Eliminate your lower back pain in 30 days! Core stability of the Back is a iffective and simple exercise program that you perform every day for 30 days. The exercises strengthen the muscles that support your back and take the stress off your back!
Compendium definition of sciatica is simple: sciatica is compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve, a branch of leading to sciatica or anxiety.
of the sciatic nerve, causing sciatica, the maximum nerve in the body. No wonder we see abnormalities sciatica and anxiety when this delicate nerve sciatica is bad!
Usually the stomach begins between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebra of the vertebral column and extends downwards, wraps around the thigh, extending to the lower part of the ham and then run down the back of the thigh, behind the knee and calf muscles and feet. Even if sciatica patients can occur anywhere along the agony nerve, sciatica usually reveal itself as discomfort extends from the ham into the back of one or both legs.
The pressure on the sciatic nerve can be caused by a number of factors. Mage can be compressed with spinal Stenosis, or a naturally occurring decreases in the opening of the spine. Another reason for sciatica is spinal disc degeneration or herniation, which means the material in a spinal disk leak, causing bones to rub against himself. Spine gets out, causing pressure on the nerve that cause sciatica.
It is important for physicians to take a complete history of the patient to try to find the cause of the patient's sciatica. Diagnosing tests MRIs and CT scans are also positive in diagnose sciatica.
Sciatica is caused by spinal Stenosis and spinal disc herniation or decline treatment usually with surgery. No surgeon can guarantee a 100% successful final result, so that patients should get a second opinion and fully take into account the implications or surgery before they consent to treat sciatica with surgery.
Sciatica usually resolves itself finally and rest periods. Patients can get complete bed rest generally find relief within a few days as sciatica sciatic nerve and have a chance to heal.
Patients with chronic pain who choose not to surgery may wish to explore a variety of options for managing pain. Some patients achieve liberation by recruiting medical weeds, in areas where the treatment is permitted under State law. Other patients manage their discomfort with other alternative remedies, such as diet, exercise, herbal remedies, acupuncture or NLP.
This entry was posted on Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 9: 07 pm and is filed under Back pain. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.50/sale. Brand new back pain relief exercise program developed by orthopaedic clinical specialist. Copy and paste professionally written sales copy, banner ads, email campaign, sample ads, and marketing strategies. Currently converting at 21
SAN FRANCISCO (TheStreet)-29-annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference kicks off this morning with key biotech presentations Celgene from (CELG ), Vertex pharmaceuticals (VRTX ) Dendreon, (DNDN ) and Human Genome Sciences (HGSI ).
Here's how this live blog happens to (hopefully) work: I will be posting news, updates and analysis throughout the day, live from the presentation rooms and separation (Q&A) session. [How can I do this, the APP Will ask you., literally Use the blog APP iPhone. bound in publication system of TheStreet--quite pure.]
This J.P. Morgan confab blog will be similar to real-time coverage of FDA Advisory panels with one big difference: expect more breaks between my postings today, since I will be moving the Conference and waiting for companies to present throughout the day. I will do my best to provide constant coverage, but of course that I am somewhat at the mercy of the AT&T network and my ability to type on my iPhone while weaving through crowds and listening to biotech executives speak.
Your best bet is to check again on the blog several times throughout the day.
Similar to my previous live blogs I'd like to keep today's coverage interactive, so feel free to ping me with comments and questions. I will publish and will respond to as many comments and questions.
Here is my planned schedule for the day, is subject to change, as always. (All times Eastern):
11 am: Celgene
12: 30 pm: vertex pharmaceuticals
1 pm: Onyx pharmaceuticals (ONXX )
2: 30 p.m.: Dendreon
4: 30 pm: Amylin Pharmaceuticals (AMLN )
5: 30 pm: AMAG pharmaceuticals (AMAG )
6: 30 pm: Human Genome Sciences
-Written by Adam Fojer?ajn in Boston.
> To contact the writer of this article, click here: Adam Fojer?ajn.
> To follow at Twitter, http://twitter.com/adamfeuerstein go.
> Submit news tip, please send an e-mail to tips@thestreet.com:.
Viniyoga Therapy for the Low Back,Sacrum and Hips with Gary KraftsowPrice: $24.99
Sciatic nerve pain occurs when there is inflammation in peripheral nerves. The functions of the sciatic nerve in two ways: firstly, it sends signals to your muscles and those signals come from the brain; Secondly, it collects of sensory information of your legs and then returns to your brain. Sciatica will modify these functions and discover numbness and muscle aches.
The cause of sciatica is a herniated disc, this occurs when the cushion between your vertebrae is pushed out of its original or normal position.
Look for the signs and symptoms of sciatica as cramps of sensations, more specifically in the region of thighs, pins and needles in the buttocks and leg pain and a burning sensation. If you encounter one of these signs, it is time that you ask for professional help. Your doctor can prescribe analgesics.
Almost everyone can have a sciatic nerve, particularly those in their 30' pain and above, but it is rare than younger experience of this type of pain, unless it leads back injuries.
There are different ways to relieve sciatica, physiotherapy, medication, epidural steroid injections and surgery.
Your physiotherapist may establish a program of rehabilitation for you which will be essentially your Foundation base to your daily routine. Keep in mind that stretch and exercise for a few minutes per day can really help to relieve pain.
Drugs may also relieve the sciatic nerve pain. Your doctor can prescribe anti-inflammatory and relaxing muscle. Drugs may also relieve pain but only for a short period. Chronic pain can be facilitated by antidepressants and anticonvulsants. These drugs block pain messages before they can reach the brain and they also increase the production of natural pain killers of your body.
If the pain becomes worse, your doctor may recommend a corticosteroid shot. It allows to delete an irritated nerve inflammation, relieve the pain. This type of treatment is limited to a certain dose because it can have side effects.
Surgery is usually the option for cases that includes the bowel and bladder incontinence and gradual pain can be relieved by other medications and therapies.
Some of the sciatic nerve pain can be relieved by simple stretching and exercises, but there was need more than this. You must assess pain and see what treatment will work best for you.
Cjeck here for more details on the sciatic nerve pain. Hey if you like this post you really like this - > Eazol
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When you work in the workplace, you are in all likelihood were in front of a desk with paper work or pc. Every day that you sit 8 hours straight, and this may result in a back pain you do not need to be attentive with your sitting position. Back pain or dorsalgia is divided into 4 different kinds of discomfort inside back again. They depend on what part of the back is in the stomach. That is why it is very useful to understand the multiple strategies to end back pain while you work.
The preliminary way would be to sit erect,. This can straighten the muscles in your own back and can make it easier to reach and exceptional posture. You need to keep my head straight so that your body will make very precise. Sit straight might actually difficult for men and women begins this tactic, but in time, can they really know a lot of comfort to perform this task. This could protect their position in excellent location.
To keep all of your feet flat around the floor is really good too. This can allow the evenness of distributing your physique pounds and reduce discomfort and eradicate your back strain. This is really useful in improving balance when sitting too.
Doing a job in a desk sitting also encourages drogforvirrad and drogforvirrad are harmful to your posture. This can really hurt your back with your posture. Most men and women endure from a back pain sciatica is called where the discs on our back bones are forced upward. This may cause discomfort in our back shooting undoubtedly 1 in our bones. So if you're feeling great belly in your own back, talk to your doctor immediately and do not ignore the discomfort.
Chairs in the workplace are usually round backrest and these types of chairs in the market drogforvirrad. You should resolve to a workplace Tribunal which has straight back again so that when you are sitting, shall have the possibility to sit up straight. In addition, try to step your notebook or computer system tracks with your eyes so that all you just can lead to poor posture, or fold greater than to determine your operate.
Sitting at work even if the operation can create back pain but this may also be prevented by making the things mentioned below. Individual issues are fairly easy to join. When you work with become impaired without back pains and enrich your posture inside practice too.
Eden Danielson is definitely a holistic expert and author of back pain. With his back pain relief Web sites, he aided hundreds and 1000 's of back pain disease and wipe out to relieve back pain.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 11th, 2010 at 9: 47 pm and is filed under Back pain. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.GLASSBORO, N.J., Jan 11 UPI)--most Americans will have a better and cheaper health care through 2014 than they have now, and few if any will be more expensive health care, United States Professor says.
Dr. Joel Rudin, Professor in the College of business University in Rohrer Rowan Glassboro, N.J., says that under the law for reasonable care most Americans will have health insurance, similar to its health insurance, but that won't run until 2014.
"Then, the people who came up with this idea may have been voted out of Office. If this happens, it will be their fault for failing to explain to people in America how much better and cheaper health insurance will be "Rudin says in the report. "My health insurance has been really good, and if I'm ever dissatisfied with it, then once a year, I can switch to another plan for really good health insurance. Why does my health insurance is so good? It is because I earned by perpetrators feat of bravery? No, this is because I and many others work for the State of New Jersey, and remind the health insurance companies to compete among themselves for our business. "
Say health reform will make it easier to recruit and retain workers for small businesses, because they will have health insurance, supporters.
-Partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates, health reform will pay for itself, and even generates a surplus for the Government, Rudin said.
People suffering from back pain are being taken for a ride. Back pain sufferers are spending millions of dollars each year without seeing any significant improvements in their aching backs. How do we explain such contradictory outcome? In fact, the treatment cost of back pain has risen over the past several years. However, there is no evidence indicating that these treatments are effective in eradicating or improving back pain. Current back pain treatments are simply not working; yet, new drugs and devices are being promoted aggressively by manufactures.
Trust in the science behind these products has waned over the years by revelations of misleading advertising, allegations of kickbacks to doctors, and major investments by surgeons in the same exact products they are testing and investigating, (UW & OHSU). This is conflict of interest at its highest level of existence. We will shed some light on the ineffectiveness of back pain treatments and the high cost they are causing patients suffering from such ailments.
Back pain sufferers visit their primary care providers in the hope that their back pains will all be taken care of by taking a few pills, taking a few injections, or even going under the knife but realize the sad truth that none of these medical interventions work. Yet, they still find themselves spending more and more of their hard-earned dollar at doctor's offices. When will there be an end to such dilemma? Patients should be told the truth about the prognosis of their back pain and whether or not it can be cured by medical, surgical, or alternative medical means, but no! This is not happening! Patients are still nevertheless being referred for things such as imaging, medication, injections, and surgery, (UW & OHSU).
According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington (UW) and Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), management decisions relating to imaging, medication, and referral for injections and surgery are being made in primary care to treat chronic back pain without reason. The study revealed that there have been steady increases in the request for medical tests and surgical interventions for the treatment of back pain that shows no improvements in patient outcomes. For instance, there have been a stark increase in medical expenditures of 629% for epidural steroid injections; a 423% increase for opioids; a 307% increase in the number of lumbar MRI; and a 220% increase in spinal fusion surgeries. The harsh reality is that these dramatic increases in referrals have not showed any significant improvements in patient outcomes.
Low back pain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has increased in the Medicare population by 307% during a recent 12 year study. Parallel with the increase of MRI is the increase of surgeries for back pain in certain geographic areas. These high levels of MRI instances are contradictory to proper guidelines established to regulate such practice. The researchers asserted that patient demands, the compelling nature of visual evidence, fear of lawsuits, and financial incentives could be the underlying cause of such increases in MRI.
The UW & OHSU study found that opioid analgesic prescriptions have steadily increased over all, especially for musculoskeletal conditions; in addition, the National Medical Expenditure Panel Survey showed an increase of 108% in opioid prescriptions from 1997 through 2004. The combination of increase use and higher drug prices have resulted in a 423% inflation-adjusted increase in expenditures according to the study. The researchers stated that these trends could have been driven as a result of concern for the under-treatment of pain in the past, especially among terminally ill patients and cancer patients. In fact, the study went even further, stating that many patients receiving opioid analgesics for non-cancer pain have persistent high levels of pain and poor quality of life.
The study also found that spinal injections are very limiting in their effectiveness for treating back pain, further stating that epidural corticosteroid injections may offer temporary relief of sciatica, but they do not reduce the occurrence of surgery. In spite of the limited benefit of epidural injections, Medicare claims rose 271% during a recent 7-year study. In fact, charges for injections increased by 100% during the past 10 years, and the combination of increasing rates and charges resulted in a 629% increase in fees for spinal injections, according to the UW & OHSU study. While this increase was occurring, the Medicare population only increased by 12%, showing us that the expenditure is vastly out gaining patient outcomes.
Spine fusion surgery is being over indicated at an alarming rate. This form of surgery has a well-established role in treating fractures and deformities. However, it is very limited in treating degenerative discs with pack pain alone, a finding discovered in 4 randomized trials conducted by the UW & OHSU researchers. Despite no specific or conclusive reports clarifying improved effectiveness, there was a 220% increase in the rate of lumbar spine fusion surgery from 1990 to 2001 in the United States, according to the study.
Glenford S Robinson, BS, CLS (ASCP), is a Clinical Laboratory Scientist, Journalist (American Chronicle), and Staff Writer for Mstardom.com, a social networking website and articles directory providing its members and visitors with up-to-the-minute news and entertainment and the opportunity to submit articles free. He also provides article writing and press release writing as well as web content copywriter and blog writing services for small and large businesses. Mr. Robinson has a BS degree in Clinical Laboratory Sciences from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and one year of graduate studies in pursuing an MBA in health care management at the University of Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona. Mr. Glenford S Robinson is also the president, chief executive officer, and founder of Mstardom.com (MyspaceStardom.com). Please send correspondence to Mstardom.com/ranja inbox.
This guide teaches you about the minds and to eliminate pain from your life with proven techniques that work for everybody.
In this article, Jesse Connone shares on treating the symptoms of back pain versus fixing the problem. Jesse Connone is a co-founder of the Healthy Back Institute.
Jesse: The first mistake was not dealing with the back pain at the very beginning. The second mistake kind of lies into my last point is not addressing the underlying cause.
Kevin: Right!
Jesse: And that probably is the biggest one. And most people don't know enough about their body and how their body works which is unfortunate. And is something that I am always working on to try to educate people and also try to change the system. You should learn about your body. You know as a child, and not that the basic stuff that teach and health classes now. I think you should know a lot about your body and how it works. And to me it's far more important than me learning trigonometry.
Kevin: [laughing]
Jesse: You know something that I am not going to use. But I am going to use my body everyday. I am going to have problems as I live my life, I should know how my body works.
Kevin: Yeah!
Jesse: And so that's one kind of problem, is people don't know enough about their body. And so when they go in, they go in with back, they go see a doctor or they go and work with a chiropractor or physical therapist. They don't know enough about it. And so they assume that the doctor or chiropractor or therapist is the expert. So they listen to just what they have to say which makes sense. But the problem is most chiropractors, doctors or therapists don't talk about this. They don't talk about muscle balances. Again we get to call what is the hidden cause because nobody talks about it. And anybody listening to this if you have back pain. I challenge you to go to your doctor and ask them about muscle imbalances. Just even ask them what muscle imbalances are? A lot of them can't even answer the question. So that's enough the problem. So their main focus is treating the symptoms.
Kevin: Right!
Jesse: You know, and when you treat the symptoms, yes, you may get relief. But you didn't fix the problem. So its going to come back, it's just a matter of time, so that's mistake number two is not addressing the underline cause and just treating the symptoms.
Kevin: How many times you have heard. I had a back surgery and now I need another one.
Jesse: I can give you dozens if not hundreds of actual case studies of customers and clients of ours who have multiple back surgeries! And actually I can share with you a really close personal story of an actual friend of my wife's. She was a career firefighter, injured on a job in a fire. Hurt her back went in for a surgery because they told her you absolutely have to have a surgery. Of course you listen to the experts they know better than you do so they actually had her surgery and she came out feeling slightly better but within several days she had a pain in a new place. The pain has subsided a little bit where she had before but now it had moved, its new pain, in another spot, so after couple of months of therapy and since were of course if no surprise that the therapy they did, didn't work because there therapy is all about treating the symptoms.
Kevin: Right!
Jesse: So long story short. She goes through series of five surgeries over the course of like eight years. Eight or ten years you know the timeframe but five surgeries and this last one, she came out and she couldn't feel her leg. And now it's going on two years later and she is still can't feel her leg.
Kevin: Her entire leg?
Jesse: I think she has minor feeling up in the high area of gluon and thigh. But pretty much from the thigh down she can't feel it. And she drags it and she has to use a walking stick basically like a
cane.
Kevin: Wow!
Jesse: She is in her forties, I think she is mom of three. I believe she had three children and yeah, she can't feel her leg. And she still has back pain and so there is ton's of stories and I can literally bring up dozens if not hundreds of stories like that from all over the world, people who had surgeries. And actually more and more of research is being done in this field about back surgeries and not really funny. But it's funny in the sense that you know how the traditional medical community always comes up with some fancy name and so . . . Because back surgery is failed so much, they now have a term failed back surgery syndrome.
Kevin: No kidding.
Jesse: No yeah! And actually study, a couple of studies that I have looked at recently has shown that 60% of the back surgeries fail on an average. 60%
Kevin: Criteria for failure is surgery again or..?
Jesse: Oh yeah! The criteria is to, they still have pain afterwards. So 60% of people who go in for back pain come out with same pain or new pain. And the number is worst on repeat surgeries. I don't know, I don't have information from anybody but I know it's even worse.
Kevin: Wow!
Jesse: For people who had multiple surgeries, actually we just talked about.
Kevin: What is some of the symptom treatment that are around that you seem to, that don't serve to people as well and some of the other things?
Jesse: O.k. Yeah! Why don't we talk a little about some of the common treatments?
Kevin: Great!
Jesse: Why I think they don't work? Or why they think they prove it will not work. And some of the things that work a little bit better.
Kevin: Right!
Jesse: Let's go in order of the way things happen typically for someone who has back pain. Again I shovel snow, I sneeze, I cough or whatever. I hurt my back I go to a doctor. Almost always the doctor is going to write a prescription first thing. Again, sometimes they are going to refer you and typically going to ask you to rest. Which research has proven is the worst thing you can do.
Kevin: O.k.
Jesse: You don't want the rest because you rest you allow your body to stiffen up even more, get blood flow decreases and your body has a harder time healing and the muscles get weaker. As you were aware of so they tell you to rest which you don't want to. They give you a drug which is certainly not going to get rid of the problem. Your back pain is a physical problem. It's not in your head and it's not something, it's just the pain you feel. It's a physical problem. And so while your head, you're thought your feeling and your emotions are effect your pain that alone are not going to fix the problem. Neither is a drug.
Kevin: Right!
Jesse: So you got to deal with the physical aspect of the problem as well. And actually well I will say definitely later. That's what happens you go and you get a prescription, you told to rest. Maybe they will send you over to physical therapy, maybe they will do x-rays and MRI's but say that they do x-ray and MRI, is like you got a bulging disc. Let's send you to physical therapy. It's not that bad. It's not that bad, let's send you to physical therapy and see and get rid of the pain that way further rather than have surgery right away. And so you go and you do your six weeks of physical therapy until your insurance runs out. The therapy will include hot packs.
Kevin: Yes.
Jesse: Ice maybe
Kevin: Yeah!
Jesse: Electrical simulations .
Kevin: Been there. [Laugh]
Jesse: Ultrasound, maybe if you are going to orthopedic surgeon, since there is no other name for them. Orthopedic surgeon. . for treating you get a Cortizone injection. And again more drugs you know anti-flammatory drugs. Maybe your physical therapy will also do some stretches with you, they will also do some exercise. They will have you do some basic exercise that to get on the sheet. I think maybe you and I talked about in the past. Most people will leave from their doctor's office. Their therapist office or maybe their chiropractor's office with the same sheet of exercises.
Kevin: Yapp!
Jesse: You know they got the angry cat. Stretch, they got beneath the chest. They got sideline your knees thing, your side stretch. Everybody get the same five, six, seven, eight stretches or exercises on a sheet of paper regardless of their situation. That alone right there should tell you something is wrong.
Kevin: Right!
Jesse: Because everybody situation is different. How can these exercises and stretches be right for you, me and everybody else who has back pain?
Kevin: Sure.
Jesse: And, so that's another part of the problem. But really the biggest part of the problem is when you go that doctor instead of writing a prescription. Instead of telling you go home and rest, instead maybe if you are going back multiple times now, maybe because you had recurring balance of pain. And they start to think that you are making it up. And you know that's very common much more common that I would ever have imagined?
Kevin: Really?
Jesse: Yeah! Yeah we have a probably thousands of people that we work with who had pain and recurring types of pain. They are told by these healthcare professionals. Maybe it's all in their head.
Kevin: Really!
Jesse: I mean, it's very disturbing and of course the person with the pain who has been living this way for years, you know is very upset. And then they feel really hopeless. At this point the people who are suppose to really help them aren't helping them and now they are actually turning them around and making them feel like it up.
Kevin: Right!
Jesse: And that's one of the reasons depression is so common in people with back pain is one of the reasons we spend so much time working with people not just on the physical but on the mental and emotional aspects of it as well.
Kevin: I think that I really like that approach that Back pain is somewhat emotional as well. I mean can explain that a little bit.
Jesse: Yeah actually we have a concept that we call complete healing formula and basically what that is really you know a long detail thing but quick summary is again back pain is a physical problem. So you got to address the physical. What's going on structurally in your body? Muscle bone, ligaments, joints. What's happening there. You know that's costing pain. You also have the mental and emotional impact. You know your thoughts feelings and emotions affect how you feel physically and how your body can heal.
Kevin: Sure!
Jesse: So lots of studies have shown now people who are negative thinkers and always stressed out let a tiny little thing get to them. They have a much harder time healing and recovering from injury and illness. And not just with back pain, this is with all just diseases and illnesses. Cancer strokes, heart it attacks everything.
Kevin Gianni the host of "Renegade Health Show" - a fun and informative daily health show that is changing the perception of health across the world. His is an internationally known health advocate, author, and film consultant. He has helped thousands and thousands of people in over 21 countries though online health teleseminars about abundance, optimum health and longevity He is also the creator and co-author of The Busy Person's Fitness Guide.
![Say Goodbye to Back Pain [VHS]](http://information-plat.info/21J4HWVZPGLSL500.jpg)
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Imagine having back pain for a year, five years, or even a decade, and finally getting so frustrated you opt to go for a surgery that the doctor assures you will get rid of your pain and allow you to regain a normal lifestyle again. This is the exact story that was reported on MSNBC just a short while ago. In the next few paragraphs we can briefly recap the story of Ms. Scatena, but before we do I am going to some something completely out of the ordinary for my monthly newsletter. I'm going to let the cat out of the bag and give you the punch line right off the bat.
Patients who opt to have back surgeries and spinal fusions are way less likely to go back to work and are in desperate need of more opiates. Now this is NOT my opinion. I'm going to take a neutral stance on this and just going to lay down the story, give a few references as to where these statistics are coming from, give you insight into what a majority of "celebrity" back surgeons and pain management doctors have to say about it, and leave it at that. So let's get started. The story starts in the town of Scottsdale Arizona in the blazing heat. There was a woman, in great physical shape except for excruciating back pain. She jumped from doctor to doctor and after thinking she was getting the best advice and doing her research she finally decided to opt for surgery. She suffers from spinal stenosis of the lumbar spine. For those of you that are wondering what spinal stenosis is, it is generally a narrowing of the canal through which the spinal nerves travel. It puts pressure on the nerves which in turn cause pain, and if you've been reading this monthly newsletter for any length of time, you're well aware that....
Pressure = Pain Pressure causes pain fibers to experience pain, causes rubbing, irritation, and then the insuring inflammation to compound the problem. So Nancy opted to try and alleviate the pain by going through a "spinal microsurgery procedure". Immediately following the surgery Nancy Scatena was concerned she may have made the wrong decision. Just a month after surgery her pain was back in full swing and more excruciating than ever. So there she sat with unrelenting back aches and pain and her doctor prescribing medication after medication. None of which did more for her than barely taking the edge off. And just like the 27 million other Americans that suffer back pain every year she sat (or actually tried to sit comfortably) wondering what her next move should be. So just like many of us, she turned to a friend that recommend she go see yet another surgeon who her friend referred to as...
A Miracle Worker This new miracle worker-as she was referred to-assured her that this second operation would fix everything. And she decided to go with her friends' recommendation and have the surgery. And for just a few weeks the pain was better. Then It Came Roaring Back On MSNBC they say that about 600,000 Americans opt for back surgeries of some sort. But they go on to say that many surgeons and pain management experts say that most, back surgery is full of empty promises. And here are the facts as to why. And these numbers are actually from a study done in Ohio. I'll take out all the "doctor-ese" of the story and just lay out the facts. They looked at just under 1500 patients in the workers compensation system, half of them had surgery, half of them did not. So here is how it breaks down.
26% of those that had surgery returned to work 67% of those that did not have surgery returned to work.
So if that isn't troubling enough, the real shocker is that those that did have surgery for their back pain had a...
41% Increase in Pain Medications! So what does that actually mean? Well the head researcher in the study was a doctor named Dr. Traung Nguyen who is a researcher from the University of Cincinnati. Medical Colleagues claim that this study is evidence that back surgeries don't alleviate pain from degenerative discs.
Why Would They Continue To Do Procedures That Studies Show Don't WORK?
You're completely on point if you're asking yourself that same question. After all, the study provides "clear evidence". Some sources say economics. Spinal surgery is a lucrative procedure. In the Spine Journal, they report an EIGHT fold increase in invasive procedures that fuse two or more vertebrae over the past 15 years. This the little know dirty little secret that has public health experts and surgeons up in arms about back surgery.
In fact, one of the leading experts is publicly stating back surgery and the legitimate need for spinal fusions has gotten "WAY BEYOND WHAT IS REASONABLE AND NECESSARY" Another interesting statistic is that there are some parts of the country where spinal fusions are FOUR times more likely than the national average. All this comes from Charles Burton who is THE medical director for the Center for Restorative Spine Surgery in St Paul.
Is He Alone? Nope. Not at all. Dr William Webb who is the chairman at the University of Pennsylvania and the Chief of Neurosurgery of Pennsylvania Hospital says that "there is some success in treating back pain but as a whole we are less successful at treating back pain." As if that isn't convincing enough that surgery for back pain is the last resort, if it even should be an option at all (surgery is only clinically indicated when muscles begin to atrophy or there is bladder or bowel incontinence, otherwise it is an elective procedure). Dr. Dorisk Cope, who is a professor and chair for pain management at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, admits that....
"It's a case of, if you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail." So that brings us back to this month's newsletter message. The hammer and nail analogy refers to a "carpenter" trade. You wouldn't go to the carpenter and ask him to fix your plumbing. Why? That's not his specialty, in fact he probably doesn't know much, if anything about plumbing at all. Just like surgeons don't know much about Non-Surgical Methods. And we should be thankful about that. After all, if the surgeon was spending time to learn about Non-Surgical technologies and procedures then he is not getting better at surgery which is what we really want him to be good at right? The truth of the matter is that if someone has bowel or bladder incontinence, or muscle wasting or damage to the nerves, then more than likely they need to see a surgeon ASAP.
But Pain By Itself? Based off what many in the research, teaching, and neurosurgical circles are saying it just not as effective as the general population, portal of entry doctors, and the surgeons themselves would like to think. While I agree that for many there is no magic bullet, what I am saying is that if someone has a pressure "diagnosis', a herniated, bulging disc, a disc pressing on a nerve cause stenosis, sciatica or neuropathy, or they have a failed surgery, there may still be hope. If you have a compression problem, if you're suffering from pain, void of bladder, bowel or muscles wasting problems then maybe non-surgical spinal decompression is the answer.
Dr. Stephen C. Lembo, DC is clinic director of Northeast Spine & Rehab; a multi-speciality clinic utilizing (3) DRX 9000 non-surgical spinal decompression units to better serve back and neck pain sufferers throughout the Long Island area. Discover more at http://www.LongIslandBackRelief.com or call to schedule a no-charge consultation at (631) 406-6526.
Sciatica is caused by the sciatic nerve inflammation. Physical therapy can help relieve pain, but the worst might need surgery. Your doctor may prescribe medication, but it will certainly recommend you do the exercises for sciatica. These will strengthen your muscles and increase your flexibility.
Following are examples of sciatica exercises that have proven to be effective:
Piriformis stretch
Begin by sitting on the floor. stretch the unaffected leg directly in front of you. Relax and take your affected leg ankles. Chest pull and hold as you count from one to five. Do it all over again for five times. Since only one leg is usually affected, you do not have to repeat the process with your other leg.
Extension of return.
Start by effigy on the ground on your stomach and yourself elbows. Extend your back and slowly trying to straighten your elbows as you extend your back more later. Keep straightening your elbows until you feel a mild stretch. Hold it even once, down for five seconds and brand-new do five times.
Cat Stretch
First thing you need to do is to go down on your hands and knees and your back towards the ceiling like a cat in arc. Continue to do it until you feel a mild stretch when finally do you take even five seconds and repeat everywhere. Do five times.
Extension back and stretch of CAT are sciatica exercises to relieve pressure on nerves of lower back sciatica.Hamstring Stretch
There are two ways of doing this; You can perform one by sitting on the ground with both your legs elongated directly. Extend your arms and try considered forward, bend at the waist, but make sure that your knee is straight. Bend you can and hold still for 10 seconds without bounce.
Second can be done by lying on your back on the floor. Use your hands in support of your thigh behind your knee. Straighten your legs until you can feel a stretch in the back of your thigh, do it slowly. Expand your leg to a 90 degree angle and hold still for 10 seconds to work up to twenty seconds gradually and then make thirty seconds.
These two hamstrings sciatica exercises aim to ease sciatic pain in the thigh area and more. For best results, do these exercises daily. If the pain persists, consult your physician immediately so he can check your condition as soon as possible.
More knowledge about sciatica exercises. Hey if you like this post you really like this - > Eazol
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SAN FRANCISCO (TheStreet)--dawns day two of 29-annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference kicks with Amgen presentations from (AMGN ) Genzyme, (GENZ ) and the Sanofi-Aventis (SNY ).
Here's how this live blog happens to (hopefully) work: I will be posting news, updates and analysis throughout the day, live from the presentation rooms and separation (Q&A) session. [How can I do this, the APP Will ask you., literally Use the blog APP iPhone. bound in publication system of TheStreet--quite pure.]
This J.P. Morgan confab blog will be similar to real-time coverage of FDA Advisory panels with one big difference: expect more breaks between my postings today, since I will be moving the Conference and waiting for companies to present throughout the day. I will do my best to provide constant coverage, but of course that I am somewhat at the mercy of the AT&T network and my ability to type on my iPhone while weaving through crowds and listening to biotech executives speak.
Your best bet is to check again on the blog several times throughout the day.
Similar to my previous live blogs I'd like to keep today's coverage interactive, so feel free to ping me with comments and questions. I will publish and will respond to as many comments and questions.
Here is my planned schedule for the day, is subject to change, as always. (All times Eastern):
11 am: map of pharmaceuticals (MAPP )
11: 30 hours: Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR )
12: 30: Seattle genetics (SGEN )
1 pm: Aveo pharmaceuticals (AVEO )
4: 30 pm Teva: (TEVA )
6: 30 pm: Biogen Idec (BIIB )
7 pm Keryx: (KERX )
-Written by Adam Fojer?ajn in Boston.
> To contact the writer of this article, click here: Adam Fojer?ajn.
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The device to check behind, locate points If the resistance is low compared to their nearby and stimulates the nerves with a gentle electrical current that reduces pain, according to the company's tests.
Nervomatrix's technology is based on acupuncture-encouraging the identification of the nerve endings on the map. "We've dropped after acupuncture map. We don t use this word, even the CEO of the company's "we are very proud to announce Nervomatrix Ori" Globes "Kanner told today. "We have developed their own empiric method to learn, which refers to contribute."
Acupuncture is not accepted by conventional medicine, and its encouragement to comply with any of the items on the map of the classic Anatomy corresponds to the map. Researchers have shown that acupuncture has some positive effect on the amount has grown in recent years.
Kanner said: "our work, we found that the various books, acupuncture configuration does not need to match, and there was no penalty to a patient who came to us. In contrast, the resistance to improve their ability to use the correct nerve endings. Classic acupuncture map-handling and requires expertise, according to doctors. In contrast, when compared to the other, in particular, for the measurement of the resistance, you can do anything a technician at. "
Back to Nervomatrix have a patent shall expire at the end of the scanner and the Locator, which takes into account the surrounding area as compared to their relative resistance of nerve. "We've noticed that when a pain weakens, electrical tension equalizes at the various points," said Kanner's personal page on Stardoll. "In the future, it may be possible to use the progress of the data processing. We may consider whether the person has actually been suffering the pain, that it is important to prevent insurance companies from fraud. "
Nervomatrix runs it first trial Bnei Zion hospital in Haifa. 85% of patients reported an improvement in their condition, but there was no control group. The company's next step is to run a clinical trial at the University of New York, as it begins the two substances, the doctor patient centers in New York City, with its products.
5. January 2011 Globes [online]-Israel business news www.globes-online.com-in-publication
Copyright Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. in 2011
Research has shown that women with s extremely large breasts are at risk of suffering from back pain. Anyone who has been affected by back pain knows how painful and weakening this condition can be. For thousands of women who suffer from back pain, reducing breast surgery has become a popular choice to help reduce and even eliminate not only back pain, but pain in the neck, shoulder, respiratory problems and migraines.
For women who suffer from back pain due to extremely large breast, of breast reduction s surgery or breast reduction is a safe and minimally invasive surgery to help women get rid of debilitating pain caused by the heavy and sagging breast s and enable them to return to a more active lifestyle. Small incisions are run from the areolas to fold breast, which of these incisions remove glandular tissue, fatty tissue and s of breast skin are made. The result is a reduced size and weight of breast s. There will be little scarring and bruises, but they fade over time. Surgery, the patient s will usually return to work in a little over a week and participate in normal activities after about five or six weeks. Women mostly with this procedure, but men have also taken advantage of breast reduction.
Reducing the size of extremely large breast s benefits include: reduction or elimination of rashes on the skin on the breast, improved posture and a reduction or elimination of neck, back and shoulder pain. Thus, one will become the most active and has a better image of car. Clothing also will they fit better and one can participate in daily activities that once were limited when they suffer from severe back pain. Women who have breast reduction surgery in general a report are extremely satisfied with the result. As well as relieve physical pain and discomfort, effects s of breast feel lighter, stronger, and better has provided to the rest of the body.
Several days after surgery, many women reported little s breast pain, but after a week, any pain or pain generally disappears. During recovery, the incisions made are covered with gauze and wrapped in a bandage until they heal. Thus, a surgical support bra is used for protection and comfort. In a week or two, suture points will be deleted. If there is a concern by the accumulation of fluids during recovery, the surgeon may insert a drainage tube to help with blood and fluid drainage. During recovery, it will take pain relieving medication, and develops an infection antibiotics at the event. Any bruising or swelling will disappear within a few weeks.
Breast reduction surgery has become an effective method of reducing back pain caused by extremely large breast, s as well as the improvement of one is the physical aspect. Surgery It has improved the quality of life of thousands of women across the country. If the size of its s breast is causing your back pain, consider consulting with your doctor for more information about the benefits of breast reduction.
For more information, visit breast-augmentation.net
Tracy writes in a wide variety of topics, including topics in breast-augmentation.net
Can knowledge of Yin and Yang cure my pain and lead to welfare? It is really sad that despite all progress called on Western medicines still we have not increased well-being. For example, 60% of all back surgeries not. I am sure that knows someone who has had back surgery and still has pain. Worse still is the person who has had multiple surgeries without back pain relief. Another example is the chemotherapy. Chemotherapy, only the Poisons pumping chemicals in your body reaches the chances of survival by 2%! Unfortunately, in spite of all advances in technology, all the research and the expenses, so are getting fatter, weaker and more sick! Maybe it's time to take a serious look at traditional natural healing or methods of welfare as the study of Yin and Yang.
Modern medicine is the study of disease. You have a cold or a pain in the neck and you are going to the doctor. He or she takes her temperature or perhaps a throat swab or ordered a x-rayos / MRI to look at the neck and then prescription medication to solve your problem. Natural and traditional medicine examines the causes of disease underscore. If you have frequent colds, rather than simply prescribe a medication or take two aspirin, the traditional method is ask questions about your lifestyle. Basic traditional theory of how sick people is because they are out of balance with Yin and Yang.
What is the Yin and Yang? In the simplest terms Yin is the passive force energy and Yang is active energy. Sleep is Yin. Walking, execution and swimming, they would be examples of Yang. Health and body has a balance between the two energies. There is always an imbalance exists disease. For example: we know that exercise is important but make it too can cause injury. A warrior of weekend what happens from Monday to Friday, sitting in his car ride, sitting at his desk 8-9 hours a day and flopped in a reclining watch TV is out of balance too much Yin. Then, when he plays a couple of rounds of golf or passes on Saturday doing gardening work he suffers a back or removed muscle. To restore the balance that needs exercise week (Yang) and a little rest (Yin) on weekends.
This principle of Yin and Yang is applied to all things. Eating plenty of food grease heavy and takes few fruits and vegetables to indigestion, weight gain, high cholesterol and less heart disease. Knowledge of the principle of Yin and Yang can help heal back pain. Instead of relying on pain, pills or surgery, an exercise program well planned can bring many benefits over a copy of safety and health.
The key to these priests are taking action. It really is up to you to develop a leading lifestyle to welfare. Many in the West want to give them a magic pill. Whether to lose weight, cure cancer or to lose the back pain, just give me a pill or shot or surgery and I will be well. The person is "cured" and then returns to the same old bad habits that are guaranteed to cause disease.
Until we break this cycle and realizing the secret of health and well-being that is within our reach so we in the West are now condemned to put our hope in modern medicine, surgery, the Government to treat all our pains and aches. The results doctors higher costs, the Government intervention increased while we get more fat and sicker. Knowledge, understanding and practice of traditional and natural methods and theories of such principles of Yin Yang and the practical application of modern medicine can result in a health ier, happier people. The choice is really up to us.
Coach Pete is an expert in back pain and pain Blues Director. Pete coach has suffered from back pain, therapy and surgery and has overcome the pain. He believes that it is possible to live free of pain and recovering back pain. There are alternatives to suffering and surgery. But it is up to you! Take the first step now and return to his life. Tons of great free information about How to cure your back pain should definitely check his blog.
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There are various remedies for back pain. For some people, back pain is as common as life. It is a part of his life. You don't want to leave them. There are a variety of reasons, that a person may suffer from back pain. The most common reason is the spinal cord injury. If your disks have worn, the pain is caused due to the friction of the bone and the spinal column. When you feel you are facing a lot of back pain and then her must not neglect at any price.
Really painful pain
Lower back pain can be really painful. If your column loses alignment, then starts the pain. No matter how less pain at first, there is no reason for you to neglect. You have no idea how painful can become when it blows in a disproportionate manner. Remedies for back pain may not give instantaneous relief because your back is very sensitive. You can you should visit your doctor for months before get some relief. You must have much patience.
There are various medications to help you get pain relief. But you must also keep in mind that the pills not can rid your problem permanently. Remedies for back pain provide temporary relief. Ultimately, you must go for surgery. Once the surgery performed, must be very careful with his back. You will need to do exactly what the doctor tells him to do. You can not neglect even one ounce. If your doctor says you need to provide complete rest, then, you have to do exactly that. We also ask regular exercises to obtain relief.
There are many remedies for back pain and you should test them before opting for surgery. Surgery should be the last option in the list. Not to say that any kind of surgery involves risk. So nobody sane opt for surgery as the first option. Of course, the best thing to do is avoid the condition first. You can do this by maintaining a lifestyle, and health and care of their position. If you experience any signs of pain, should visit a doctor immediately before that is out of his hand.
There are several back pain relief products that provide resources for low back pain [http://www.backpainremedies.info/remediesforthebackpain.html]. Back pain can be really painful if you don't have care. Surgery is the last option to obtain relief. Before opting for surgery, you should try another back pain remedy. For more information visit [http://www.backpainremedies.info] back pain remedies.
Nearly 8 in 10 people suffer from herniated disks at some point in their lives, or another. Some were recovered with no recurrence more while others are experiencing chronic back pain for the rest of their lives. With this load, some people cannot live active lifestyle have once. It is not uncommon to see people turn into depression, even out of his work to address the problem of low back pain.
Patients seek treatment under back pain for example. herniated disc or treatment bulging disk or treatment even on his back clamping of the nerve.There are many treatments available to the victim. Back pain medications such as pain relievers, exercises for back pain chiropractic adjustment lower, massage, acupuncture, acupressure and even surgery.
I have personally suffered from sciatica during 12 years. I have tried all the methods mentioned above and almost had the surgery. Surgery, in particular, is an important decision. It is important to know that they have done research studies on how the patient s rate years after surgery. 2 groups of patient s were controlled is one who had the surgery, while the other group chooses other treatments. Statistics have shown that 10 years after surgery, both sets of patient s conditions were similar. In my case, when my specialist I advised for surgery, in fact I am looking for a second opinion. The second doctor had a different approach and told me the previous statistics. Although I had herniated disc L4-L5, rather than what suggested surgery, sent me to school therapy where I learned all kinds of lower back pain exercises as a back pain treatment and therapies to strengthen muscles. Although improved, my lumbar back pain become chronic.
It was by accident that discovered acupressure and gave him a shot. It is natural, and unlike the acupuncture treatment, needles are not applied on the body. All you do is identify spots (called acupoints) in various parts of the body and use acupressure techniques to put pressure on these acupoints. My first treatment lasted only 10 minutes and gave me immediate pain relief. I felt no pain. Because I felt so well treatment, I did 6 years of intensive research on the natural healing technique. Since then it has become my choice of back pain treatment.
I have recovered since then and they have not been repeated more pain through knowledge of treatment of acupressure that I had. It's simple and easy to learn. It can also be administered. You can do it anytime, anywhere. There are also without drugs, analgesics or special equipment. Unlike surgery, it is not invasive.
While this traditional knowledge acupressure comes from Asia (China, India), is gaining popularity, slowly but surely.Since then I used the same techniques to help different people and all have shown good improvements.
The principle of acupressure is simple. Body are on different lines meridians that lay acupoints many. Energy flows along these meridians lines. Each of these acupoints correspond to a body part. For example, an acupoint at the toe corresponds to the head. When a person is indispuesta or stress ed, the acupoint will act as a switch and become hidden with toxic substances.?Clicking these acupoints with certain techniques of acupressure, basically removes these toxic substances. The task is to treat acupoints that corresponds to the backbone. When you eliminate toxic products, improves the flow of energy and the person feels better and recovers spine problems
Therefore, if you are looking for a natural solution heal its painful back pain problems, acupressure may be right for you heal her spine problems.
About the author
Kenneth Tang suffered back pain itself. However, he has overcome through acupressure and has compiled all acupressure annoying auto ease treatment exercises and sometimes disabling back you pain specific in a manual. These back pain treatment techniques used are free of drugs and treatment could be carried out at home. You can learn his techniques and tips on how he restore your spine in a healthy state to return the pain-free days.
He can be reached at Kenneth.Tang@BackPainFreeDays.com
You've been hurting for months. You can't stay on your feet for more than a few minutes. It hurts to sit for too long. Recently you can't get a good night's sleep because you just can't get comfortable. The painkillers aren't working, and you're starting to think seriously about back surgery. But after all the expense, rehabilitation and risk, will you bet better off? There are alternatives to surgery, and they just might work for you.
Back pain that leads to surgery is often associated with a damaged intervertebral disc or spinal stenosis. The discs are the tough, flat cushions between the vertebrae. Imagine a disc as the warm toasted marshmallow sandwiched between two graham crackers in a s'more. If the crackers are pressed together evenly, the marshmallow will spread out evenly as well. If you squeeze just one side of the sandwich together, the marshmallow (or disc) will ooze out to the opposite side. That's what happens with a "slipped" disc. The protruding part can irritate a nearby nerve. If it ruptures, there can be chemical irritation of the nerve as well. The discs also tend to degenerate, flatten and become less resilient over the years, so there is less space for the nerves where they come out of the spinal column.
Siatica (Sciatica) is an irritation of the siatic/sciatic nerve. It can cause radiating pain, burning sensations or cramping in the buttocks and down the leg. This may be caused by a nerve root problem in the lower part of the spine, but it can also be caused by impingement further down in the area of the buttocks. The piriformis muscle runs across the back of each hip joint, deep in the buttock, where it crosses paths with the sciatic nerve. Pressure from an overly tight piriformis muscle is believed to irritate the sciatic nerve causing buttock and/or radiating leg pain. This is known as piriformis syndrome. It can be addressed by releasing excess tension and any "trigger points" (knotted areas) in the piriformis and associated muscle groups.
Stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal that leads to compression of the enclosed spinal cord and nerves. Fractures of the spine can also result in unstable vertebral joints and irritation to the spinal nerves.
Treatment Options
Common surgical procedures for these conditions include discectomy, laminectomy, and fusion. In a discectomy, the part of the disc that is stressing the spinal cord or a nerve is removed. Removing or trimming part of the bony structure around the spinal cord (the lamina) is called a laminectomy. This may be done to widen the spinal canal when it has been restricted by stenosis, or to provide access for a discectomy. Spinal fusion fixes vertebrae together using bone grafts and screws or other hardware to prevent any movement between them.
Determining when surgery is appropriate is not always easy. Most incidents of back pain resolve themselves over several weeks. Even cases of severe chronic back pain or sciatica may respond very well to more conservative treatments. Individuals with substantial disc degeneration and/or stenosis can return to an active pain-free life without surgery. Surgeons may have a skewed perspective because their patients who are diagnosed as needing surgery, but who go on to rehabilitate themselves through non-surgical means, are unlikely to report back to the surgeon.
Even when there is clear disc impingement upon a nerve, non-surgical remedies are possible. Experiments have shown that a healthy nerve root (where the nerve exits the spinal cord) can withstand substantial pressure without pain or paresthesia (tingling or burning). When a nerve root is injured, pressure on it can cause loss of feeling, reduced reflexes and eventually reduced strength and motor reflex. However, when a nerve root has a poor blood supply (ischemia), it becomes very sensitive to pressure. So, a healthy nerve root with a good blood supply can tolerate a fair amount of mechanical abuse. But once it has become irritated, swollen, inflamed or otherwise suffered decreased blood flow, it will be much more easily irritated. Therapy should therefore be aimed at reducing mechanical irritation, reducing inflammation, and improving blood perfusion.
"Conservative treatment" is a term that can be applied to anything from pain pills and bed rest to much more aggressive therapy that involves substantial patient participation. The latter requires more commitment but is likely to give better results. The patient can also learn some useful self-care techniques during treatment. Analgesics, muscle-relaxers and anti-inflammatory drugs (or herbal formulas) may also have their place in the therapy.
Seeing the Bigger Picture
The muscular, skeletal, neural, vascular and lymph systems of the body all affect one another. A good treatment plan works toward optimizing all of them. When there is pain, as from nerve impingement, a common protective reaction of the body is to tighten up and stabilize the area. Unfortunately, this tightening can exacerbate the problem by putting more pressure on the damaged structures. Also, chronic spasm of the muscles leads to decreased blood infusion (ischemia) and poor lymph movement. The muscles become poorly nourished, and the tissues are not properly cleansed of cellular waste products. A large component of patient's pain can be from this muscular dysfunction, rather than from the direct nerve impingement itself.
Tight muscles, especially when their forces are not well balanced, are intimately involved with skeletal joint dysfunction. The skeletal system, after all, is aligned and controlled by the soft tissues around it (with limits set by the bony structures themselves and by the ligaments that surround the joints). When muscular action on one side of the spine is stronger and tighter than the other, it can significantly change the alignment between the vertebrae, and inhibit the natural smooth gliding at the joint surfaces. Besides nerve irritation (remember that squeezed marshmallow), this can accelerate arthritic changes in the joints.
Nerves are responsible not only for sending pain signals back to the brain, but also for sending motor control signals out to the muscles. Therapy should address the neural components of the problem. Neuromuscular reeducation refers to therapy that aims at normalizing the interaction between muscles and their nerve signals.
Many types of non-surgical therapies are available, and each has its strengths. Chiropractic adjustments can restore normal joint function, and thus release tension and inflammation in surrounding soft tissues. Unfortunately, some people do not respond well to this high-velocity approach, and normal muscular function often does not follow. Skilled massage, physical therapy, yoga, stretching, strengthening and other manual therapies can address the muscular components. Functional and postural habits that exacerbate the condition may need to be relearned. Acupuncture works via several pathways: it can release and balance muscle tensions, moderate nerve signals, decrease inflammation and increase local blood flow to the tissues.
The Benefits of Avoiding Surgery
Results from conservative therapy can be dramatic, but it typically takes weeks or months to effect lasting changes, and a combination of techniques may be needed. The reward for this effort is a reduction or elimination of pain, a better functioning body and more information about how to keep it that way, not to mention the avoidance of surgery, anesthesia, and post-surgical rehabilitation. This can save tens of thousands of dollars, and greatly decreases one's exposure to pharmaceuticals. Even with a course of anti-inflammatory drugs, a patient will be subjected to a much lower pharmaceutical load that when undergoing surgery.
Besides, surgery often fails. The U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality states that "Patients considering lumbar spine surgery should be informed that the likelihood of having another spine operation later is substantial." A study of 24,882 adults who had low back surgery for degenerative spinal problems in the early 1990's found that about one out of five had another back surgery within 11 years. That's about double the rate for hip or knee replacement. And one should not assume that the rest were living pain free.
Is Good Medicine Driving High Back Surgery Rates?
A study by the University of Washington's Center for Cost and Outcomes Research looked at spinal surgeries in the U.S. and confirmed some disturbing trends. In 2001, approximately 122,000 lumbar fusions were performed, representing a 220% increase from 1990. Were those surgeries more successful than in the past? It seems not. Reoperation rates actually increased during the 1990's, with a cumulative rate of about 12% just three years after the initial surgery.
The Department of Health Services at the University of Washington has noted that there are large variations in back surgery rates across different parts of the country. The Department also found that "The rate of back surgery in the United States was at least 40% higher than in any other country and was more than five times those in England and Scotland. Back surgery rates increased almost linearly with the per capita supply of orthopaedic and neurosurgeons in the country." That sounds more like supply-side economics than evidence-based medicine.
Meanwhile, the New England Journal of Medicine has published a new study of 283 patients with severe sciatica. The participants were randomly selected to have surgery early on, or to have extended conservative treatment and undergo surgery at a later time, if needed. Only 39% of this second group actually ended up having surgery. After one year, the outcomes were similar for those with early surgery and the conservatively treated group, although those receiving early surgery had somewhat faster pain relief and self-perceived recovery rates.
The decision to have surgery for back pain or sciatica due to degenerative conditions will usually be left to the patient. Trauma resulting in fractures, cancer, and other conditions causing back pain may permit fewer options. But for patients who are willing to participate in their own recovery, conservative treatment holds a lot of promise with very low risk. Surgery, after all, will remain an option. They may need to be more proactive in seeking out treatment. Learning stretches and other exercises from a skilled therapist will give them some control over their recovery. A willingness to try appropriate therapies and actively engage in the treatment process can lead to much greater success than simpler treatments involving only rest and drugs. Those who choose such a treatment plan may well be rewarded with a strong, pain-free body, and new knowledge that can help keep it that way.
Braxton Ponder is a Licensed Acupuncturist whose work has taken him around the world, exposing him to a broad range of healthcare systems and practices. He draws upon this background, as well as his ongoing clinical experience, when he offers news analysis and commentary about health care and healthy living in his blog: Ponder Natural Health Notes.
Braxton is the founder of the Ponder Natural Health clinic in Colorado, and the Yoga Review site, YogiReviews.com.
