Copyright 2009 Medical News Today Latest Back Pain News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/back-pain/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155096.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155096.php Who suffers from low back pain; my brother, my boss's brother, my neighbor, a friend on the golf course and recently the media reports Regis Philbin and Jeff Gordon suffer from low back pain. Sacroiliac Pain is caused by inflammation or abnormal function of the joint which can lead to sacral nerve damage, and is a major cause of low back pain. Low back pain is estimated to affect 6.5 million people in the world. Back Pain Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155013.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155013.php Only 37, Janie Lee had endured excruciating back pain for 20 years. She couldn't stay in one position for more than five minutes, and walking hunched over was the only way she could get around. Her search for help took her to several doctors and an emergency room, but it wasn't until she found Hyun Bae, M.D., a renowned spine specialist at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica that she received the diagnosis and care that would return her life to her. Back Pain Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154128.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154128.php HydroCision Inc. announced the launch of its new SpineJet® Percutaneous Access Set for use in herniated disc procedures using its novel cutting-with-water fluidjet technology. "These instruments will assist the company to more quickly capitalize on the double digit growth of the minimally invasive percutaneous discectomy market," says Doug Daniels. Neurology / Neuroscience Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153468.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153468.php A new technology that revolutionizes the way low back pain is diagnosed and treated, while also significantly reducing healthcare costs, has been introduced by SpineMatrix(R) Inc., an Akron, Ohio-based medical technology company that specializes in advanced spinal diagnostics. SpineMatrix's new, non-invasive Lumbar Matrix(TM) Scan uses high-speed computer processing of thousands of bioelectric signals to observe neuromuscular activity of the low back. Back Pain Sat, 06 Jun 2009 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152834.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152834.php A new breakthrough in adult stem cell technology has three Texarkana neurosurgeons leading their industry by utilizing concentrated stem cells for spine surgery. The innovative technique is improving the desired results of surgical interventions for back pain. Leading researchers in the orthopedic and spine industry are predicting the latest developments in this field of medicine will become mainstream practice and, potentially, a standard of care for surgical treatments of severe back pain. Bones / Orthopaedics Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152777.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152777.php Scientists at Jefferson Medical College have received a five-year, $1.7 million National Institutes of Health grant funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases to study mechanisms regulating stem cell self-renewal and differentiation with the aim of regenerating diseased and painful intervertebral discs. A previous study by the same group showed that stem cells exist in both animal and human intervertebral discs. Back Pain Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152761.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152761.php Disc Dynamics, Inc., a leading developer of minimally invasive treatment options for low back pain caused by degenerative disc disease (DDD), announced that the CE Mark received in the European Union for its DASCOR® Disc Arthroplasty System has been expanded to incorporate a posterior-lateral surgical approach, as well as an endoscopic approach. Back Pain Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152476.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152476.php People with lower back pain are better off exercising more, not less. A University of Alberta study of 240 men and women with chronic lower-back pain showed that those who exercised four days a week had a better quality of life, 28 per cent less pain and 36 per cent less disability, while those who hit the gym only two or three days a week did not show the same level of change. Back Pain Tue, 26 May 2009 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/151396.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/151396.php Children are a pain in the back! New survey reveals that 83% of Mums suffer back pain directly related to caring for young children A new survey* conducted by Maclaren Buggys and BackCare, 'The Charity for Healthier Backs', has revealed that 83% of Mums suffering from back pain believe it has been caused or exacerbated by their children. Back Pain Thu, 21 May 2009 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150940.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150940.php [Efficacy and safety of comfrey root extract ointment in the treatment of acute upper or lower back pain: results of a double blind randomised placebo controlled multicentre trial Online First Br J Sports Med 2009; doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2009.058677] An ointment containing an extract of comfrey root quickly and effectively relieves back pain, finds industry sponsored research published ahead of print in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Back Pain Thu, 14 May 2009 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150004.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150004.php The American Pain Society (APS) has issued a new clinical practice guideline for low back pain that emphasizes the use of noninvasive treatments over interventional procedures, as well as shared decision making between provider and patient. The findings are published in the current (May 1, 2009) issue of the journal Spine. Back Pain Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/149923.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/149923.php AxioMed® Spine Corporation announces the receipt of CE Mark approval for its Freedom® Lumbar Disc, an elastomeric total spinal disc replacement device. The CE Mark approval was received from the notified body after review of the company's multi-center European clinical study and its portfolio of biocompatibility and biomechanical testing. This data also supported AxioMed's Investigational Device Exemption approval by the US Food and Drug Administration. Back Pain Tue, 12 May 2009 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/149708.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/149708.php Acupuncture can help people with chronic low back pain feel less bothered by their symptoms and function better in their daily activities, according to the largest randomized trial of its kind, published in the May 11, 2009 Archives of Internal Medicine. But the SPINE (Stimulating Points to Investigate Needling Efficacy) trial raises questions about how the ancient practice actually works. Back Pain Tue, 12 May 2009 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/149689.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/149689.php Three types of acupuncture therapy-an individually tailored program, standard therapy and a simulation involving toothpicks at key acupuncture points-appear more effective than usual care for chronic low back pain, according to a report in the May 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Back pain costs Americans at least $37 billion annually, according to background information in the article. Back Pain Fri, 08 May 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/149283.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/149283.php Chronic pain is a significant medical challenge in the United States, and chronic low back pain is the most common cause of disability in developed countries. An estimated 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain each year. If left undertreated, chronic pain can impair an individual's ability to carry out daily activities and diminish quality of life. Pain / Anesthetics Mon, 04 May 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/148614.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/148614.php New guidance for employers, patients and doctors on helping people with back pain return to work will be announced on Tuesday May 5 at the University of Leicester. It is estimated that it costs society in excess of £12 billion a year with people taking time off work because of back pain. Around 80% of these costs, were not associated with healthcare but due to lost work production and associated wage replacement benefits. Back Pain Sun, 03 May 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/148582.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/148582.php Four out of five Australians will suffer from back pain with one in 10 experiencing significant disability according to a report in the Medical Journal of Australia. Senior author Professor Rachelle Buchbinder from Cabrini Institute and Monash University's School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and Dr Andrew Briggs from Curtin University of Technology's School of Physiotherapy have called for back pain to be classified as a National Health Priority Area (NHPA). Back Pain Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/148315.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/148315.php A newly developed animal model for the painful nerve condition known as sciatica should help researchers diagnose and treat it, according to Duke University bioengineers and surgeons. Sciatica is not a single disorder, but rather a diverse range of symptoms, such as numbness or pain from the lower back to the feet, radiating leg pain or difficulty in controlling the leg. Back Pain Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/147492.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/147492.php The advice and treatment given to patients with vertebral compression fractures is not satisfactory. A thesis presented at the Sahlgrenska Academy shows that the majority of patients still have severe pain one year after the fracture. Vertebral compression fracture describes the pressing together of a vertebra in the spine such that its height is decreased. Back Pain Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/146916.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/146916.php Interventional Spine, Inc. announced the successful completion of the first U.S. out-patient interventional procedure using its PDS System for the treatment of Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) in the lumbar spine. This milestone marks the initiation of a clinical study pursuant to an Investigational Device Exemption protocol approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in late November 2008. Bones / Orthopaedics Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/146815.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/146815.php A shocking 90% of calls to Arthritis Care's helpline in the last 12 months have been cries for help over pain - so this year, the charity is marking its awareness week by urging doctors, nurses and allied health professionals to support people with arthritis in making a special challenge to pain and the constraints it imposes on their lives. Back Pain Wed, 08 Apr 2009 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/145520.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/145520.php With 4.2 million administrative professionals logging long hours at their desks, it's not surprising insurance companies dish out $50 billion a year to Americans suffering from back pain. This Administrative Professionals Day, observed April 22, the Laser Spine Institute is helping administrative support professionals find relief. Simple changes in daily activities can often alleviate pain without the need for surgery. LSI Director of Physical Therapy, Irene Rademeyer PT.OCS. Back Pain Fri, 03 Apr 2009 06:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/144884.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/144884.php Labopharm Inc. (TSX: DDS; NASDAQ: DDSS) announced the results of its recently completed North American Phase III clinical trial for its twice-daily formulation of tramadol and acetaminophen (study 06CCL3-001). Study 06CCL3-001 was a multi-centre, randomized, double-blind, parallel-arm study that compared the efficacy and safety of Labopharm's twice-daily tramadol-acetaminophen formulation to placebo in the treatment of moderate to severe acute low back pain. Back Pain Thu, 02 Apr 2009 07:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/144695.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/144695.php People with back pain use a lot of medical treatments, but often not the ones with the strongest evidence of effectiveness, according to a study in the April 1 issue of Spine. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry. Back Pain Thu, 02 Apr 2009 07:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/144696.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/144696.php Pain medications are involved in more than 20 percent of deaths occurring in the years after spinal fusion surgery for low back pain, reports a study in the April 1 issue of Spine. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry. Neurology / Neuroscience