By: Mairi Sapountzi & Yoginee Sritharen Presentation for Elective: Current Health Problems in Students’ Home Countries LUMBAGO By: Mairi Sapountzi & Yoginee Sritharen

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

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

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.

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.

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 EXAMINATION Chiropractors 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 EQUIPMENT X-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.

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.

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.

REFERENCES: http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article2965.html http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/lumbago.htm http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-some-causes-of-lumbago.htm http://www.gibaud.com/gb/pathologies/zones-anatomiques/tronc/lumbago.html http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article2965.html http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/lumbago.htm http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-some-causes-of-lumbago.htm http://www.gibaud.com/gb/pathologies/zones-anatomiques/tronc/lumbago.html