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[1/26/2005] EU asks workers and employers about action to combat musculoskeletal disorders
[1/26/2005] Back pain best treated by combination of general practitioners, exercise and manipulation
[1/26/2005] Shopping-Related Injuries a Real Pain
[10/15/2004] The Downside to Stretching Muscles Balance, Reaction, Movement Time Impaired in Canadian Study
[10/15/2004] Back exercise and fitness for back pain relief
[10/15/2004] Study on the best types of mattress for back support
[10/15/2004] Women twice as likely as men to develop some musculoskeletal disorders
[2/15/2004] Over-the-Counter pain killers prove effective in reducing pain of muscular origin
[2/15/2004] Tricyclic and Tetracyclic Antidepressants Appear To Reduce Symptoms Of Chronic Lower Back Pain
[11/30/2002] Neck and shoulder pain common among computer users.
[11/30/2002] New therapy against chronic backache.
Source: medicalnewstoday.com
The European Commission is seeking the views of workers' and employers'
representatives on how best to tackle the growing problem of musculoskeletal
disorders (MSD). These ailments, which include back pain and repetitive strain injury, are the biggest health and safety problem facing European workers today.
To read more click here:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=16323
Source: medicalnewstoday.com
Medical Research Council trial finds adding spinal manipulation and exercise to GP care provides relief for back pain - A Medical Research Council (MRC) trial to assess the effectiveness of adding different treatments to ‘best care' in general practice for patients with lower back pain has found that spinal manipulation, in the form of chiropractic, osteopathy, or manipulative physiotherapy, followed by a programme of exercise, provides significant relief of symptoms and improvements in general health.
To read more click here:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=16803
Source: 4woman.gov - HealthDayNews
FRIDAY, Nov. 26 (HealthDayNews) -- Now that Thanksgiving is over,
the holiday shopping season begins in earnest with its stress, pressure
and even increased risk of injury, according to experts at the American
Physical Therapy Association (APTA). "During the holiday season, we see
a significant rise in patients who are experiencing back, shoulder, and neck pain," APTA member Kendra Harrington, a physical therapist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., said in a prepared statement.
To read more click here:
http://www.4woman.gov/News/English/522401.htm
The Downside to Stretching Muscles Balance, Reaction, Movement Time Impaired in Canadian Study
SOURCE: WebMD Medical News - Behm, D. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, August 2004; vol 36: pp 1397-1402.
August 19, 2004
Aug. 19, 2004 -- Stretching your muscles before exercise may not give you the edge you expect. Canadian researchers at the University of Newfoundland put stretching to the
test in a recent study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/92/101951.htm
Back exercise and fitness for back pain relief
SOURCE: spine-health.com
August 04, 2004
Importance of back exercise and fitness. A common (and harmful) misconception is that exercise should be avoided when a patient is experiencing back pain. Understandably, many patients are reluctant to exercise out of the fear that any exercises or stretching will aggravate their existing back pain.
http://www.spine-health.com/topics/conserv/backexercise/backexercise01.html
Study on the best types of mattress for back support
SOURCE: Spine-health.com
By: Richard Staehler, MD
Choosing the right mattress for back support, good posture,
and sleep comfort has a significant effect on back pain relief. Although many doctors have traditionally recommended a hard mattress (a firm mattress) to patients with back pain, a recent study conducted in Spain found that a medium-firm mattress may provide better back support and help alleviate more back pain than a firm mattress.
http://www.spine-health.com/topics/conserv/mattress/mattress01.html
Women twice as likely as men to develop some musculoskeletal disorders
SOURCE: News-Medical.Net
July 22, 2004
Women are at least twice as likely as men to develop some musculoskeletal disorders of the upper body. That's the finding of scientists at Ohio State University who re-analyzed data from 56 previous studies on the subject.
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=3498
Over-the-Counter pain killers prove effective in reducing pain of muscular origin
SOURCE : Eur J Pain.
2004;8(1):55-61.
(Clinical study of chronic pain in hereditary myopathies.
Delorme T, Boureau F, Eymard B, Laforet P, Cottrel F.
Centre d’Evaluation et de Traitement de la Douleur, Hopital Saint-Antoine, 184 rue du Faubourg, 75102 Saint Antoine, Paris, France)
Pain and its management is a continous challenge for the doctors working with patients affected by neuromuscular diseases. In the field of neuromuscular diseases, pain and its management remain imperfectly understood and described.
To try to shed some light on pain management, a recent study was conducted involving 68 adult patients suffering from hereditary myopathy. Three quarters of the patients were suffering from chronic pain as evaluated by self-report questionnaires and a standardized clinical evaluation. In all of the patients the pain lasted about 8 years and its intensity was moderate.
The results showed that the principal cause of pain was of muscular origin and that only one third of the patients were following an appropriate drug treatment and over-the-counter pain killers appeared to be very effective in these patients.
Tricyclic and Tetracyclic Antidepressants Appear To Reduce Symptoms Of Chronic Lower Back Pain
SOURCE: Spine
2003 Nov 15;28:22:2540-5.
(Systematic review of antidepressants in the treatment of chronic low back pain)
Pain is very often the most impairing condition that affects people in U.S. and European countries. For long time now, people with chronic back pain have been taking antidepressant drugs, even if depression symptoms are not present, to reduce chronic lower back pain. Additionally, antidepressants are sometimes prescribed for analgesic purposes in patients with back pain.
Encouraged by these results, pharmaceutical companies reviewed a series of tests that were conducted on oral antidepressive substances in patients with back pain. The results are promising because there are early indications of the independence between patient depression status and pain.
More research is needed to better assess the benefits and risks of antidepressants in the treatment of patients with chronic low back pain.
Neck and shoulder pain common among computer users.
Carpal tunnel syndrome less frequent.
American Journal of Industrial Medicine
2002;41:221--49
American researchers studied the effects of prolonged hours working at the computer. The study involved 632 men and women who worked 15 hours or more a week in front of the computer. The subjects were followed up for three years.
Over half of the subjects developed within 1 year pain and stiffness in the neck and shoulders. One third experienced damage or loss of function in these areas. Carpal tunnel syndrome was referred by only 1% of subjects.
Women were more likely than men to be affected with these disorders. The researchers have not yet found an explanation for this difference. To reduce the risk of neck and shoulder pain, the study offered several suggestions. The keyboard should be located below the elbows and at a certain distance from the chest. The head should be inclined slightly forward, towards the monitor. The arms should be allowed to lean on the desk to sustain the weight of the body. Another important factor is the number of hours seated. People who spend over 20 hours a week working at the computer have a twofold chance of developing pain in the neck, shoulder, arms and hands.
New therapy against chronic backache.
IDET (Intradiscal Electrothermal Annuloplasty)
Spine
2002;27:966--73
A nonsurgical therapy appears to provide relief for chronic backache sufferers who do not respond to other procedures. The new treatment called intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty (IDET) uses a small catheter inserted into the inner wall of the vertebral disc that causes the pain. The catheter is heated, and the heat thickens the collagen fibers of the disc wall, cauterizing the nerve endings and making them less sensitive. The procedure is performed in an outpatient setting, without the need for hospitalization.
A group of American researchers conducted a trial with IDET on 58 patients. The patients had been suffering from chronic backache for at least 6 months. After 6 months of treatment, the patients felt less pain. Improvement in back function was also observed. The patients were able to remain seated for longer periods of time; the mean increase was from 33 to 48 minutes.
After 2 years of treatment, the patients' conditions showed further improvement. The pain had continued to diminish and the patients were able to remain seated for at least 85 consecutive minutes.
IDET seems to provide an alternative to surgical treatment and pharmacological therapy using potent narcotic drugs. Further research into this treatment requires studies conducted with trials using a control group.
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