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Saturday, 22 June 2013

Management Of Modalities For Back Pain Clarksville TN Patients Should Know

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By Alyssa McCall


Back pain is one of the commonest reasons people go to hospital. At least 80% of people will experience at least one episode in their lifetime. This makes the condition one of the commonest causes of absenteeism from work. The severity varies from one person to another. There are a number of things concerning back pain Clarksville TN residents may wish to know even as they struggle with this condition.

The pain may be either acute or chronic. The acute type is that which has been diagnosed within two weeks of onset while the chronic type has lasted for more than two weeks. Apart from pain, there are a number of other accompanying symptoms. Affected persons frequently have difficulty standing up due to an ache of muscles that is characteristically shooting or stabbing and radiating to the limbs. This ache may limit flexibility of the back.

This symptom is caused by many factors. In general, the main causes are the various spinal column components. Possible sources include the skin, muscles, ligaments, vertebral bones, joints, nerves and blood vessels. Under normal circumstances, it is not easy to distinguish symptoms originating from any of these areas except with the help of specialized instruments. Muscle ache is often the result of spasms and strains. The causes attributable to joint problems account for 30% of cases.

To accurately diagnose the exact problem, your physician will require a comprehensive history and then do a full physical examination. When they have narrowed down on the possible differential diagnoses, they will request for radiological images of affected areas. The X-ray is a commonly requested one. This investigation helps one to pick out bony lesions. For soft tissues such as muscles, ligaments, blood vessels and tendons, MRI and CT scan are more helpful.

Treatment should be started with conservative measures. Cold compression therapy has been established to be effective in mild cases. It can be used for management of cases that result from excessive straining due to sports, gardening and lifting. Inversion therapy is good for temporary relief. Electrotherapy has been suggested in some cases and has been shown to be beneficial in a number of circumstances. Ultrasound has now fallen out favor for treatment of these cases.

There are a number of alternative treatments that can be considered. One of the available options is chiropractic care. This option has continued to attract a lot of interest in recent times. Acupuncture is another treatment that you may also consider. An acupuncturist uses sterilized needles to puncture specific points in the affected region. Others that have been tried with variable success include massage and yoga.

There are several surgical interventional measures that can be undertaken. These should be considered only when the conservative methods have failed. Surgery is recommended for patients with degenerative disc diseases, disc herniation, and spinal stenosis. These conditions frequently affect the lumbar region of the spine. Other conditions include scoliosis and compression fractures amongst others.

The important thing on management of back pain Clarksville TN residents need to know is that although some cases are self-limiting or resolve with home treatments, there are some that will not resolve until some form of intervention is undertaken. The general rule of the thumb is that if there is no improvement within 72 hours, a consultation is warranted. Bladder and bowel dysfunction in setting of back pain also require urgent review.




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