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Medium-Firm Mattress Works Best For The Back
Preventing Low Back Pain
The following may help to prevent low back pain:
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practicing correct lifting techniques
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maintaining correct posture while sitting, standing, and sleeping
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exercising regularly (with proper stretching before participation)
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avoiding smoking
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maintaining a healthy weight
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reducing emotional stress which may cause muscle tension
Diagnosing Low Back Pain
In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination, diagnostic procedures for low back pain may include the following:
X-ray - a diagnostic test which uses invisible electromagnetic energy beams to produce images of internal tissues, bones, and organs onto film.
computed tomography scan (CT or CAT scan) - a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of X-rays and computer technology to produce cross-sectional images (often called slices), both horizontally and vertically, of the body. A CT scan shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, and organs. CT scans are more detailed than general X-rays.
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - a diagnostic procedure that uses a combination of large magnets, radiofrequencies, and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures within the body.
radionuclide bone scan - a nuclear imaging technique that uses a very small amount of radioactive material, which is injected into the patient's bloodstream to be detected by a scanner. This test shows blood flow to the bone and cell activity within the bone.
electromyogram (EMG) - a test to evaluate nerve and muscle function.
Treating Low Back Pain
Specific treatment for low back pain will be determined by your physician and may include:
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activity modification
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medication
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physical rehabilitation and/or therapy
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occupational therapy
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weight loss (if overweight)
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no smoking
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following a prevention program (as directed by your physician)
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surgery
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assistive devices. such as mechanical back supports
Always consult your physician for more information.
What Is a Lumbar Strain?
A lumbar strain is an injury to the lower back, which results in damaged tendons and muscles that spasm and feel sore.
Trauma of great force can injure the tendons and muscles in the lower back. Pushing and pulling sports, such as weight lifting or football, can lead to a lumbar strain.
In addition, sports that require sudden twisting of the lower back, such as in basketball, baseball, and golf, can lead to this injury.
Certain risk factors, such as excessive lower back curvature, forward-tilted pelvis, weak back and/or abdominal muscles, and tight hamstrings, can increase the risk for this injury.
Symptoms may include:
- sudden lower back pain
spasms in the lower back that result in more severe pain
- lower back feels sore to the touch
The symptoms of a lumbar strain may resemble other conditions and medical problems.
Always consult your physician for a diagnosis.
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Low Back Pain Cause Often Unknown
< November19, 2003 >-- When it comes to mattresses, harder does not necessarily mean better. A new study, reported in the medical journal The Lancet, has found "medium-firm" mattresses are actually better than firm ones for low back pain.
"What kind of mattress should I use?" is a common question asked in physicians' offices, and it is one that has no reliable answer because there has been little evidence, say the authors of the new study.
The query does seem to be an important one, with 95 percent of orthopedic surgeons in one survey saying they believed a mattress played a part in the management of low back pain.
Low back pain can range from mild, dull, annoying pain, to persistent, severe, disabling pain in the lower back. Pain in the lower back can restrict mobility and interfere with normal functioning.
Low back pain is one of the most significant health problems.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 70 percent to 85 percent of all people have back pain at some time in their life. Back pain is the most frequent cause of activity limitation in people younger than 45 years old.
Even with today's technology, the exact cause of low back pain can be found in very few cases. In most cases, back pain may be a symptom of many different causes, including any/several of the following:
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overuse, strenuous activity, or improper use, such as repetitive or heavy lifting, exposure to vibration for prolonged periods of time
- obesity, often causing increased weight on the spine and pressure on the discs
- disease, such as osteoarthritis, spondylitis, or compression fractures
Study Looks at Pain Without Known Cause
This study looked at 84 men and 229 women with low back pain, or pain that is generally not linked to any underlying disorder such as a fracture and which, more often than not, has no apparent organic cause.
All of the study participants reported having backache while lying in bed and upon getting up.
The participants were then randomized to receive a firm mattress or a medium-firm mattress. (The mattresses were rated on a European scale, with one being the firmest and 10 the softest; the firm mattress in this study was rated 2.3 while the medium-firm was rated 5.6.)
The participants were not aware of what kind of mattress they had been given, as were the workers who installed the mattresses.
Overall, after 90 days, people who used the medium-firm mattresses were twice as likely to feel less pain when lying in bed, getting out of bed, and in disability associated with back pain. They also reported less use of painkillers.
"The effects of the mattress [were] superior to the majority of medical treatments for this type of patient," reports study author Dr. Francisco Kovacs, director of the scientific department at the Kovacs Foundation in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
"In fact, the change of mattress was associated not only with a marked improvement in pain, but it also improved the degree of disability, which few medical treatments have achieved."
The Kovacs Foundation is a nonprofit organization devoted to medical research, health care, and the promotion of public health, Dr. Kovacs says.
Dr. Kovacs does not know why the medium-firm participants might have experienced such an improvement, but he hypothesizes that "a medium-firmness mattress adapts better to the normal curves of the back, allowing for greater support."
Before You Buy, Give the Mattress a Try
The report, however, may have simplified a topic that is not at all simple.
"The study basically said that a density of 5.6 was the 'ideal' mattress," says Dr. Gerard Varlotta, director of sports rehabilitation at New York University Rusk Institute. "That's like saying who is the ideal mate for you.
"It has to do with a lot of different variables, and it's the kind of thing that takes trying out. You have to go on a few dates."
Although selecting the right mattress is highly individualistic, Dr. Varlotta generally counsels his patients to get a mattress that is "firm, but not too firm" and "one that contours to the body. You want a bed that can take pressure and equally distribute it and not put you in an abnormal position."
The best mattresses are often those with individual coils so they contour to the body, but these also tend to be the most expensive, Dr. Varlotta says. If you want to spend less money, pick a mattress that's "firm but not too firm," with a quilted pillow top. A box spring is nonessential.
Whatever you decide to buy, it is important to road test the mattress before committing. "You need to try one," Dr. Varlotta says. "If it doesn't feel good in the store, it's not going to feel good at home. It's like a shoe. You have to try it out to see if it's appropriate for you."
Always consult your physician for more information.
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