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A Core Reason for Strengthening Your Abs
A 2004 study involving 20 participants compared the size and activity of each abdominal muscle in people with low back pain to those lucky enough not to have back problems. The measurements were made after a chiropractic adjustment, or technically spinal manipulative therapy. The results showed that, as many Pilates instructors will tell you, the transverse abdominal muscle, or nature’s back belt, as I like to call it, does not work as well for people with low back pain as it does for those with healthy spines. So what does this mean to you? That depending on your particular back problem, you may wish to get started on a core strengthening program, one that has you isolating and working the transverse abdominal muscle, for sure. And if you are already involved in a program, such as Pilates, pay careful attention to the instructions on how to access the deep abdominals. Related:
Thursday May 8, 2008 | permalink | comments (0) The Botox Standard
A few months ago, I blogged about an FDA safety warning for the use of Botox to treat spasticity in children. Since that time the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has reviewed the medical literature on the subject, along with the literature that exists on the use Botox for dystonia. Their recommendation? That doctors should offer Botox to their patients who have Level A spasticity and cervical dystonia. (The AAN also made recommendations on Botox for other disorders, but that’s beyond the scope of this blog.) However, we’ve gone from a possible safety problem to an officially recommended treatment in 3 months. In their report on Botox for spasticity, the AAN makes a few disclaiming assertions and calls for more research on this treatment. Essentially they say:
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Sources: Wednesday May 7, 2008 | permalink | comments (0) Watch Out For Vertebral Artery InjuryOne rare complication of neck surgery is called vertebral artery injury (VAI). According to a journal report published in the April 1, 2008 edition of Spine Journal, certain procedures sometimes cause this potentially fatal problem. These procedures include the anterior cervical decompression, the posterior atlantoaxial transarticular screw fixation (aka the Magerl fixation), and some of the new surgical techniques that involve screws. The authors of the report surveyed doctors covering a total of 5641 cases of neck surgery. They found between 0.3% and 0.5% of patients with the anterior cervical decompression and up to 8.2% of those with the Magerl fixation were injured in this way. The report also noted that neck surgeries done by inexperienced surgeons had a higher rate of VAI. (This is called an iatrogenic injury.)
A VAI can be one of a number of types of injuries to the arteries found deep in the neck, which are located on the bone on either side of the vertebral bodies of the cervical spine. Along with neck surgery, chiropractic adjustments, venous catheterization, diagnostic cerebral angiography, percutaneous nerve block, and radiation therapy may also cause this injury. VAI can be “catastrophic” as one medical author puts it, so if something doesn’t feel right after you have one of these procedures, please don’t hesitate to speak up, and suggest (strongly) to your doctor you be checked for VAI. And remember, the VIA is likely an iatrogenic injury. Sources: Tuesday May 6, 2008 | permalink | comments (0) Neurosurgery Awareness Week
Neurosurgeons are one type of back pain doctor, although the scope of the profession extends to all aspects of the human nervous system. For example, a neurosurgeon may specialize their practice on brain tumors, epilepsy, spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s disease, or, of course, back or neck problems. According to the AANS, neurosurgeons spend about half of their time helping patients with spine problems. Typically, you would see a neurosurgeon for your back or neck after all conservative options were tried. Thursday May 1, 2008 | permalink | comments (0) Acute Into Chronic Back PainThere is a difference between acute and chronic pain. There is also potential for relationship between the two. Symptoms of acute low back pain are often nearly the exact opposite of those that come with the persistent type.
It’s important to watch what happens to your back or neck injury in the weeks that follow, because if the pain lingers, you may be developing a chronic condition. Acute into chronic back pain occurs when scar tissue that forms to help heal and protect the area is re-injured along the way. This happens when you do not properly control inflammation. For example, you may gotten back into heavy physical activity too soon, or used heat or had a vigorous massage in the first few days – at a time when ice and/or over-the-counter pain medication, especially NSAIDs would have been a better idea. Researchers and medical experts now know that some people have personality traits that may more easily lead to the development of chronic back problems. How about you? Do you receive a payoff for being in constant pain? Treatment for chronic back and neck pain usually involves a multi-disciplinary approach, and is hopefully tailored to you as an individual. Related: Tuesday April 29, 2008 | permalink | comments (0) Back Problems - Percentages and NumbersMost experts sources estimate that around 80% of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Fortunately for many, the bulk of such problems are musculoskeletal in origin, and can be easily treated with simple things like exercise or massage therapy. But did you know that (according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons) around 12 million people per year suffer from degenerative disk disease? The AANS goes on to say that around one million people with back problems have surgery each year.
Related: Saturday April 26, 2008 | permalink | comments (0) Frida Kahlo - The Spine as Crumbling ColumnRecently, I was lucky enough to see the traveling exhibit of Frida Kahlo’s paintings. Khalo was a self-taught Mexican artist who began painting at the age of 18 when a near fatal bus accident left her in a body cast to heal her spine and pelvis. The accident fractured two of her lumbar vertebrae and caused her to experience chronic widespread pain for the rest of her life. For the next several decades, Kahlo was subject to corsets, surgeries, medications, and, of course, relentless pain. Sadly, she was unable to get relief from any of the attempted medical interventions. In a reflection of the self-taught artist’s work, the American College of Rheumatology suggests that perhaps Kahlo suffered from fibromyalgia. In Frida’s time, it is likely that doctors knew little or nothing about this condition, and therefore did not diagnose it. But if you look at the painting entitled The Broken Column, you can see the nails placed around her body. (Fibromyalgia is identified by the presence of widespread pain, and can be precipitated by a back or neck injury.) The ACM suggests that the nails depicted in one of her drawings are located in approximately the same areas as the tender points used to diagnose fibro. As I mentioned, Frida began painting as a way of dealing with the pain of the accident. Her art is fraught with symbolism that relates to her back and (other health) problems, along with her life events, including her marriage. According to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, her engagement with self portraiture helped her to “reinvent herself”. If you want to see more of Kahlo's paintings, check out the gallery on About.com's Art History site. Related:
Sources: Tuesday April 15, 2008 | permalink | comments (1) Spinal Flexibility with YogaInterested in limbering up your spine? Here's a free E-Course that can help you adapt a yoga program to your back problem.
Saturday April 5, 2008 | permalink | comments (0) Spinal Cord Injury ResourcesPeople who injure their spinal cords are thrown into a new world with what is probably, to them, a very negative future staring them in the face. It may be that one moment of recklessness has altered their way of life forever. This is a time when they need family members and friends to understand what they are going through, and to be patient, and supportive.
Spinal Cord Injury Articles and Resources
Sunday March 30, 2008 | permalink | comments (0) Vertebroplasty - Surgery for Spinal Fracture
In a vertebroplasty medical grade bone cement is injected into the vertebra to help seal the fracture. The kyphoplasty goes one step further by attempting to restore the height of the vertebra. Recently, a study was completed that looked at 884 patients with osteoporosis for 5 years after a vertebroplasty. The study revealed "dramatic pain relief and sustained benefit for the patient", according to press materials. The stated benefits included a big leap up in the quality of the patients’ daily activities.
Tuesday March 25, 2008 | permalink | comments (0) Display Latest Headlines | powered by WordPress |
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