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A
soft flexible disc that acts as a shock absorber and
further protects the spinal cord separates each of
the bones, or vertebra, in the spine. These discs
have a rigid outside rim, but are soft and gel-like
inside. The discs can bulge and press on a nerve root,
causing irritation.
"Activity, stress or a mechanical problem in the spine
can cause one of the discs to bulge and become misshapen
just as a rubber tire might with pressure on it,"
Dr. Heary said. "When this happens, the disc may pinch
or put pressure on a nerve root and the patient experiences
pain. This is what frequently happens in a mild or
moderate case of low back or leg pain."
Occasionally,
the disc will bulge to the point where it herniates
or ruptures and puts even greater pressure on the
nerve root. In the lower back, the nerve roots lead
to the legs and irritation may cause not only back
pain, but also pain that radiates down one or both
of the legs. There also can be muscle weakness, numbness
or changes in the reflexes in the legs if a nerve
root in the lumbar spine is irritated.
"It's
common to develop a back sprain like a sprain in the
ankle," explained Stewart Dunsker, MD, President Elect
of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons
and a neurosurgeon practicing in Ohio. "Even mild
episodes of low back pain usually involve some sort
of irritation of the nerves in the spine. The key
to that initial treatment is to relieve the nerve
irritation."
Although low back pain can be quite debilitating and
severe to patients, in 90 percent of cases the pain
improves without surgery. However, 50 percent of all
patients who suffer from an episode of low back pain
will have a recurrent episode within one year. If
low back pain occurs with a fever or can be related
to a specific recent injury, like a car accident,
fall or sports injury, patients should call their
primary care physician (PCP) immediately or visit
the emergency room. If not, patients can begin conservative
treatment at home for two or three days.
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Survey
- 75
to 85 percent of all people will experience some
form of back pain during their lifetime.
- Back
pain is the second most frequently reported reason
for visiting a doctor, the fifth most frequent cause
of hospitalization and the third most frequent reason
for surgery.
- The
highest rate of back pain occurs in the 45 to 64
year old age group.
- Although
the overall occurrence of back pain similar in men
and women, a greater percentage of men (61.1%) experience
low back pain than women (51.2%), while more women
(9.6%) suffer from upper back pain than men (6.6%).
Source:
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III
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