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Back and neck pain
Spinal degenerative disease and related disorders
What advances are likely in the future?
Because it is part of the ageing process, spinal degenerative disease and the symptoms it causes are likely to be with us for some time to come, even when other common disorders become preventable.
Causes
We know something about causes already. Heredity plays a role, and smoking probably aggravates matters in anyone who is prone to disc problems.
Prevention
Employers are required by law to assess manual handling tasks in the workplace and take steps to eliminate or reduce the attendant risk of injury to their employees. Several measures should be adopted in the workplace to prevent back pain. People asked to perform manual tasks should first be assessed with regard to their general level of fitness for manual work. They should then be given appropriate tuition in back care, particularly lifting techniques. Lifts and hoists should be provided where appropriate. Whether at work or at home, individuals who have suffered from back or neck pain would do well to learn how to look after their spine to prevent chronic problems developing.
Service developments
The referral of patients to specialists does not always follow a logical plan. A busy GP may seek assistance from any specialist who deals with spinal disorders, including rheumatologists, neurologists and pain relief specialists, as well as neurosurgeons and orthopaedic surgeons. All of these specialists have cause to treat spinal degenerative disease at times but have different forms of treatment. Hospital services and patient care will both benefit when referral patterns are organised in such a way that patients are sent to the most appropriate specialist in the first instance.
Artificial discs
In an era of artificial joints and other forms of ‘replacement surgery’ it is perhaps surprising that an artificial intervertebral disc has not been developed. Some devices have been tried, but to date there is not an established and effective substitute for the natural intervertebral disc. One reason, perhaps, is that surgery, in most cases, aims mainly to decompress trapped nerves, and there is really no need to replace the disc in such circumstances.
We know something about causes already. Heredity plays a role, and smoking probably aggravates matters in anyone who is prone to disc problems.
Prevention
Employers are required by law to assess manual handling tasks in the workplace and take steps to eliminate or reduce the attendant risk of injury to their employees. Several measures should be adopted in the workplace to prevent back pain. People asked to perform manual tasks should first be assessed with regard to their general level of fitness for manual work. They should then be given appropriate tuition in back care, particularly lifting techniques. Lifts and hoists should be provided where appropriate. Whether at work or at home, individuals who have suffered from back or neck pain would do well to learn how to look after their spine to prevent chronic problems developing.
Service developments
The referral of patients to specialists does not always follow a logical plan. A busy GP may seek assistance from any specialist who deals with spinal disorders, including rheumatologists, neurologists and pain relief specialists, as well as neurosurgeons and orthopaedic surgeons. All of these specialists have cause to treat spinal degenerative disease at times but have different forms of treatment. Hospital services and patient care will both benefit when referral patterns are organised in such a way that patients are sent to the most appropriate specialist in the first instance.
Artificial discs
In an era of artificial joints and other forms of ‘replacement surgery’ it is perhaps surprising that an artificial intervertebral disc has not been developed. Some devices have been tried, but to date there is not an established and effective substitute for the natural intervertebral disc. One reason, perhaps, is that surgery, in most cases, aims mainly to decompress trapped nerves, and there is really no need to replace the disc in such circumstances.
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Contents
- Introduction
- What causes spinal pain?
- Why do I experience different types of pain?
- What other symptoms can develop?
- How common are spinal problems?
- Could it be something serious?
- What will happen if the pain is not treated?
- What do the various words used by doctors mean?
- What tests can be performed?
- How is spinal pain treated?
- When is an operation necessary?
- What do you recommend, doctor?
- Who should perform my operation?
- What are the drawbacks of surgery?
- What is the recovery period?
- What is surgery fails?
- What advances are likely in the future?
- Conclusions
- Other organisations that may be able to help
