Pain: Pain that gets worse over time without getting better can be caused by chronic progressive arthritis with degenerative changes in the discs.  Over time, this leads to increased pressure on nerve roots. As the pressure and irritation of the nerve roots increases, so does the pain that is experienced.

To determine the upper back pain causes, your doctor will examine you and probably use a form of imaging, such as an MRI, to look at your vertebrae and discs for evidence of disc bulging, degradation, or compression on nerves.

In many cases, treatment of either type of pain consists of watchful waiting, activity modification, physical therapy, orthotics, spinal blocks, and anti-inflammatory medications.  These treatments often help resolve the pain over time.  In some cases though, these treatments are not enough. The result of not relieving the pressure on the nerve in a timely manner could result in the loss of function in particular muscle groups, making surgery necessary.

If you experience pain that is severe enough to interfere with daily activities or you have chronic pain that continues to get worse, talk to your doctor about treatment options.

Scoliosis of the spine is a complex deformity that results in a sideways curvature of the spine.  Scoliosis can be present at birth or it can develop during infancy, childhood, or adolescence.  Most often, the cause is unknown, though in some cases it is secondary to other conditions such as spina bifida or cerebral palsy.  The signs and symptoms include uneven shoulders, one shoulder blade that appears more prominent than the other or uneven waist or hips.

Treatment is determined by the severity of the curvature, the age of onset, and the likelihood that the curvature will get significantly worse.  In most cases, treatment does not require surgery; instead noninvasive methods are used such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic therapy, and bracing.

In situations where the curves would be cosmetically unacceptable as an adult, or curves that affect other physiological functions such as breathing, surgery becomes necessary.  Scoliosis of the spine surgery is typically an extensive process.  Understanding this process can help you prepare for the experience.

There are two ways in which surgery can be done: through an incision along the side of the chest wall, or through an incision on the back.  Sometimes both procedures are needed.  The surgery may be done in one or two stages, and on average each procedure takes four to eight hours.  Spinal fusion is a core component of surgery.  Bone is grafted to the vertebrae so that when it heals, it will form one solid bone mass.  This prevents worsening of the curve.  Modern spinal systems involve a combination of rods, screws, hooks and wires fixing the spine.

In general, patients with fused spines and permanent implants tend to have normal lives with unrestricted activities.  Because these procedures are relatively new, it is unknown whether patients develop any problems due to the surgery as they reach old age.

If you are going to undergo scoliosis surgery, discuss the procedure and specific risks with your doctor.

Treatment for degenerative disc disease include multiple options based on the specific details of the case, including alternatives to spinal fusion surgeries. Degenerative disc disease is diagnosed through the use of MRI, along with a physical examination.  After the diagnosis is made, recommendations can be made about what the best course of treatment might be.  One option is a discectomy with spinal fusion surgery. Though spinal fusion surgery is only done when absolutely necessary.

Often before any surgical technique is considered, non-surgical treatments, such as activity modification, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and orthotics are tried.  More often than not, these are successful, and surgery can be avoided altogether.

There are also a variety of experimental procedures that are emerging that could someday reduce the necessity of spinal fusion.  Many of these experimental treatment for  are in the area of disc regeneration, which is being explored by researchers in cellular and molecular biology to use gene therapy to stimulate regeneration of the vertebral disc and/or to slow or prevent degeneration of the disc.  The hope is that this technique could eventually eliminate the need for surgical intervention.