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Back Pain

Nida Hasan on 25, Jan 2012 | 4 Comments | in Category: Health Talk

Nida Hasan

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As I was munching away my lunch at a food court in a shopping mall, I noticed a lady. She had white hair and I’m guessing she was 50+. I saw her bring her tray of food and attempted to sit down. As she was doing so I observed her facial expressions which displayed signs of immense pain and agony. When she was settled, I thought of asking what it could be and if it was another case of back pain.

To-be doctors find it very amusing to deal with such situations and present their respected opinion on the etiology and prognosis of the case. Upon inquiring I found out that she was diagnosed with Sacroiliitis which is an inflammation of one or both of your sacroiliac joints that connect your lower spine and pelvis. She related her back pain to long hours of standing at her job and was prescribed anti-inflammatory and rest to deal with her condition.

Back pain is a very commonly occurring complaint in people of all ages. It can be described in four regions, namely the neck , upper back , lower back  or tailbone . Usually originating from structures in the spine – which is a complex interconnecting network of nerves, joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments – it is capable of producing pain that radiates. Most of us, in some phase of our life have been through this situation where we attribute back pain to our atmosphere, surroundings or work environment. Sitting or standing in the wrong posture and leaning or bending for a prolonged period of time can induce pain. In majority of the cases, it is non progressive and self limiting however we should never take it lightly. If it disturbs routine life (incontinence, fever, unexplained weight loss) and doesn’t disappear in less than four weeks, we need to investigate the underlying cause which could be malignancy, infection, inflammation, degenerative changes, osteoporosis and sometimes pregnancy.

Lab tests like MRI and CT Scan should be performed along with FBC (Full Blood Count), ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate –elevated in inflammation), U & E (Urea and Electrolytes). Management which involves reducing the intensity, restoration of daily activities and helping the patient in coping with the pain is the key issue. Depending on the severity, heat therapy, massage, acupressure, physiotherapy, analgesics and NSAIDs (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory) are relied upon to relieve the pain. Surgery may sometimes be appropriate for patients with:

• Lumbar disc herniation or degenerative disc disease

• Lumbar spinal stenosis from lumbar disc herniation, degenerative joint disease, or spondylolisthesis

• Scoliosis (curving of the spine)

• Compression fracture (collapse of a vertebra)

It is best to consult a doctor and see what works best for each individual. It cannot be impressed enough that back pain should not be taken lightly. It is not acceptable to self diagnose and self medicate and not consider visiting a doctor for something as sinister as back pain. So next time when your friend or family complains of back pain in any of the four mentioned anatomical regions, get your guard on and head to the nearest general practitioner.

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