Avoid back pain problems.

cases the patient is unable to walk or move and has to stay in bed until the back pain in cured We often use the word backbone to refer to something that is very important or something that gives support. In the same manner our actual back bone that supports our body and keeps it erect forms to be the most important part of our body. Imagine if we never had a back bone, we would all not be able to walk straight and stand erect. If our back bone wouldn’t have developed with time, we would all be like the primitive man and the monkeys with a hunched back walking on our four limbs than the two. If extreme cases back pain can also impair ones limbs that will not let the patient walk or roam around due to the severe back pain, in such. 

The backbone forms to be the most important part of our body both in terms of physically and mentally. Here mentally because the spinal cord connects the brain, thus giving it functionality. Back aches are never supposed to be ignored and have to be treated with precaution. The back is divided into two parts, the upper back and the lower back. Back pain can occur in either of the parts in cases can occur to the entire back. Back pain causes serious illness which may take months to cure. Upper back pain or lower back pain should never be taken lightly. Home remedies for back pain should first be followed i.e. taking a pain killer, using warm or cold packs, exercise and good rest. If the back pain still does not seem to subside family doctor or a physician should be consulted for further actions. In worst cases spinal surgery fits best to cure chronic pain. Back pain can put you to bed and keep you bed ridden for months together holding your life back, in such cases spinal surgery can bring you back to life. 

Low back pain treatment and upper back pain treatment should thus be taken to avoid facing operation theaters and the surgery. Proper and regular exercises for back pain should be followed to have firm spine and live a healthy lifestyle. There are also many other kind of treatments that help cure back pain like acupuncture for back pain, disc surgeries, massages and hot or cold packs that help relieve back pain.

Listen to what Your Bone Mass is Trying to Tell You

Experts point out that since low bone density is indicative of poor bone health and osteoporosis, Bone Mass Density Test could help preventing serious health issues like Kyphosis

Affecting 25 million Indians1, osteoporosis is a silently progressive bone disease characterized by a decrease in bone mineral content and density, making it fragile which can lead to an increased risk of fracture2. However, despite being so prevalent, people often remain oblivious to osteoporosis until they break their bone.

And it’s not just the only problem which weakening bones brings along, another very important aspect of osteoporosis is “silent” spine fractures that produce no obvious symptoms to the patient in early stage. In advance stages these silent fractures may involve compression (or flattening or crushing) of the vertebrae, can result in Kyphosis (curvature of the spine) and chronic back pain, and may be associated with an increase in morbidity3.

As matter of fact, bone loss in women speeds up around and after menopause, which is usually between the ages of 45-55. Likewise, men begin to experience bone loss generally around age 45-50. As bone mineral content declines, bone gradually loses density and becomes more fragile and susceptible to fracture and decompression.

So, is there any way to detect the bone health before it gets too late?

According to experts, a simple Bone Mass Density (BMD) test could give a fair idea about bone density or its porosity and can help identify prognosis of disease, if any.

“Considering the devastating effects of osteoporosis on bone health and general well being, it is always advisable for women over 65 years of age, postmenopausal women under age 65 who have multiple risk factors, people with abnormal spine X-rays, those who are taking oral steroid form a long time or suffering from hyperparathyroidism to undergo a BMD test,” says Dr._____________.

BMD test helps detecting bone health and works as an alert for making pharmacological and lifestyle interventions to restore it timely. But the question is how many people consider going for it, says Dr. ___________, “Despite having such a handy tool to comprehend bone health, people hardly consider it, thereby leading to large cases of visible fractures and invisible fractures like in case of vertebral compression fracture, which is very common in India.”

Vertebral compression fracture is one of the most common condition seen in old age, and is directly linked with low mass density and spine fractures, it occurs when osteoporosis weakens spinal bones to the point that they crack and compress, leading to stoop gait, a condition also termed as Kyphosis.

Over time, multiple fractures may result in significant loss of height. The rib cage presses down on the pelvis, reducing thoracic and abdominal space. In severe cases, multiple vertebral compression fractures result in impaired pulmonary function, a protuberant abdomen, and—because of compressed abdominal organs—early satiety and weight loss4.

“Spine compression is a serious problem, affecting not just people’s gait but overall health and calls to medical intervention. Fortunately with advent of technologies like minimally invasive Balloon Kyphoplasty, treatment of spine compression has become comparatively much effective and safe. ”

In this process typically two balloons are used, one on each side of the vertebral column, to support the bone in a better way as it moves back into position and increase the likelihood of deformity correction.

Next, the balloons are carefully inflated to raise the collapsed vertebral body and return it to its correct anatomical position. Inflation of the balloons moves the soft, inner bone against the wall of the vertebral body, creating a cavity (space) inside the vertebra. Bone cement is then deposited into the cavity to stabilize the fracture.

Once the vertebral body is in the correct position, the balloons are deflated and removed. The cavity is filled with thick bone cement to stabilize the fracture. The bone cement forms an internal cast that holds the vertebral body in place.

"Balloon Kyphoplasty takes about an hour per fracture level treated. It can be done on an inpatient or outpatient basis, depending on your overall state of health," adds Dr.___________.

Balloon Kyphoplasty is among the safest and advanced surgical processes, introduced over the past two decades, which osteoporotic patients should consider to restore their compressed spine.

While healthy diet and lifestyle and timely bone mass density test would continue to play vital role in restoring bone health in old age, technologies like Balloon Kyphoplasty would help people suffering from vertebral compression fracture and help them live a healthy normal life.

Reference:

1. Osteoporosis in Indians. Indian Journal of Medical Research 2008 [PubMed]

2. Applied therapeutics: the clinical use of drugs. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. (2009).

3. Bone Health and Osteoporosis: A Report of the Surgeon General. 2004 [PubMed]

4. Silverman SL. The clinical consequences of vertebral compression fracture. Bone. 1992; 13Suppl 2:S27–31.

For more information visit our website : www.backtolife.co.in

Upper Back Pain- Causes, Symptoms and Treatments.

The upper and middle back is called the thoracic spine. There are 12 vertebras, bones that attach your rib cage to the spine, this forms to be the longest part of your back. Discs, are that separate each vertebra and absorb the shocks on the back. Lastly the muscles and ligaments are that hold your spine together. 

Lower back pain is pretty much common among all of us, but upper back pain crops up in exceptional cases. This is because the bones in this area of the back don’t flex or move as much as our bones in the lower back do. Upper back pain occurs when the muscles are strained, overused or may be injured; poor sitting posture may also result in upper back pain.  Apart from this day to day occurrences upper back pain may also be caused by pressure on the spinal nerves, fractured vertebras and also in cases where the cartilage; that cushions the small facet joints in the spine, are disrupted due to Osteoarthritis. In rear cases pain can be experienced by other problems such as gallbladder diseases, cancer or an infection. The most common symptoms to identify an upper back pain are; muscle stiffness or a sharp burning pain. In worst cases the symptoms may weaken and numb your arms and legs and you may also lose bladder control. 

Upper back can be best diagnosed by your doctor for quick relief results. Your doctor may ask you questions with regards to pain felt in your back, the work and the physical activities that you do. Accordingly an imaging test will determine the exact cause of pain and after which a suitable treatment can be given. Upper back pain treatments may include over the counter pain relievers, heat or ice packs for mild to moderate upper back pain. For severe pain, the doctor may give you prescribed medicines or may suggest you to opt for a spinal surgery.

Lower Back Pain - Causes and Treatment.

When you have a deadline to submit your presentation to your boss and you are in the office, late after the working hours sitting on your computer trying to gather some data and suddenly you get a striking pain in the lower back, what are you going to do about it? You cannot give up on the presentation or else you would be fired but you cannot even work on your presentation due to the severe pain. It can be a nightmare, isn’t it?

Rightly said as it is, you better take precaution than cure. But before we can speak about the treatment for lower back pain, we will first consider talking about the low back pain causes. Lumbar strain, a stretch injury to the ligaments, tendons and muscles of the lower back; is considered one of the most common causes of lower back pain. This usually can happen due to improper sitting posture or sleeping positions. Bone and joint conditions that lead to low back pain include those existing from birth, those that result from wear and tear or injury, and those that are due to inflammation of the joints (arthritis). Other causes of lower back pain include kidney problems, pregnancy, ovary problems, and tumors.

Now speaking about treatments, there are two ways the first being non-surgical and the second being surgical treatment. The best non-surgical treatment for back pain is exercise. Here you need to go through a physical therapy, where the therapist will carry out stretching and exercise as guided by your physician. The therapist can also educate you on sitting postures, basic anatomy and instruct you on body mechanics, stretching and exercises. Resting is another way to treat your lower back pain. This will help the injured tissues and even nerve roots to heal over time. However a lot of rest also could be troublesome because it tends to weaken the muscles and in turn affects the support to the lower back. Medicines should only be consumed on your physician’s prescription because sometimes medicines have some unique risks and might possibly have some side-effects.

After trying out all the options available, if the pain does not seem to subside; surgery could be the last and the best option to overcome the chronic pain. Here your physician would suggest you whether you need a minimal invasive surgery or a spinal fusion surgery. Minimal invasive surgery is an operation on the lumbar spine performed using a surgical microscope and microsurgical techniques wherein, a very small incision and will remove only that portion of your ruptured disc which is "pinching" one or more spinal nerve roots; Whereas spinal fusion surgery is categorized based on the approach taken to reach the disc space.