Patients Say Snow Shoveling Is Leading Cause Of Their Winter Back Pain

Main Category: Back Pain
Article Date: 15 Dec 2004 - 10:00 PST


SPASM Survey Reveals Physicians' Views on Causes and Treatment of Acute Back Pain - The results of a survey of physicians confirm that, as snow begins to fall, the incidence of acute back pain or muscle spasm increase significantly.

A majority of physicians say that back pain is a year-round phenomenon. However, nearly half (45 percent) of primary care physicians, who report seeing more back pain sufferers during winter than any other time of the year, say patients cite snow shoveling as the primary cause of their winter back woes. One quarter (27 percent) of primary care physicians note that patients frequently point to lifting, bending/leaning or twisting - activities generally associated with snow shoveling - as the causes of their back pain or muscle spasm.

These findings are included in the FLEXERIL� 5 mg SPASM (Survey of Physicians About Sufferers of Musculoskeletal Pain) Report (http://www.spasmreport.com). The survey of 200 physicians in general practice, family practice, internal medicine and osteopathic medicine reveals practitioners' thoughts about the causes of back pain, the second most common reason patients visit a primary care physician. The survey gathers physician input on the types of patients who experience back pain, how often they see these patients and how they treat acute back pain.

"The repetitive nature of snow shoveling frequently leads to symptoms of back pain and muscle spasm," says Gerard Malanga, M.D., director of Sports, Spine and Orthopedic Rehabilitation, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, NJ. "Even those individuals who are normally very active may find that they can easily injure their back shoveling snow. The good news, however, is that there are therapies that can be helpful in relieving pain, speeding recovery time for quick return to normal daily activities and preventing the pain from worsening or recurring (i.e.; steroid injections, physical therapy)."

Physicians report using various over-the-counter and prescription medications to treat acute back pain. On average, nearly six in 10 physicians (58 percent) say they prescribe a muscle relaxant, such as FLEXERIL� (cyclobenzaprine HCl) 5 mg, at some point during therapy. More than half of the responding physicians (52 percent) believe that patients who take a muscle relaxant return to normal activities sooner than those who do not take one. Three in four physicians surveyed believe patients expect to resume normal activity within six days of beginning treatment, although the doctors expect it will take about seven-13 days.

"Rest periods longer than two days have not been shown to be effective and can actually slow recovery from back pain," said Dr. Malanga. "The sooner a back pain sufferer obtains relief, the sooner normal activity can be resumed."

Other findings from the SPASM survey reveal:

-- Physicians say that 81 percent of patients describe their level of acute back pain or spasm as moderate to severe. In addition, 74 percent report that patients say the pain interferes with or limits normal daily activity such as work, school or leisure at least "most of the time."

-- Men complain of exercise and sports-related back pain injuries more often than women, and the two genders identify different activities as the source of their discomfort. By far, physicians cite weight lifting (46 percent) as the most common exercise-related cause of acute back pain for men. More than one-third (37 percent) say their female patients identify running as the most common exercise related cause of their back pain.

-- On average, physicians see one-third (36 percent) of their back pain patients four or more times a year and four in 10 back pain patients (40 percent) between one and three times annually.

-- Most patients tend to wait less than a week after first experiencing pain or discomfort before seeing a doctor. Men are not any more or less likely than women to postpone seeking treatment, but 31 percent of physicians agree that most acute back pain sufferers wait too long before seeing a doctor.

-- Most physicians (83 percent) agree that patients with acute back pain should stay active while undergoing treatment, instead of staying in bed.

-- Virtually all physicians (95 percent) refer at least some of their acute back pain patients to specialists, and half of those (49 percent) refer to a physical therapist "always" or "most" of the time. Orthopedic surgeons are the second most likely specialty to be used for referrals.

-- On average, physicians expect that acute back pain symptoms will resolve completely for the majority (58 percent) of their acute back pain patients.

About the Survey

The FLEXERIL� 5 mg SPASM (Survey of Physicians About Sufferers of Musculoskeletal Pain) survey was conducted within the United States by Harris Interactive� April 2004 for McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals, a division of McNeil-PPC, Inc., marketers of FLEXERIL� (cyclobenzaprine HCl) 5 mg. The purpose of the study was to learn about the attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of primary care physicians in the treatment of acute back pain and muscle spasms. The survey was designed to comply with the code and standards of the Council of American Survey Research Organizations and the Code of the National Council of Public Polls. To access the executive summary, visit http://www.spasmreport.com.

About FLEXERIL� 5 mg

FLEXERIL� 5 mg should be used for relief of painful muscle spasm along with rest and physical therapy. It should only be used for short periods of time, usually two-three weeks.

FLEXERIL� 5 mg is a prescription medicine and should not be taken by patients who have had a recent heart attack or have heart disease. It should not be used by people with an overactive thyroid or who are currently or have recently used MAOIs. Use of FLEXERIL� 5 mg with MAOIs can result in serious health complications.

FLEXERIL� 5 mg may enhance the effects of alcohol and other medicines that work on the central nervous system. In clinical studies the most common side effects were drowsiness, dry mouth and fatigue. For more information about FLEXERIL� 5 mg, including full U.S. Prescribing Information, visit http://www.flexeril5mg.com or call 1-888-440-7903.

• Additional
• References
• Citations