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For adults with symptomatic lumbar disc herniation, unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) microdiscectomy is associated with longer operating times and with lower pain medication consumption in the early postoperative period compared with tubular lumbar microdiscectomy, according to a study Charla Fischer, M.D. and colleagues examined surgical outcomes and pain medication consumption for UBE versus tubular lumbar microdiscectomy in a retrospective cohort study of adults undergoing primary, single-level UBE or tubular lumbar microdiscectomy surgery at a high-volume institution. Data were included for 102 patients: 48 undergoing UBE and 54 tubular lumbar microdiscectomy. The researchers found that the average operative time was higher...

Only around one in 10 common non-surgical and non-invasive treatments for lower back pain are effective, suggests a pooled data analysis. And the pain relief they offer is only marginally better than that achieved with a placebo. Low back pain is common and debilitating, and 80–90% of it is categorized as non-specific, because there's no immediately identifiable cause. A total of 301 trials investigating 56 different treatments or treatment combinations were included in the pooled data analysis. The most common interventions were NSAIDs (27 trials), opioids (26 trials), laser and light therapy (25), acupuncture (24), and gentle manual therapy (mobilization;...

Researchers conducted a study to evaluate the efficacy of qigong on biopsychosocial outcomes in veterans with chronic low back pain. Qigong (pronounced "chee-gong") is a traditional Chinese practice that combines gentle movements, controlled breathing and meditation to cultivate and balance the body's energy, often referred to as "qi" or "life force." The research team designed a novel qigong program for this research specifically applicable to managing chronic low back pain in veterans. The purpose of the eight-week longitudinal study was to evaluate the effects of the qigong intervention. Specifically, researchers assessed how the intervention impacted physical function, sleep disturbance, PTSD,...

Low back pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide with many treatments, such as medication, often failing to provide lasting relief. Researchers have uncovered a possible solution. Their study found integrating lifestyle support into back pain care could reduce disability and enhance quality of life. The randomized controlled trial included 346 participants from across Australia, all of whom had chronic low back pain and at least one lifestyle risk factor, such as obesity, poor diet, sedentary habits, or smoking. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the "Healthy Lifestyle Program (HeLP)" or standard guideline-based physiotherapy care for...

Luigi Nicholas Mangione, the whiz kid Ivy League-educated high school valedictorian accused of the execution-style murder of the CEO of one of the nation's largest healthcare providers, may have spiraled out of control after traumatic back surgery. The procedure, which allegedly left Mangione in significant physical and emotional distress, may have contributed to his deteriorating mental state, a factor authorities are considering as part of their investigation. New York prosecutors have formally accused 26-year-old Mangione, a native of Towson, Maryland, of the fatal shooting of United Healthcare executive Brian Thompson. The incident occurred outside the New York Hilton in midtown...

The arrest of Luigi Mangione in connection with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO has left friends, family, and acquaintances grappling with shock and disbelief. As investigators piece together the timeline leading to his arrest, new details have emerged about his life in the months preceding his disappearance and alleged crime. Mangione, a 28-year-old former computer science student from Maryland. He was described by those who knew him as intelligent, athletic, and socially well-adjusted. However, the trajectory of his life appeared to change drastically earlier this year following back surgery to address chronic pain caused by a pinched nerve, far-left HuffPost...

Luigi Mangione, the suspect arrested in connection with the murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, fell out of touch with some of his friends and family earlier this year, according to multiple media reports. The loss in contact seemed to align with a back surgery Mangione underwent to treat chronic pain linked to a pinched nerve. R.J. Martin, the founder of a co-living space in Hawaii called Surfbreak, told the Honolulu Civil Beat that Mangione lived in the community, near Honolulu’s Ala Moana Beach Park, for six months in 2022.

Adults with a history of low back pain went nearly twice as long without a recurrence of their back pain if they walked regularly, a new study has found. Repeated episodes of low back pain are very common, with seven in 10 people who recover from an episode going on to have a recurrence within a year. Current best practice for back pain management and prevention suggests the combination of exercise and education. However, some forms of exercise are not accessible or affordable to many people due to their high cost, complexity, and need for supervision. A clinical trial looked...

New research suggests that the physical postures, breathing exercises, and mindfulness practices of yoga may benefit individuals with back pain. In the study, 10 women with and 11 without chronic low back pain underwent an 8‐session yoga program over 4 weeks, with the first session conducted in a clinic and the rest delivered with a tele‐approach. Women with chronic low back pain experienced a significant decrease in pain intensity, as assessed through a 10-point visual analog scale (an average pain of 6.80 at the start, dropped to 3.30 after the sessions) and through a spine-related measure called the flexion–relaxation phenomenon,...

Patients who first seek physical therapy or chiropractic care have better outcomes and shorter episodes of acute care for low back pain, according to research. The findings show that for patients with acute episodes of low back pain, the first point of entry to the health care system is associated with utilization and total cost of care in the following year. Clinical practice guidelines prioritize nonpharmacologic and nonsurgical treatments. Patients are often prescribed opioid pain medications or referred to specialists for procedures—including surgery, imaging or steroid injections—that do not address the root causes of their pain. By combing through nearly...

Here are the positions that the experts recommend. Sleeping on your back Advantages: Reduces aches and pains in the lower back and neck Supports your spine so your muscles can relax and recover Helps relieve congestion, especially if you elevate your torso Helps reduce the risk of developing facial wrinkles Disadvantages: Increases the risk of airway collapse for those who snore or have sleep apnea Raises pressure levels for certain types of back pain Increases episodes of acid reflux Raises gravity pressure to make it more difficult to breathe, making it unsuitable for older or heavier people Causes a fetus...

Low back pain seriously affects the quality of life and increases the economic burden on families and society[1,2]. Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is the main pathogenic factor of low back pain, but its pathological mechanism has not yet been elucidated[3]. Therefore, exploring the pathological mechanism of IDD and seeking new methods for the prevention and treatment of degenerative disc diseases is of great significance to human health. Nucleus pulposus (NP) cells play an important role by secreting a large amount of extracellular matrix (ECM) such as aggrecan and collagen type II to maintain the normal physiological function of the intervertebral...

Background/Aim: Increased oxidative stress plays a crucial role in pathogenesis of various diseases. The present study aims to investigate glutathione reductase (GR) and malondialdehyde (MDA) enzymes as markers of oxidative stress mechanisms in lumbar disc degeneration disease (LDDD). Patients and Methods: The study group consisted of 39 patients diagnosed with LDD and 37 healthy individuals in the control group. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used to determine serum GR and MDA levels in the two study groups. Results: Serum GR levels were significantly lower (p=0.008), while MDA levels were significantly higher in the patient group compared to the...

Brandon Goodwin, an NBA player, suffered blood clots shortly after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine. Goodwin is a former point guard for the Atlanta Hawks whose season ended early after developing the clots. Goodwin has not signed with another NBA team since being released from the Hawks after his diagnosis. “I got sick, and I never quite recovered from it,” Goodwin said on a Twitch stream. “I would always have back pain. I was just super tired in the games. I was so tired. I felt like I couldn’t run up and down the court. My back was hurting. My back...

(University of Cambridge) Scientists have revealed a fascinating new design for an incredibly tiny, inflatable spinal cord implant, suited for treating severe chronic back pain that doesn't respond to medication. The inflatable electronic device is part of a spinal cord stimulator (SCS) setup, a type of well-established therapy that delivers mild electric currents to a person's spinal cord via implanted electrodes. That current is sent by a small, implanted pulse generator device, and the whole thing reduces pain because the electrical pulses help to mask pain signals traveling to the brain via the spinal cord. If that all sounds rather...

Full Title: "Fresh blow for Mars missions as researchers find long-duration space travel causes crippling back pain that can last for up to four YEARS" The changes in muscle composition are still present up to four years after long-duration spaceflight, according to the new research by Katelyn Burkhart, MS, of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and colleagues. They write, 'Spaceflight-induced changes in paraspinal muscle morphology may contribute to back pain commonly reported in astronauts.' The researchers analyzed computed tomography (CT) scans of the lumbar (lower) spine in 17 astronauts and cosmonauts who flew missions on the International Space Station. Scans obtained...

Back pain is a common problem. According to the World Health Organization, various diseases of the musculoskeletal system affect almost 80 percent of the population. Here is how your sleeping position can change your back pain. Everyone at least once in their life has dealt with back pain. "Computers, office work, and other joys of modern society affect human health,” says neuroscientist Matthew Walker, director of the Center for Science of Human Sleep at the University of California at Berkeley. But there is another reason for back pain, which few people have thought of...

Anyone who has endured back pain knows it is an erratic dictator. It takes hold of your psyche, demanding your attention and devotion before all else—before you can plan a hike, return to a work routine, pick up your child for a hug. So when someone offers to make that dictator disappear, it’s hard to resist—no matter what the price. “People in pain are poor decision-makers,” says the investigative journalist Cathryn Jakobson Ramin, author of a new book, Crooked: Outwitting the Back Pain Industry and Getting on the Road to Recovery. Millions such bad decisions, she argues, have fueled a...

The radical findings follow years of debate about the cause of such discomfort and the best way to treat it. One leading neurosurgeon said the finding was a “turning point” so important that the researchers behind it deserved a Nobel prize. But infection experts cautioned against widespread long-term prescribing of antibiotics, which could increase drug resistance across the population, triggering a rise in superbugs. Around five million people in Britain will suffer chronic back pain at some point in their lives, and the cause is often not clear.

Erica Jong: “Yesterday, Jane Fonda sent me an email to tell me that she cried all night and can’t cure her ailing back for all the stress that has reduces her to a bundle of nerves.” Ah, the most entertaining presidential race in my adult life just became more amusing as our “Fear of Flying” feminist gives an expatriate interview to Corriere della Sera, an Italian newspaper. Jong is worried that Republican John McCain will win. So are all her friends. Hanoi Jane is waking in the middle of the night to cold sweats? Well, she is well past menopause...