| "If you're one of the nine out of ten adults in the | | | | arthritis. Bone tumors are another potential cause. |
| United States who suffers from low back pain, I | | | | "Treatment is entirely dependent on diagnosis!" |
| have good news for you!" states Dr. Nathan Wei, a | | | | Dr. Wei says, "There are simple ways to help your |
| board-certified rheumatologist and Clinical Director of | | | | back. For instance use the log roll technique to get |
| the Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. | | | | into and out of bed. Think of your body as a log, and |
| "Low back pain is the most expensive work-related | | | | make sure you move it as a unit... rolling into and out |
| injury as well as the third most common reason for a | | | | of bed."... |
| surgical procedure," Dr. Wei adds. | | | | He says, "use the same idea when getting into and |
| The spine is a complex collection... | | | | out of your car. Don't twist or stick one leg one way |
| It consists of bones, called vertebrae, and the joints | | | | and the other leg a different way. Move your body |
| that allow them to interact; discs that separate the | | | | as a unit..." |
| vertebrae from each other; the spinal cord and | | | | Check your work area |
| nerves; the soft tissues such as muscles and | | | | Make sure your computer, chair, and other parts of |
| ligaments that help hold the spine together. Your | | | | your work environment are "friendly" to your back. |
| spine has 3 major functions including protecting the | | | | Good support for your low back as well as your legs |
| spinal cord, supporting the body in an upright position, | | | | is important. |
| and allowing the body to move freely. | | | | Exercise regularly |
| The four major categories of low back pain are:o | | | | Dr. Wei reminds us, "...Stretching is important for your |
| Mechanical- arising from either trauma or repetitive | | | | spine...Since rotation is a key movement and the |
| motiono Degenerative- usually from arthritic causeso | | | | upright position is part of our daily routine, we need |
| Systemic- arising from medical illnesseso | | | | to incorporate exercises that stretch and strengthen |
| Stress-induced | | | | those muscles that are important for twisting and for |
| Mechanical causes are responsible for more than 90% | | | | posture." |
| of back pain and the most common cause of back | | | | Space Age Treatment |
| pain is probably muscle injury due to strain or sprain. | | | | "A new addition to our low back pain tool kit is a |
| Other common causes include disc herniation, | | | | procedure device called intervertebral disc |
| spondylolisthesis (a condition where the vertebra slips | | | | decompression or IDD. It helps decompress the |
| on the one below it), spinal stenoiss (narrowing of | | | | vertebrae non-surgically, and non-invasively. Studies to |
| the canal that carries the spinal cord), scoliosis | | | | date have shown a response rate of up to 86%," |
| (curvature of the spine), osteoporosis (a disease | | | | adds Dr. |
| where the bones become fragile and break), and | | | | |