Articles: low-back-pain.
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McKenzie methods stress self-treatment through correct posture and repeated end-range movements performed at a high frequency. Dr. Simonsen describes the basic principles and outlines the three syndromes and specific treatment protocols identified by McKenzie.
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Commonly prescribed drugs for the treatment of low back pain have varying success rates, costs, and complications. This chapter presents current information on acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, muscle relaxants, opioids, corticosteroids, antidepressants, and colchicine to help the physician in determining a pharmacologic strategy.
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Zentralbl. Neurochir. · Jan 1998
Short-term prognostic factors in lumbar disc surgery: the low back prognostic score is of predictive value.
In order to determine prognostic factors of lumbar disc surgery, we examined 107 patients who were conventionally operated on in a prospective, consecutive study. We analysed general data, the case history, the neurological examination at admission and all data from imaging examinations and therapy. In addition, all patients received a questionnaire based on the Low Back Outcome Score [9, 10]. ⋯ To improve the prognostic value, we combined significant questions of the LBOS with the pain grading scale and significant prognostic factors to form a new prognostic score (Low Back Prognostic Score). With this new score we were able to predict a favorable outcome in 84% of our patients, and an unfavorable outcome in 71%. The Low Back Prognostic score seems to provide a sensitive method for predicting a favorable or unfavorable outcome for patients scheduled to undergo lumbar disc surgery.
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J South Orthop Assoc · Jan 1998
Clinical TrialCognitive-behavioral techniques in the treatment of chronic low back pain: preliminary results.
Review of the literature reveals chronic low back pain has not responded well to conventional medical treatment with medication and surgery. The addition of cognitive-behavioral approaches to complement conventional medicine seems to improve the results and lessens pain in this group of patients.
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Disc prolapse presenting with sciatica may be associated with enhancement of the symptomatic nerve root following magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with intravenous gadolinium (Gd)-DTPA. Previous studies have shown, however, that this does not occur in all cases. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of nerve root enhancement in patients with sciatica and disc prolapse and to try to identify any specific features that might be associated with the phenomenon. ⋯ Nerve root enhancement had a highly significant association with sequestrated disc lesions (13/19, 68 %; P < 0.0005), and was primarily seen in the symptomatic ipsilateral nerve root (16/19, 84 %). The sensitivity of nerve root enhancement associated with disc prolapse was 23.5 % with a specificity of 95.9 %, a positive predictive value of 76 % and a negative predictive value of 69.3 %. Nerve root enhancement may be indicative of the symptomatic level but its poor sensitivity negates the routine use of Gd-DTPA in MRI for sciatica.