οσφυαλγία Archives - Neuroxeirourgos.gr

Say goodbye to lower back pain with antibiotics

Georgios Dimogerontas — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 15:45:02 +0000

Say goodbye to lower back pain with antibiotics

Lower back pain is one of the most common reasons for a visit to the doctor on a global scale and it is estimated that 4 out of 5 people will get it at least once in their lifetime. Several reasons cause it and the most common among them are a desk job, lack of exercise, and obesity. However, the neurosurgeon Georgios Dimogerontas, revealed one more! A microbe that, if treated pharmaceutically, can save many patients from lower back pain and unnecessary and painful surgical operations!

How frequent is lower back pain?

Lower back pain is very common and is the fifth most common reason for a visit to the doctor in the USA. It accounts for about 15% of sick leave and is the leading cause of disability in people younger than 45. Half of the population have experienced a case of lower back pain before they turn 20 years old. Modern way of life is correlated with the increase of lower back pain cases because it involves activities causing it, such as a desk job and driving.

It seems that this symptom is most prevalent in people between 30 and 60 years old, in people working in manual labor, and people working as drivers and pilots, as well as in machine operators who are exposed to frequent whole-body vibrations.

Read the article by clicking on the following hyperlink:

Say goodbye to lower back pain with antibiotics

The post Say goodbye to lower back pain with antibiotics appeared first on Neuroxeirourgos.gr.

Discoplasty with Hydrogel

Georgios Dimogerontas — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 15:13:26 +0000

Discoplasty with Hydrogel

Discoplasty with Hydrogel as a precautionary treatment of the degenerative disc disease.

Lower back pain is connected with standing up and walking and, therefore, is a common symptom that has been making lives difficult since man first walked on Earth. There is no single person who has not felt at least light pain in the lower back. This is a symptom affecting 5% of the planet population every year.

The natural damage of the intervertebral discs, the natural shock absorbers of the spine, is scientifically called degenerative disc disease and it is the most common cause of lower back pain with no sciatica. Small injuries caused by the continuous mobility and force on the discs are the most common reason behind this degenerative process.
The dehydration of the central part of the disc (that is the nucleus pulposus) and cracks in the peripheral part of the disc (that is the fibrous ring) are the most common pathoanatomical damages that take place within a degenerated disc. We can see the final result that looks like a black disc with an MRI scan on the lower back. This black disc is shorter than the neighboring, normal, intervertebral discs.

Traditional treatment of a painful degenerated disc (with no herniation) is surgical with either posterior access (posterior lumbar fusion with screw/bar placement and TLIF with cage and bone implant).

The post Discoplasty with Hydrogel appeared first on Neuroxeirourgos.gr.

Low back pain and weight

Georgios Dimogerontas — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 15:58:06 +0000

Lower back pain and weight

Demeter Balaska

Dietitian-Nutritionist

Lower back pain or lumbago is the pain in the lower part of the back. It is a symptom (not a disease) and it concerns any pain in the lumbar spine regardless of the causing factor. It can appear suddenly after an abrupt movement or gradually and it gets worse as time passes by. Intense pain is felt around the lower back and it may also be felt in the thigh and it may be accompanied by numbness in the toes. It is one of the most common symptoms someone can have since 80% of the population have experienced it at least once in their lifetime.

Lower back pain is the second leading reason for missed workdays among employees while the first leading reason is the flu. It can affect anyone at any age, but it is more common in people between 30 and 60 years old. It has been observed that in younger people, the pain is usually temporary, while in older patients it is usually chronic. Several factors seem to affect it, such as age, gender, heredity, and the general health condition. Obesity is also considered a factor that turns simple lower back pain into a chronic problem. A recent study (Smuck, 2013) in about 7,000 Americans showed that lower back pain appearance depends on the Body Mass Index (BMI), which shows the severity of obesity. The likelihood of getting lower back pain in people with a normal BMI (ΒΜΙ = 20–25) is only 2.9% but it rises to 11.6% in obese people with a BΜΙ > 36. Exercise seems to decrease this risk, especially in people with a BMI from 26 to 36 (overweight and obese people).

How can lower back pain be treated if the patient is obese?

The first step is weight loss and daily exercise. The main muscle groups that need to be exercised are the abdominal, latissimus dorsi, posterior chain, and gluteal muscles. Sports that exercise the entire body, such as swimming, should be preferred. However, each person is unique and everyone should ideally follow a customized exercise program with the guidance of a trainer.

Regarding weight loss, patients can follow the below mentioned tips:

• Breakfast. It is considered one of the most important meals of the day as it “breaks” the night fasting. Numerous studies have proven that those who don’t have breakfast are 4.5 times more at risk to become obese. Moreover, an intervention study showed that people who started to eat breakfast lost up to 7.7 kilos in contrast with those who kept on not having any breakfast.

• Adequate sleep. There is a correlation between obesity and lack of sleep. A study has shown that those who sleep less than 5 hours a night are 65% more likely to become obese in comparison with those who sleep 7 hours a night.

• Frequent meals. This means three main meals and two small meals in between. Several studies have proven that frequent meals help in hunger and portion control as well as in the prevention of junk food consumption. On top of that, blood glucose
levels are kept balanced.

• Mediterranean diet. This is the first draft of a balanced diet. To follow this diet, fibers such as wholegrain cereal, fruit, and vegetables need to be consumed on a daily basis along with 2–3 servings of dairy and a bit of olive oil. On a weekly basis, 1–2 servings of cooked vegetables, 1–2 servings of fish or seafood, 1–2 servings of legumes, and 1 serving of chicken should be consumed. Finally, red meat should only be consumed twice a month.

• Portion control in each food group. Portion control is necessary for a successful weight loss attempt and also a balanced diet. You can find more information about this in the medNutrition awareness campaign “size…matters!”

• Adequate water consumption. Correct hydration of the body enables nutrients to be absorbed by the cells as well as the toxins to be released.

Finally, it should be noted that quite often, lower back pain needs to be treated surgically. If the patient is obese, they need to follow a weight loss program both preand postoperatively because the extra weight encumbers the spine and this makes recovery more difficult. In these cases, weight loss should be achieved gradually and under the dietitian’s guidance, always in collaboration with the spine doctor (usually a neurosurgeon or rarely an orthopedic surgeon).

You can find information about the surgical treatment of spinal diseases on this website.

Bibliography

Μa Y., Bertone ER, Stanek EJ. Association between eating pattems and obesity in a free-living US adult population. Am J Epidemiol. 2003;158(1):85-92.

Smuck M, Kao MC, Brar N, Martinez-Ith A, Choi J3, Tomkins-Lane CC.Does physical activity influence the relationship between low back pain and obesity? Spine J. 2013;Nov 12. pii: S1529-9430(13)01649-5. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2013.11.010

Zoumbaneas Ε. Manolarakis Μ.
How are we supposed to eat, what will you cook… today mom? P. 15-21 Athens: Ellinika grammata.

Papalazarou Α. Knowledge, Thinner in 5 steps. P. 82-119 Athens: Ellin.

Symeonidis P. Diseases and injuries of the Musculoskeletal System, Orthopedics. P. 174-178 Thessaloniki. University Studio Press.

The post Low back pain and weight appeared first on Neuroxeirourgos.gr.

Discoplasty with Discogel

@dmin_gd28 — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 09:28:40 +0000

Discoplasty is one of the most modern and minimally invasive treatment methods for lower back pain without sciatica, for dorsodynia, and also the neck pain caused by discopathy (degeneration of intervertebral discs, black disc) or a disc herniation.

It can be combined effectively with the MAST treatment in order to treat this disease. Discoplasty and MAST treatment

It consists of the subcutaneous placement of a viscous solution (gel) that contains ethyl alcohol, cellulose, and an imaging material (tungsten) in the inside of the degenerated intervertebral lumbar or cervical disc.

The post Discoplasty with Discogel appeared first on Neuroxeirourgos.gr.