LUMBAGO

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LUMBAGO
Presentation for Elective Current Health
Problems in Students Home Countries

• By Mairi Sapountzi Yoginee Sritharen

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What is lumbago?

• Lumbago is pain at the level of the lumbar
  vertebrae, that is, at the base of the back. More
  often than not, onset of the pain occurs suddenly
  after a false movement or an effort made trying
  to get up.
• Lumbago often occurs in younger people whose work
  involves physical effort and is not uncommon in
  people of retirement age.
• It is thought to be the 2 most common health
  problem in America and other countries, after
  colds and the flu

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What causes lumbago?

• ACTIONS
• Lifting a heavy object off the floor without
  bending legs
• A sudden or even commonplace movement (such as
  getting out of bed)
• Doing sport without warming up first
• CONDITIONS
• Herniated Disc (sometimes called a slipped disc)
• Osteoarthritis or Spondylosis (spinal
  arthritis)
• Osteoporosis (brittle bone disease, spinal
  fracture)
• Rheumatoid Arthritis (progressive, sometimes
  destructive arthritis)
• Scoliosis (abnormal curvature of the spine to
  the left or right)
• Spinal Stenosis (compression of the spinal
  nerves)
• Spinal Tumor (benign or malignant/cancer)
• Lumbago Animation

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Symptoms of Lumbago

• The primary symptom is lower back pain.
• Lower back pain may radiate into the buttocks,
  back of the thigh, into the groin.
• Back pain (lumbago) may be aggravated during
  movement. Pain from bending forward, backward or
  side-to-side may limit activity.
• Spinal muscle spasms cause the back to feel stiff
  and sore.
• Back pain and muscle spasm can be so acute that
  posture is affected. The patient may appear to be
  listing to one side.
• Lumbago may cause tingling sensations to be felt
  in the low back, buttocks, and legs.

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Danger Signs

• Inability to control bladder or bowel movement
• Numbness in the area of the lower back or legs
  turn numb
• Reduced strength or muscle bulk in one or both
  legs
• Immediate contact with a doctor or Accident
  and Emergency department should be made if any of
  the above warning signs appear.
• These warning signs indicate compression of
  the spinal cord and its branches and early
  treatment is essential if permanent damage is to
  be avoided.

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Diagnosis of Lumbago

• In most cases, a back problem can be
  diagnosed by a doctor from the information given
  by the patient, but most commonly a physical
  examination and an examination using diagnostic
  tools is made for confirmation and correct
  diagnosis.
• PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONChiropractors usually
  perform a specially thorough examination and will
  observe the movement of the joints in the spine,
  pelvis, and hips perform orthopaedic and muscle
  tests and check to see if any nerves are trapped
  in the spine.
• EXAMINATION USING DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENTX-ray
  and MRI scans are used to visualize the spine in
  an attempt to find the source of the lumbago and
  to rule out serious underlying pain causing
  factors.

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Treatment of Lumbago

• NON-SURGICAL TREATMENT
• Bed rest A temporary bed rest relaxes the back.
• Warm therapy (Warm bottle, warm pillows, warm
  packs etc.) The effect of the warm therapy is
  primarily muscle relaxation. The share of pain,
  which is caused by muscle strain, can be well
  treated hereby.
• Pain medicines in pill form (analgesics, NSAR)
  They function purely symptomatically by reducing
  the pain.
• Pain infusion Stronger form of the medical pain
  therapy with more rapid onset of effectiveness.
• Muscle relaxing medicines The share of pain that
  is caused by muscle strain can be well treated
  hereby.
• Infiltrations into the region of pain Pain
  injections with a local anesthetic in the skin,
  the muscle or along the vertebrae are very
  effective. In the hands of family doctors, pain
  injections in the muscles of the buttocks are
  commonly administered.
• Physiotherapy Physiotherapeutic exercise
  treatments, such as extension and traction
  (tensile treatment) cause a reduction in pain.
  Movement inhibited sectors of the spinal column
  are treated with mobilization techniques (part of
  the manual therapy).
• Massage Massages serve to relax tissue and
  muscles.

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• SURGICAL TREATMENT
• A surgical approach is only used for lumbago
  caused by damage to the spine, or chronic lumbago
  which keeps recurring.
• Surgical options vary depending on the cause of
  the lower back pain, and surgeons usually discuss
  the available choices carefully with their
  patients.
• Surgery can restore the integrity of the spine,
  ideally while preserving the patient's mobility
  and flexibility.

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REFERENCES

• http//www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/ar
  ticle2965.html
• http//www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/lumbago.
  htm
• http//www.wisegeek.com/what-are-some-causes-of-lu
  mbago.htm
• http//www.gibaud.com/gb/pathologies/zones-anatomi
  ques/tronc/lumbago.html

• http//www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/ar
  ticle2965.html
• http//www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/lumbago.
  htm
• http//www.wisegeek.com/what-are-some-causes-of-lu
  mbago.htm
• http//www.gibaud.com/gb/pathologies/zones-anatomi
  ques/tronc/lumbago.html