Category: Back Pain & Sciatica

In the journal Spine, the authors of this article found that back surgery was not successful in 30% of their patients with a herniated disc, and about 60% in patients with spinal stenosis.  The article says that men, with a lower educational level and high levels of pain and/or widespread pain have the most problems…

Oftentimes, I am asked does inversion tables help back pain?  Does aquatic therapy help back pain?  How should I sleep for back pain?  What’s a good sitting posture for back pain?  If you want to know what the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine says about these and many other issues, read this article. ~ Dr.…

MARCH 11, 2020 by Cornell University A new two-step technique to repair herniated discs uses hyaluronic acid gel to re-inflate the disc and collagen gel to seal the hole, essentially repairing ruptured discs like you’d repair a flat tire. After a rupture, a jelly-like material leaks out of a herniated disc, causing inflammation and pain.…

This article in the INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPINE SURGERY reviews evidence-based non-operative treatments of the painful sacroiliac joint.  They suggest using non-steroidal drugs like ibuprofen and ice for the first 2 weeks or so.  They recommend avoiding activities such as running or twisting activities.  Then, later on they recommend exercises, manual therapy, belting and shoe…

This article in the journal Physical Therapy mentions that kinesiotaping for low back pain has some low-quality evidence that it helps reduce pain and disability; however, it needs more study. ~ Dr. Broussard Short-Term Effect of Kinesiotaping on Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain and Disability: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Shanshan Lin, Bo Zhu,…

Other health issues and lower back pain is relatively underinvestigated even though there are some associations with other factors. As such, the cause is unclear and is suggested as the classic hen and egg situation of… which comes first? Future research is needed to determine whether an association between lower back pain and respiratory disorders…

For people over 55 years old, if you only use medicine for your lower back pain, you can expect to get most of your relief in the first 3-6 months.  Most of you will not become pain free within 3 months, and this does not improve over 5 years. ~ Dr. Broussard Wendelien H. van…