The pain of back in 100 questions

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The pain of back concerns close to the three quarters among us. A better knowledge of the risk factors, of the means of prevention and treatments permits to people suffering lombalgies from to manage their illness better.

It is why the institute of Rheumatology of the Cochin hospital with the support of the Pharmacia laboratories and Pfizer achieved a guide practices "The pain of back in 100 questions."

The whole pole osteoarticulaire of the Cochin hospital mobilized itself to achieve this work to the patients enduring lombalgies. In 100 questions, surgeons, rheumatologists, physical therapists, ergothérapeutes, orthoprothésistes, etc. are mobilized themselves to help the patients to manage their unrests better. In a convenient manner, this work answers the questions the most frequently calm:

The term "pain of back" is it synonymous of lombalgie?
What is a scoliosis? A cyphose? A lordose? A sciatica? A hernia discale?
Is it necessary to practice sport when one hurts in the back?.

A symptom and no an illness

The back spreads of the nape to the buttocks, but the pain of back is assimilated more often to the lombalgies, pains to the level of the loins, of the "low of the back" or the "region of the kidneys". They result the most often from a suffering of the lumbar backbone. All elements of the backbone can be wronged: vertebras, disks, joints, ligaments, muscles, etc. These pains can also touch the nerves being born in the spinal cord, one speaks of neuralgias (for example sciatica). But the lombalgies sometimes has surprising origins: visceral or vascular.

To recall the importance of the clinical exam

Only the clinical exam permits to determine the origin of the lombalgie: vertebral, mechanical or inflammatory? In spite of the technological progress, the guilty party's identification is not always comfortable. Besides, there is not a direct interrelationship between the lesions and the pains. One can quite observe some radios normal whereas the patient really suffers. Only the radio-clinical confrontation will permit to establish a diagnosis and suitable treatment.

As the Dr underlines it Marie-Anne Mayoux-Benhamou, coordinator of the work, one of the objectives of this booklet is to incite the patient lombalgiques to less to polarize their attention on the results of the radiological explorations: one doesn't treat some pictures but of the patients."

Not to wait for the pill miracle!

Whereas every day, one praises the merits of a new pill, one doesn't must to disregard the physical treatment as much. Thus, the physical treatment of the lombalgies (the rehabilitation) doesn't limit itself in a hurry to prescribed some sessions of physiotherapy.

The rehabilitation can associate physiotherapy, balneology, tractions, rigid corset port. The osteopathy can bring a new option. Inform yourselves however very precisely on an osteopath's expertises to that to confide your back.

Raise you and walk!

The biggest revolution concerning the physical treatment is the place of the "therapeutic rest." The stake to the strict rest or the reduction of the physical activities is not recommended anymore. On the contrary, the prolonged rest would have more perverse effects! A rest on the long term can drag an atrophy of the muscles that complicates all return to the normal.

One incites the patient lombalgique thus to take a physical activity quickly as normal as possible. Thus, some specialized centers propose programs of reconditionnement to the effort. These programs get astonishing results on patients victims of chronic lombalgies, responsible of stop of work of several months or even of several years!

The surgery reserved to some cases well particular

In spite of the recent progress of the surgery, it is not necessary to yield to a premature enthusiasm. it doesn't constitute the treatment miracle of the back and is only considered after failure of the medicinal treatments and only if the anatomical reason of the pains is identified precisely and curable surgically. In the majority of the cases, the medicinal treatment entails a recovery in the three months.

Protect your back thanks to a good hygiene of life!

Some exercises of body building permit to preserve your back or to avoid an aggravation of your pain. To face your pain of back, it is necessary to take you in hand thanks to the adoption of the good stances and some daily exercises above all.

"The pain of back in 100 questions" approaches all these questions. Speak of it then to your physician! Published to 250 000 copies, this free guide is available by your rheumatologist, functional rééducateur or physician general practitioner.

2009-04-16