When you experience lower back pain, it’s normal to feel worried that you may be suffering from a kidney infection, but the two conditions are actually easier to tell apart than you might think.
Kidney problems make themselves known in many ways that back problems don’t. By checking for a few telltale signs, you can feel confident in knowing whether you need to be examined for a more serious condition.
Back Pain
If you have a dull, aching pain that gets worse when you move around, it’s probably back pain. This kind of pain usually gets better with a hot pack or a massage, but if it continues over two weeks, it’s what we call chronic back pain.
Kidney Stone
Kidney stone pain comes in waves and is very severe. It can be so bad that people have compared passing a kidney stone to childbirth. If you are having a kidney problem, you’re very likely to have other symptoms besides back pain. You could have a fever, chills, nausea or painful urination, or you might find blood in your urine.
Tags: Back Pain, Medical Questions
Tuesday we listed lots of great items to remember before you undergo back surgery, so today we want to take it a step further and list some tips about the recovery after your back surgery. The following tips are from the smart people over at spine-health.com where they list things to bring with you to the hospital as well as things to have ready at home for your recovery.
- Crocs. You will want to wear slip on shoes for several weeks (and maybe more) following the surgery so you don’t have to bend over to tie your shoes.
- Ice packs. Ice is a valuable pain reliever.
- Sports bottle. You don’t want to have to sit up for each sip so bring a sports bottle with a squirt top.
- Laxatives and/or stool softeners. Chances are your doctor won’t bring up this subject, but it will be an important issue to you following the surgery.
- Practice the log roll. Many say that getting in and out of bed after fusion surgery is one of the most intimidating and difficult aspects of the recovery process.
- Trash bags. Putting a trash bag on the bed will reduce the friction so you slide more easily onto the bed. Also, you’ll want a trash bag to put on the car seat for the ride home.
- Get informed. Find a doctor that will answer all the questions you have about your surgery.
- Minimally invasive. With today’s technology you’d be amazed how quickly one can recover using minimally invasive techniques.
The Minimally Invasive Spine Institute is one of the most advanced diagnostic and treatment facilities for back/neck pain and spinal disorders in the United States, specializing in state-of-the-art minimally invasive laser procedures.
We’ve said it many times before (Choosing the Right Backpack, Backpacks and Back Pain, More on School Backpacks), but due to a new study that demonstrates how heavy backpacks place significant strain on children’s spines which can lead to back pain, we’ve been seeing more stories in the news about this topic so we thought we’d weigh in again.
WebMD recently published an article citing the new study. In the article researcher Timothy Neuschwander from the University of California in San Diego said that “backpack loads are responsible for a significant amount of back pain in children, which in part, may be due to changes in lumbar disc height or curvature.”
In the study, researchers used an upright MRI scanner to image the spines of eight children, average age of 11, while standing first with an empty backpack and then backpack loads representing 10%, 20%, and 30% of the children’s body weight (9, 18, and 26 pounds, respectively).
The results showed two key spinal measurements changed as the weight of the backpack increased. Heavier weights caused compression of the discs that act as a cushion between the bones of the spine.
Janet Choi from KENS, a CBS news affiliate in San Antonio, Texas published the following video about heavy backpacks causing serious pain.
If you become concerned about the weight your child is carrying to/from school and during the day, check with the campus administrators and see if an alternative solution can be reached. Some high schools now have two sets of core subject books, with students keeping one set at home and then having a second set to utilize in the classroom. This prevents lugging them back and forth to class every day.
Tags: Back Pain, Medical Questions, Minimally Invasive Spine Institute
Only a small percentage of our patients require surgery. Sometimes it is the best way to solve one’s chronic pain issues, and with our highly technical procedures recovery is extremely fast. However, it never hurts to take a little time to prepare for the surgery.
Here are some great tips to help you best prepare for your back surgery:
1-2 Weeks Before Surgery
- Get all other minor appointments (like haircuts, dentist, ect) done before your surgery. Having these things taken care of ahead of time will save you from unpleasant post-surgery activity.
- Schedule and confirm all transportation plans. Our minimally invasive surgeries typically only take a few hours, so plan accordingly.
- While you are recovering from surgery, make sure you have someone that can stay with you for a few days.
- Make a list of important phone numbers. Give one copy to your caregiver and keep one copy for yourself in a safe place like on your nightstand or on your refrigerator. Include the contact info of friends, family, and doctor offices.
- You may be eligible for a temporary handicap sticker, so check with your doctor a few weeks before the scheduled surgery.
2-3 Days Before Surgery
- Make sure you have all the basic items like like shampoo, toothpaste, lip balm, tissues, and other toiletries.
- During the days following your surgery a pedometer might be handy to keep track of how much you are walking. It’s a great way to track your progress and be able to report back to your doctor.
- Gather a few items commonly used for digestion issues like yogurt, pudding, jell-o, and drinks like Gatorade or Sprite.
- Straws and plastic utensils will also help keep the amount of housework to a minimum. You don’t want to make more work for yourself or your caretaker.
- Make sure you have loose and comfortable clothing that will be unrestrictive to wear during your recovery.
- Do a thorough check to clear all tripping hazards in your home. Things that you have to step over or duck under will become much more of an issue during your recovery.
Ideas from Spine-Health
Tags: Back Pain, Laser Spine Surgery, Minimally Invasive Spine Institute
In an article from the American Journal of Sports Medicine has linked a relationship with between lower back pain and youth who participate in competitive sports.
The study, of nearly 4,700 18-year-old college students, found that those who had been involved in sports since elementary school had higher rates of low back pain than their less-competitive peers.
Mika Hangai, MD, PhD hypothesis that began the study was that lower back pain in one’s youth is associated with the duration and types of competitive sports. The participants were 4,667 new university students who, from 2004 to 2006, answered a questionnaire concerning low back pain and their participation in competitive sports. The participants were divided into a “no” group, a middle group, and a high group based on the duration of participation in competitive sports.
Furthermore, the students who had participated in the same sport for 5 or more years were selected for the study and the students were categorized according to the type of sport. Differences in low back pain among the groups were analyzed using logistic regression with the “no” group as the reference group.
Overall, 72 percent reported ever having had a bout of back pain, compared with 62 percent of those who had spent fewer years playing sports, and half of students who had never been involved in competitive sports. The results do not mean, however, that kids are better off on the couch than the playing field. Regular exercise is important for weight control and good health. And it is also important to point out that the findings do not prove that sports caused the students’ pain, Hangai and colleagues point out. Still, the researchers write, they do suggest that “excessive exposure” to competitive sports is a risk factor for lower back pain.
Study abstract available at the AJSM website.
Tags: Back Pain
The phrase “minimally invasive surgery” has become a popular buzz word. It’s not often that a surgical technique becomes a popular craze, but it hard to miss. The local news stations are talking about it, there are billboards advertising it, or you might even be so lucky as to have a close relative that wants to show off his tiny scars.
Just like most buzz words, the phrase “minimally invasive surgery” doesn’t shed a lot of light on what it actually means. We’ve discussed some of the frequently asked questions and tried to put it in plain English, but maybe the easiest way to grasp the real meaning is to know the truth about minimally invasive spine surgery.
The truth about minimally invasive spine surgery
- It can be more complicated than traditional surgery. (see point 2)
- It is important to find a doctor that is experienced. Being board certified isn’t enough, you need to know that your surgeon is a true specialist in that particitular field of medicine.
- During true minimally invasive spine surgery, there is no traumatic back muscle destruction. If a surgeon talks about long recovery times or a large amount of blood loss then they are not performing a minimally invasive procedure.
- The fact is, they are probably calling it a minimally invasive procedure because of the small incision they make, but once inside the muscle they use a retractor that causes a large amount of tearing and ripping to the muscle causing the long recovery time, blood loss, and great pain.
- It does not always require multiple surgeries for multiple level procedures. In other words, if a clinic requires multiple visits for each level of spine surgery, they may not be putting your needs first. The reason they do this is because they get more money from an insurance company for each separate surgery performed.
Have more questions about minimally invasive spine surgery? Visit our website at zerospinepain.com and contact one of our offices. We’ll be happy to answer any questions my might have.
Tags: Back Pain, Laser Spine Surgery, Minimally Invasive Spine Institute
The Alexander technique is an alternative medicine and educational discipline focusing on bodily coordination, including psychological principles of awareness. It is applied for purposes of recovering freedom of movement, in the mastery of performing arts, and for general self-improvement affecting poise, impulse control and attention.
The Technique takes its name from F. Matthias Alexander, who, in the 1890s, developed its principles as a personal tool to alleviate his breathing problems and hoarseness and hence enable him to pursue a career as a Shakespearean actor.
Teachers use demonstration, explanation, and repeated examination of what spontaneously occurs in the student. Light hand contact is also used to detect the student’s unnecessary physical and mental stresses. Hands-on suggestions are offered in the context of everyday actions such as sitting, standing, walking, using the hands, and speaking. Assistance with sports, hobbies, or the performing arts may be requested by students as further topics of personal interest.
Below we’ve embedded part one and part two from the British Medical Journal on YouTube.
Part 1
Part 2
Tags: Back Pain, Medical Questions
In November we blogged about the iPosture, a personal posture monitor. While it was a bit pricey it did offer a great reminder not to slouch. Today we’ve found another posture reminder that is great for those that sit at a desk all day long.
It’s called the USB Posture Alert Reminder and it sits on top of your monitor (or under your monitor) and it constantly measures how close you are to your computer’s screen. If you start leaning forward you’ll be alerted with a electronic chime (which can be turned off) and a blue or red LED.
The device is set to monitor when your body moves closer than the recommended 13.8 to 23.8 inches from your monitor. A red LED light means you are too close and a blue LED light is letting you know that you are in a good range.
Of course it is powered via a USB that is connected to your computer. It weighs 4.2 ounces and is around $22 online. We found it at the sourcingmap.com store.
We are not recommending this product to help you overcome back pain, but simple reminders like these can help correct your desk posture that direct effects your over spine health.
Tags: Back Pain
Surgeons are less likely than family physicians or patients to view surgery as the preferred treatment option for low back pain, according to a study in the January 1 issue of Spine.
Family Doctors Have Highest Preferences for Surgery
The researchers presented hypothetical back pain scenarios to surgeons (orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons), family physicians, and patients with back and/or leg pain. The scenarios reflected key factors related to back pain: walking ability, pain duration, pain severity, neurological symptoms, factors inducing pain, and pain location. Each group rated their preference for surgery in each scenario, and the factors affecting preferences were analyzed.
Perhaps unexpectedly, surgeons had the lowest overall preferences for surgery, while family physicians had the highest preference for surgery. For orthopedic surgeons, the preference for surgery was somewhat lower than for neurosurgeons. Both the family doctors and patients had a higher preference for surgery than either group of surgeons.
The factors affecting preferences for surgery varied as well. For surgeons, the most important factor was the location of pain. In particular, they preferred surgery for patients with pain predominantly in the leg, rather than the back. Surgery provides better results in patients with problems affecting the spinal nerve roots, which tend to cause leg pain.
Revealing Differences in Reasons for Preferences
In contrast, for family physicians, the most important factor affecting preferences for surgery was neurological symptoms, followed closely by walking ability and pain severity. Family doctors may be unaware of which factors affect the chances of good outcomes from back surgery, the researchers suggest.
For patients, the most important factors were pain severity, walking ability, and pain duration. “All of these symptoms are highly related to quality of life and have little direct bearing on outcomes following surgery,” Dr. Bederman and co-authors write.
When other treatments have failed, surgery can help patients with moderate to severe lower back pain. Family physicians play an important role in sending back pain patients for surgical evaluation. However, few studies looked at the factors considered by primary care doctors consider in referring patients for possible spinal surgery. The final decision is generally made through a shared process between the patient, family physician, and surgeon.
The new results suggest that, in various scenarios, surgeons have a lower preference for surgery than family physicians. In addition, the factors that surgeons feel are most important—especially the location of pain—don’t match those considered most important by family doctors.
The study also highlights the importance of quality-of-life factors—especially pain severity and duration and walking ability—in affecting patients’ treatment preferences. Dr. Bederman and colleagues hope their findings will help in “aligning” the opinions of patients and doctors, thus improving the shared decision-making process and promoting more accurate patient expectations of the results of surgery. “This can directly result in a significant improvement in patient satisfaction with the healthcare process and even overall health status following treatment,” the researchers write.
Via press release from newswise
Seek a specialist when you are dealing with back pain. Over 90% of the patients at The Minimally Invasive Spine Institute do not need surgery. We seek the least invasive procedures to overcome back pain.
Although not common, back and neck injuries can occur in young athletes who participate in sports. Though injuries that cause back pain are not the most common cause of injury in the young athlete, they can cause frustration. Most athletic injuries to the back are sprains of the ligaments or strains of the muscles. However, several more serious conditions can have symptoms similar to a routine sprain or strain. Many injuries occur after repetitive overuse of the structures of the spine. Therefore, proper treatment of a young athlete always includes a good physician evaluation with imaging studies when necessary.
Muscle strains and ligament sprains are the most common injuries that cause back pain in the young athlete. They can be caused by athletic overuse, improper body mechanics and technique, lack of proper conditioning, insufficient stretching, as well as trauma. The athlete will complain of back pain with activity and will feel relief with rest.
Initial treatment may require a period of rest and removing the athlete from sports participation. Treatments may include medication and special exercise. Ice can be used along with pain medications, which should be used sparingly. In addition, other measures to control pain and restore motion are commonly used. Initially, ice and medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories can be used. For persistent symptoms, particularly those associated with muscle spasm, heat may also be very helpful.
As pain decreases, the injured athlete should be shown proper exercise to assist recovery. An exercise program can be very beneficial to improve flexibility and strength of the appropriate muscles for athletic performance as well as to help decrease risk for another similar injury. It is also important to maintain aerobic conditioning during treatment for back pain. Aerobic exercise needs to be tailored to the athlete and performed as pain allows. The repetitive overuse of the spine (particularly rotation) should be avoided, at least initially. Before being released to return to play, sport-specific exercises that mimic activities of athletic competition are often included in the exercise program. It is also always important to evaluate and correct poor technique and mechanics that may have predisposed the athlete to the initial injury.
DandyID
Stumbleupon
Twitter
Facebook
MySpace
YouTube
Linkedin
Flickr
Delicious
Digg
Technorati
Friendfeed
Pikchur
Adocu
Tumblr
BackType
Dailymotion
43marks
Kirtsy
Picasa
Photobucket
Mobypicture
BlogCatalog
Facebook Pages
MyBlogLog