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Low-Back Pain: Healing your aching back

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Low Back Pain Special Report
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Low back pain is ubiquitous, affecting roughly four in five Americans at some point in their lives. It’s the fifth most common reason for visiting a doctor, one of the top reasons people miss work, and the most common cause of work-related disability in people under age 45.

This report discusses why low back pain develops and how to develop an individualized treatment plan. It was prepared by the editors of Harvard Health Publications in consultation with Jeffrey N. Katz, M.D., M.S., Associate Professor of Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School. 46 pages. (updated: 2006)

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Table of Contents:

  • Who develops back problems?
    • Age
    • Sex
    • Family history
    • Work and play
    • Physical characteristics and posture
    • Psychological factors
    • Other factors
  • The anatomy of your back
    • Disks: Your back’s shock absorbers
    • A flexible, protective column
    • Ligaments and muscles
    • A horse’s tail of nerve roots
  • Why does your back hurt?
    • Sprains and strains
    • Pinched (compression) nerve syndromes
    • Emergency situations
    • Other causes of back problems
  • How to prevent back problems
    • Stay fit
    • Maintain a healthy weight
    • Kick the habit
    • Lighten your load
    • Develop back-saving habits
  • When to see a doctor
    • Physical evaluation
    • Imaging studies and other testing
  • Treatment choices and considerations
    • Medical considerations
    • Personal considerations
  • Conservative measures
    • Cold and heat
    • Limited bed rest
    • Over-the-counter pain relievers
    • Prescription pain relievers
    • Injection therapies
    • Exercise
    • Complementary therapies
  • When surgery is an option
    • Surgery for disk disease
    • Surgery for compression fractures
    • Surgery for spinal stenosis
    • Surgeries for other back problems
  • A plan for recovery
  • Glossary
  • Resources

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Here's an Excerpt from this Lower Back Pain Special Health Report

In spite of being so common, low back pain remains something of a medical puzzle. Even after extensive tests, physicians often can’t pinpoint an exact cause. Many people with low back pain visit one doctor after another only to come away with conflicting opinions. Most cases of back pain are ultimately classified as “idiopathic,” meaning they have no known cause—yet the pain is all too real to the person affected.

Why is low back pain such an enigma? It is important to understand that back pain does not describe a single entity. Instead, back pain is an umbrella term that includes a number of discrete medical conditions that can vary in severity. In fact, some of these conditions don’t even originate in the back.

The way that you manage your symptoms will also depend on the type of low back condition you have and whether the pain is acute (that is, it comes on suddenly but will likely get better in a matter of weeks) or chronic (lasting more than three months with no improvement or even getting progressively worse).

And as is often the case in medicine, the more active a role you play in your treatment plan, the better your recovery is likely to be. This Special Health Report will help you to become an active participant in your care. It provides in-depth information about how your back works, the most common causes of low back pain, diagnostic tests and procedures, and the most effective techniques to treat particular back problems. Armed with the information provided in this report, you’ll be better able to work with your physician to solve the mystery of your ailing back and get on the mend.

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