INTEGRATIVE PAIN CENTRE
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Back Pain Back pain
is one of the leading reasons that people visit their doctor. It is also one of the most common
causes of chronic pain in Singapore.
The peak incidence is usually in between 45 to 60 years of age. Up to 75-90% of the population will
seek treatment for acute low back pain at some points in their lives. What causes back pain? Causes of
mechanical back pain can be varied and includes: 1. Internal
disc disruption 2. Disc herniation/ prolapse 3. Facet
joints disease 4. Sacro-iliac joints disease 5. Spinal stenosis It can also
be caused by serious conditions such as cancer (multiple myeloma /
metastatic spinal disease), infection (discitis / osteomyelitis) and fracture. Back pain
can also be caused by pathology in the pelvic or abdominal organs, as a form
of referred
pain. What can patients do to relieve back
pain? Exercise is one of the best ways to treat
patients with benign back pain.
Exercise can help to strengthen the weak muscles that may be the cause
of back pain. In addition, exercise
can help with weight loss and can stimulate the release of endorphins in the
body. Endorphins are a natural
pain killer and a natural stress reliever. What can be done for back pain in
the clinic? Medications are often employed when exercise
alone is not enough to control the back pain. Over-the-counter medications can
usually be used for treating minimal back pain. Stronger medications can be prescribed
in the clinic to aid in the control of moderate to severe back pain. In the event that pain is caused by
impingement of nerves, anti-neuropathic medications (nerve stabilizers) would
be prescribed to best manage the symptoms of nerve pain. Rehabilitative therapies would help to minimize pain
symptoms and improve function. These include modalities such as heat, ice,
ultra-sound, stretching, cardiovascular exercise, work conditioning and
strength training, depending on the progress of individual patients. Acupuncture can be integrated into the care of
patients with back pain. This
form of treatment has the advantage of aiding the relief of back pain and leg
pain with minimal side-effects and risk.
This is an effective form of treatment in itself and it also
complements the efficacy of the medications, rehabilitative therapies and
interventional pain procedure used. Can Minimal Invasive Pain Procedures
be performed for back pain? Interventional pain procedure can be performed for patient who
had failure conservative treatment of the back pain. These are procedures which are minimally
invasive and it has both diagnostic and therapeutic applications in the
treatment of patients with complicated back pain problems. Many
patients may not be aware that these treatment modalities can help to manage
the pain and thus reduce the need for surgery as a solution for the back
pain. List of
interventional therapy includes 1. Epidural
steroid injection 2. Nerve
root sleeve injection 3. Facet
joint block 4. Sacro-iliac joint block 5. Facet
joint radiofrequency rhizotomy 6. Sacro-iliac joint radiofrequency rhizotomy 7. Intra-discal injection and therapy, such as nucleoplasty 8. Neurolysis What is the outcome (prognosis) for
patients with back pain? Although
there is widespread opinion that 75-90% of patients with low back pain recover
within about 6 weeks, pain may persist in up to 72% and disability in up to
12% of patients 1 year after the onset of low back pain. It has also been cited as the most
common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed
work. Thus it is
important to seek early assessment of your back pain so that the most
appropriate treatment can be instituted to best optimize the outcome. For more
information, please feel free to contact us at (65) 6733 4344 or email us at integrativepaincentre@gmail.com |
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