Posts Tagged ‘Chronic Low Back Pain’
Think Twice About Going To The Emergency Room For Back Pain
With low Back Pain being the number reason why millions of Americans miss work, you would think hospitals around the country would be more compassionate with people who suffer from chronic low back pain. Being a chronic pain sufferer myself who suffers from low Back pain with a herniated disc, I know too well how ER doctors treat patients seeking help for some kind of relief. It seems as soon as you walk in and tell them the reason your here to see the doctor is for back pain, your immediately cast in a different light.
The ironic thing in today’s modern times, hospitals and ER doctors have available, and can look up information on patients that have on record tests such as, MRI’s, CT scans, or any other type of documentation to verify a diagnosis the patient is complaining of. With so many people falsely going to ER rooms complaining of back pain just to get medication, they should actually do a little research before they put you in that category of just seeking medication.
For instance, I waited 2 hours in the waiting room, after I got back to see the ER physician, I waited in the room for an additional hour just to hear the nurse tell me I need to go see my primary care physician About substance abuse. I was in shock. I could not believe they thought I was there seeking medications and not truly suffering from pain. When just recently I had two MRI’s taken at this same hospital showing indeed I do suffer from herniated discs, and other back problems as well. To add insult to injury, I received a bill the following week charging me for the visit. I wonder what did they do for me. What did they charge me for? The only thing they did in all reality is turn me away. So why do they charge me for turning me away in my time of need.
Unless your in a horrible car wreck, or your wheeled in by ambulance on a stretcher, going to the ER room for pain is a waste of time and money. Not only is it a waste of time and money, your humiliated by the whole ordeal. People who suffer from chronic pain are simply not believed. For whatever the reason may be, ER doctors do not want to treat people in pain. Chronic pain sufferers in America are discriminated again tremendously. Everyone who suffers from pain should write their congressman or senators. Something has to be done. Seems doctors are taken the war on drugs against the innocent, against the people who truly suffer from chronic daily pain. There is something wrong with this picture. America has the best healthcare in the world, but yet you cant get treated for something as simple as low back pain. I just pray for the millions of Americans who are in the same situation they that somehow will find a compassionate doctor who truly understands pain. Seems most doctors today are more interested in what’s best for them, and not the patient. Don’t they still take an oath to help the sick and hurting? Sometimes I wonder
Robert Gould
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/think-twice-about-going-to-the-emergency-room-for-back-pain-35107.html
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Low Back Pain – Acute
Low Back Pain – Acute & Chronic
The most common of all the types of Back pain is that of lower Back Pain.
As with any type of pain there are two different types (and low back pain is no exception): acute and chronic.
Acute low back pain is usually a problem that can work itself out over a period of time.
Chronic low back pain, however, can be responsible for aches and pains that last throughout your lifetime and it is the chronic back pain that lessens the quality of life for anyone who suffers from it.
In this article, we’ll address the problems that are posed by acute back pain as well as chronic low back pain and we’ll discuss some methods of getting rid of the pain.
Low back pain is one of the most commonly occurring medical conditions that send even the toughest among us to our doctor’s office. Statistically, you have a very good chance at some point in your life suffering from some sort of lower back pain. In fact, this condition is responsible for more sick leave and/or time away from work than any other condition.
The causes of acute low back pain are often very different than the causes of chronic low back pain.
Acute low back pain (as with any type of acute pain) is usually caused by a single event or circumstance that is easily remembered and described by the afflicted.
Situations such as accidents, heavy lifting, or falling can result in acute back pain because of the trauma that incident places upon a particular part of the body.
With acute back pain, more often than not, it can be solved through physical therapy, massage, or some other type of healing process over a period of time.
Chronic back pain, on the other hand, is quite a different story. It is most often the result of long-term degeneration of the bones that make up the very foundation. There are several degenerative causes can be the reasons that one experiences chronic low back pain.
The discs that make up the spine can become herniated. This will cause rather intense chronic back pain. Many times this type of case tends to last throughout the life of an individual even though the effects on one’s quality of life can be lessened via chiropractic visits, therapy and possibly even surgery.
When it comes to diagnosing a case of chronic low back pain, and assessing its severity, doctors can make use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in order to determine the extent of the damage. By evaluating the results of the MRI, physicians can better diagnose what it is that is cause of the back pain. This gives your doctor a much better idea of what type of treatment to engage in and what you can do to prevent the pain from occurring in the future.
The list of reasons that any one individual is experiencing lower back pain, and getting magnetic resonance imaging performed is very important when it comes to pinning down the problem.
Beyond the various types of physical therapies, anti-inflammatory drugs or pain medications may be prescribed by your doctor to help reduce swelling and pain. In the more serious of cases in which the discs of the back are out of alignment or bulging, surgery may be necessary in order relieve or get the pain and discomfort under control.
Jeff Foster
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/low-back-pain-acute–113297.html
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My Aching Back!
You’ve probably heard, or uttered, those words. Doctors hear them often. Back pain is one of the most common complaints in medical practice.
Causes of Neck and Back Pain
What would cause a sharp searing pain on my right back side? What causes upper back shoulder pain and neck pain? What causes neck and back pain?
These are but a few of the questions asked by millions who suffer back pain each year – about 6 million in the U.S. alone. An estimated 80% of us will experience back pain sometime in our lives. It may occur by itself, or be accompanied by other symptoms such as fever and chills.
The causes of back pain are many, making diagnosis difficult and critical. We recommend that you see your doctor for all back pain. Most causes of back pain involve no serious underlying problem, and the pain can be relieved in a few days or weeks. If the causes of back pain you experience involve other symptoms, the tips offered here are not to be followed without medical advice.
Causes of back pain in the Lower Back
Low back pain affects the lower part of your back – between the bottom of your ribs in back down to the top of your legs.
Doctors break down low back pain into three categories according to how long you have had it:
1. Acute Low Back Pain – you have had it less than 6 weeks
2. Sub-acute Low Back Pain – you have had it 6 to 12 weeks
3. Chronic Low Back Pain – you have had it longer than 3 months
Causes of back pain in the lower back are most often linked to strain of back muscles, ligaments, or tendons. Sometimes the cushion between the bones is strained. Sometimes you will know the exact causes of back pain in your lower back. Other times, it may hit without warning.
Causes of back pain in the lower back include:
* past injuries that are not fully healed
* incorrect lifting techniques
* incorrect posture
* little exercise
* vehicular accidents
* improper setup of your work area
* long hours at a desk
* long hours by the TV
* Obesity
* pregnancy
Causes of Back Pain in the Mid Back
The causes of back pain in the mid back usually fall into the category of irritation or injury to muscles and ligaments of your middle spine – the area along the backs of your ribs.
Some or all of the following may be causes of back pain in your mid back:
* past injuries that are not fully healed
* incorrect lifting techniques
* incorrect posture
* little exercise
* vehicular accidents
* improper setup of your work area
* long hours at a desk
* long hours by the TV
* Obesity
* pregnancy
Causes of Back Pain in the Upper Back and Neck
Some people refer to this as upper back shoulder pain and neck pain. This pain is felt in the area between the back of your chest and the base of your skull.
Causes of back pain in your upper back, unrelated to the shoulders and neck, are usually muscular irritation and joint dysfunction.
Shoulder and neck pain are more common than pain in the center of your upper back. Your neck supports your head. Made of seven, stacked vertebrae bones that are cushioned by cartilage discs bound together with ligaments, your neck is very mobile. Muscles provide movement and support to your neck.
Your neck is more susceptible to injury than the rest of your upper back. Trauma, poor posture, and degenerative diseases such as arthritis, are the most common causes of back pain in the neck area. Whiplash is another cause of back pain in the neck.
If you were a vehicle passenger involved in a rear end collision, you may have suffered whiplash injury to your neck. The impact of the collision would force your head back and then forward at a great speed. This would stretch your neck and upper back too much and too quickly, resulting in a strain or tear to supporting ligaments, muscles and discs. It could even irritate your upper back nerves.
Your shoulder is a ball and socket joint that offers a large range of movement. Like your neck, this mobile joint tends to be more susceptible to injury. Your shoulder joints depend on shoulder muscles to keep them stable. Causes of back pain in the shoulder area usually involve these muscles.
Incorrect posture can cause both neck and shoulder pain.
* Standing with your shoulders slouching, chin jutting forward, can put extra strain on your ligaments and muscles.
* Sitting with your head down for long periods of time as you work at a desk or read can exert similar strain.
* Slumping in your seat is another cause of shoulder and neck pain.
* If you tend to sleep on your stomach, your sleeping posture could be the cause of back pain.
Other Causes of Back Pain
As shown above, causes of back pain are most often linked to strain of back muscles, ligaments, or tendons. There are many conditions other than strain, however, that can cause back pain. Below is a partial list:
* Arthritis – causing joint inflammation
* herniated disc – irritating nearby nerves
* Spinal stenosis – spinal canal narrowing that compresses nerves
* Spondylolisthesis – slipped vertebrae resulting in pinched nerves
* Vertebral fractures – resulting from trauma or osteoporosis
* Degenerative disc disease – aging process that breaks down discs
Whatever the causes of back pain, the most effective prevention is to overcome incorrect posture and incorrect lifting techniques.
Anna Hart
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/my-aching-back-108372.html
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