Back2Yourself

PLEASE NOTE that any information or advice given on this web site is intended for general educational purposes. Back pain can be a sign of a serious medical problem, although this is not usually the case. You should always consult your physician regarding your medical condition and determine the treatment method suitable to your condition. This is particularly true before starting any new exercise program and whenever you have a reason to believe that your medical condition has changed. See Red Flags.

• What is Back Pain? It is among the most common complaints and usually originates from the spinal structures including the muscles, nerves, bones and joints. Studies show that 70%-85% of individuals in our society will experience low back pain and that over 80% of these individuals will report recurrent episodes.
• Non-Specific Back Pain. For most people suffering from back pain, the specific source of the pain cannot be determined. These individuals are said to be suffering from “Non-Specific Back Pain”.
• Common Types and Causes. The following table from “Low Back Pain” published in the “New England Journal of Medicine” (Richard A. Deyo, M.D., M.P.H., and James N. Weinstein, D.O) shows the frequency of different diagnoses for low back pain.
  
  

  Type	Percentage
  Lumbar strain / sprain	70.00%
  Degenerative processes of disks and facets, usually age related	10.00%
  Herniated disk	4.00%
  Spinal stenosis	3.00%
  Osteoporotic compression fracture	4.00%
  Spondylolisthesis	2.00%
  Traumatic fracture	1.00%
  Congenital disease (Severe kphosis, Severe scoliosis, Transitional vertebrae)	1.00%
  Spondylolysis
  Internal disk disruption or diskogenic low back pain
  Persumed instablity
  Neoplasia	0.70%
  Infection	0.01%
  Inflammatory arthritis	0.30%
  Scheuermann's disease (osteochondrosis)
  Paget's disease of bone
  Visceral Disease (Disease of pelvic organs, Renal disease, Aortic aneurysm, Gastrointestinal disease)	2.00%

  While there are many different diagnoses for people who suffer from back pain, we can see that over 70% are diagnosed as “Lumbar strain or sprain”, commonly reffered to as "idiopathic low back pain" or non-specific low back pain. Weaknes and lack of control of the deep trunk muscles (core muscles) leads to instability of the spine which is a major contributor to non-specific back pain for most people.

• Diagnostics. Medical diagnosis usually focuses on ruling out serious conditions, such as cancer and infection, and includes a thorough medical history and physical examination. Use of imaging technology, including xrays and MRI, is helpful in ruling out serious causes or in preparation for surgery but is not required in lower back pain except in cases where "red flags" are present. These tests are not very helpful in diagnosing most types of back pain since disc and spine abnormalities are also common among people without back pain. In fact, a herniated disc is seen on MRI or CT in 25 percent of people without back pain.
• Treatment Options. There is no single treatment that works for all individuals suffering from non-specific back pain. The current common options include:
  
  - Physical Therapy
  - Back Exercises
  - Manipulation (e.g. by a Chiropractor)
  - Massage Therapy
  - Acupuncture
  - Surgery
  - Injections
  - Cold Compression Therapy
  - Inversion Therapy (hanging upside down, allowing gravity to naturally decompress disks and nerve roots)
  - Electrotherapy
  - Education
  - Return to Normal Activities
  - Bed Rest

Research shows that rapid return to normal activities is the best approach to overcome the acute phase of non-specific low back pain. For the longer term, exercising is the best approach to prevent recurrence.

Back2Yourself's core philosophy is to provide a convenient exercise program that facilitates the rapid return to one's daily routine and prevents recurrence of pain over the long term.

See References

Last updated: Mar 25th, 2009
Reviewed by Maayan Agamon, BPT, Mar 25th, 2009