It is a symptom and not a disease in itself
What is back and why it's important?
- Back bears weight of your body and the load you carry.
- It has considerable strength and flexibility.
- Even small damage to back often causes severe, incapacitating pain.
Most common site of back pain:
- Lower back or lumbar region
What are the common causes of Back Pain?
- Lumbar disc prolapse
- Sprains and injuries :-
• Abrupt movement or lifting a heavy object,
• Poor posture or overexertion in sports.
- Obesity
- Old age-osteoarthritis
- Tumors
- Pregnant women
- Unknown origin in many cases
Prevention of back pain:
- Weight management.
- Regular proper back exercises.
- Maintenance of correct posture.
- Appropriately designed chairs, mattresses at home and at workplace.
Present problem:
- 25% people suffer severe, debilitating and permanent disability from Low Backache.
- Most common complaint generating visits to general practitioner.
- Disability can be reversed, if diagnosed and treated early.
Symptoms of Lumbar Disc Prolapse
- Back pain (for days to weeks).
- Current like sensation running down the limbs /or numbness in legs (SCIATICA).
- Back pain improves and leg pain becomes prominent.
- Leg pain associated with sitting/ standing/walking/coughing/sneezing.
- Weakness or Numbness in legs.
- Difficulty in passing urine & stools.
Diagnostic assessment
- Imaging studies
• MRI studies, supplemented by CT Scan
• Plain X-rays
- Electro diagnostic studies
Electromyography (EMG) or Nerve conduction velocity (NCV): Measures current in the affected nerves
When is back pain surgery necessary?
- Severe long standing pain in lower limb.
- Development of lower limb weakness or Numbness.
- Difficulty in passing urine or stools.
- When pain interferes with life style & work.
Options for lumbar disc surgery are
- Microscopic Discectomy good outcome in upto 90% (Journal of Spine, 2001).
- Endoscopic Discectomy using the Metrx system most favored worldwide today.
SALIENT FEATURES OF ENDOSCOPIC DISCECTOMY
- Operating time - 45mins. to 1hr
- Hospital stay ~ 24hrs
- Excellent to good results in more than 95% (Journal of Spine, suppl. 2002)
- MINIMAL BLOOD LOSS SO NO WEAKNESS
We at
Mata Chanan Devi Hospital were the First to acquire Metrx system in the private sector in 2002 and start performing Endoscopic Disc Surgery. One of our first patients was a software engineer from California. We have operated upon people with varied occupations and all age groups, coming from different parts of India.
