Low back pain is a common medical complaint among both women and men — and worse, it gets more common with age. Knowing what’s causing your back pain is the first step in getting the right treatment. Here are five common causes to be aware of.
Magnetic resonance imaging is the single greatest advancement in the diagnosis of spinal pathology since the introduction of x-ray by Wilhelm Röntgen in 1895.6 MRI provides the clinician with a precise picture of the pathologic anatomy of the spine.2,4,5,7 The technique has been maligned because of its lack of specificity particularly in patients over 60 where up to a 57% false-positive rate has been reported.1 This should not come as a surprise since we have known for years that the clinical symptoms of acute disc herniation and spinal stenosis can be transient leaving the patient with a demonstrable pathologic lesion asymptomatic.3 It is up to the clinician, not the radiologist, nor the MRI scanner, to decide whether the anatomic lesion discovered by the test is clinically significant.1,8
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Low back pain is a common medical complaint among both women and men — and worse, it gets more common with age. Knowing what’s causing your back pain is the first step in getting the right treatment. Here are five common causes to be aware of.
Even though spinal fusion is a safe, effective remedy for many types of spine pain, it’s not uncommon to be a little anxious about what happens afterward. If spinal fusion surgery is in your future, here’s what to expect during recovery.
With football season fast approaching, news reports of concussion injuries are sure to follow. But sports accidents aren’t the only cause of concussions. Car accidents are a major cause, too. Here, we explain how they’re linked.
Like many types of back and neck pain, spondylolisthesis becomes more common with age — and its symptoms get worse, as well. Here’s how a customized treatment plan can help you get relief for your painful back or neck symptoms.
Scoliosis is usually associated with childhood, but it can develop in adults, too. In fact, scoliosis is a source of pain for millions of older Americans. Undergoing surgery isn’t always necessary, however. Here’s more about living with scoliosis.
Disc herniation is a relatively common cause of back pain, especially for people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. Often, you can get symptom relief with noninvasive treatments — but that’s not always the case. Here’s when surgery is the better choice.