Visit this page to review the answers to frequently
asked questions about back pain and its treatment.
"Your Back and Your Back Pain" looks at the
anatomy of the spine and provides an overview of different types of back pain.
Back pain is common! As a result of this many
people you know will have had similar pain and are likely to provide advice,
suggest certain remedies and treatments. Unfortunately not all the
advice you obtain in this way will be correct. This page contains some
facts about back pain and its treatment.
If you suffer from back pain, slight modification in the
way you go about your activities may help you cope with your symptoms.
It is normal to be concerned about the development of
back, neck, arm or leg pain, but in the majority of cases pain will settle
without the need for intervention. This page contains information that
will help you decide if, and what type of assistance is required.
Exercise should be a part of
your daily routine. By improving and then maintaining the fitness of the
muscles that support the spine you will reduce your chance of experiencing
back pain, and limit the frequency and severity of episodes of
pain.
The
term “epidural injection”, in reference to the management of back and
leg pain refers to the injection of a corticosteroid into the epidural space
as a means of treating the pain caused by irritation of the spinal nerves.
Discography is a radiological investigation
used to determine the source of "discogenic" back pain, i.e.
pain arising from an injury to the disc itself, rather than from other
structures in the region.
Surgery
should be considered as the last resort in the management of spinal disorders,
and should not be looked upon as a "cure" for back and neck
pain. The success of surgery can not be guaranteed, and in many cases
surgery is not feasible or practical in the treatment of extensive
degenerative disease.
The management of spinal deformity is challenging but
rewarding. The cause of the deformity may be unknown as in
"Idiopathic Scoliosis", develop as a result of a congenital
abnormality such as a hemi-vertebra, or a systemic inflammatory condition such
as Ankylosing Spondylitis.
Spondylolysis is a condition affecting the lumbar spine
of approximately 6% of our population. It is often an incidental finding
on a plain radiograph performed to assess an episode of low back pain due to
another cause. This page explains what the condition is, its
significance, and how symptoms relating to the condition are usually
managed.
There have been many advances in the last 10 years in
the field of spinal surgery. New techniques and procedures are being
introduced all the time, many of which are unproven. The Adelaide Spine
Clinic is involved in the evaluation of new techniques and procedures.
