Back Pain costs us all
The cost of diagnosis and treatment of back pain is 25 billion dollars annually. Eighty percent of all Americans will have back pain for a few weeks sometime in their life. Of all causes of disability, 30% is attributed to chronic back pain.
80% of all acute back pain resolves within 6 weeks. Treatment of acute back pain is nonspecific since it improves as long as it is not aggravated. Massage, accupressure, chiropractic, and physical therapy all work as well as McKenzie exercises done at home.
This lens should help you understand back pain, prepare better to see your doctor and hopefully help you recover more quickly because you understand more about the condition.
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Acute Low Back Pain
Stanford University - the research channel
Conservative Management of Low Back Pain
Raj Mitra, professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Stanford University Medical Center, discusses the low back pains, which affects as many as two out of three Americans at some point in their lives. Learn the common triggers and new treatment options for this irksome condition.
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curated content from YouTube
Questions to answer before you see your Doctor.
Be prepared with organized information
- Did an injury cause your pain? Describe how it happened?
- Do you have a)Numbness or tingling b)difficulty holding or releasing your bowels or urine c)weakness of muscles in your legs or feet
- Do you have:
a)fever of at least 100 degrees
b)headache
c)sweating during sleep
d)painful urination or blood in your urine
e)discharge from your penis or vagina - Do you or Have you:
a)smoke
b)drink alcohol
c)recently take prednisone
d)used IV drugs in past 30 days
e)ever been treated for cancer
f)have any kind of arthritis
Keys to a Back Pain Examination.
The exam doesn't need to take long but should be thorough.
You should have your height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, and temperature recorded.Your spine will be observed and palpated for tenderness.
You will be asked to walk as if on a tight rope, and on your heels and toes.
You will be asked to stand and bend forward, back, to each side and to rotate your shoulders right and left.
Your knee and ankle reflexes will be tested.
You should be asked to lie on your back while your muscle strength is tested, your ability to tolerate each leg being extended straight and then examined on your abdomen and while on your abdomen to lift yourself onto your elbows.
If your pain is less than 6 weeks old, medication, some rest, stretching and time will be prescribed.
You will be scheduled to return for reevaluation periodically until the pain resolves. You should expect that it will resolve.
Lab tests and xrays are not usually done if the history and physical are benign.
More back pain information
Good books on the subject of back pain.
Total Core Strength on the Ball
After you are healed, this will help you strengthen the core muscles to prevent injury.
Amazon Price: (as of 01/01/2010) 
The Core Performance: The Revolutionary Workout Program to Transform Your Body & Your Life
A complete program to help you prepare, stretch, strengthen you core and your total body for beginners to advanced exercisers. The area on foam rolling can be used immediately as can the stretching exercises.
Amazon Price: $13.59 (as of 01/01/2010)
Let me know what you think.
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- Jul 15, 2008 @ 2:41 am
- I think we all need to know how to correct back pain the soonest possible time and anyone who has seen and read this lens of yours are in for a good luck (that's me!)and I hope there will be more who can read this! Would really like to share this to everyone I know, the same way I've shared to them and now, to you, on how to lose man boobs . Maybe you know some guy who has them! Great lens. Gave it 5 stars!
