...A sub-index of the Chronic back pain article index
In-depth information on managing the interrelated effects of depression on and chronic back pain; guidelines on chronic back pain management before and after surgery
Coping with chronic pain
June 1, 2007 (Original publication June 13, 2000)
Using the mind to control chronic pain through specific pain control techniques may be used alone or in tandem with other pain management therapies, and ideally can help patients feel less dependent on pain killers and feel more empowered to be able to control their pain. Read more...
By: Andrew R. Block, PhD
Modern theories on chronic pain
March 11, 2003
One of the more interesting recent advances in modern medicine is a new theory about chronic pain. This article discusses how this new theory - the Gate Control Theory of chronic pain - is changing the way chronic back pain may be understood, diagnosed and treated. Read more...
By: William W. Deardorff, PhD, ABPP
Chronic pain as a disease: why does it still hurt?
January 22, 2003
The medical community is starting to understand that if pain is no longer a function of a healthy nervous system (signaling that there is a disease or underlying injury), then the chronic pain itself becomes the problem and needs to be treated as the primary disease. Read more...
By: William W. Deardorff, PhD, ABPP
All about neuropathy and back pain
June 27, 2001
Chronic pain that results from damage to or pathological changes of the peripheral or central nervous system is called neuropathic pain. This article describes the types of pain caused by neuropathy and the anatomy behind it. Read more...
By: Ralph F. Rashbaum, MD
Chronic neck pain
April 17, 2001
Chronic neck pain that radiates down the arm and possibly into the hands and fingers is frequently caused by a cervical herniated disc or foraminal stenosis pinching a nerve in the neck. The approach to treatment for a cervical disc herniation is guided by how long the pain lasts, pain intensity and the degree to which the cervical nerve and/or spinal cord are affected. Read more...
By: John Heller, MD
Stress related back pain
April 5, 2001
A stress related back pain diagnosis means that psychological factors such as stress or depression either initiated or are maintaining the back pain, or both. This article addresses the causes, diagnosis, and treatments for stress related back pain, and reviews Dr. Sarno’s theory of depression and stress and back pain. Read more...
By: William W. Deardorff, PhD, ABPP
Antidepressants
November 6, 2007
Chronic low back pain is known to cause depression, and depression makes it more
difficult to deal with pain. Therefore, it is often important for low back pain
and depression to be treated simultaneously for the treatment to be successful.
Antidepressant medications may be part of treatment for depression and low back
pain. Read more...
By: Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
Myofascial
therapy to treat acute and chronic pain
February 20, 2007
Tightness within the fascial system—the web of connective tissue that spreads
throughout the body and surrounds muscles, bones, and organs—can be a source
of back pain. Myofascial Release therapy is a low load stretch that is designed
to relieve pain by releasing tightness within the fascia. Read
more...
By: Lisa Ganfield, OTR/L, CHT
4 tips to help cope with chronic pain and depression
August 17, 2005
Those who suffer from chronic pain
can feel stressed and depressed at times. However,
depression could be exacerbating the chronic pain symptoms.
The four tips covered in this article can help patients
prevent or manage the vicious cycle of chronic pain
and depression that may develop. Read
more...
By:
William W. Deardorff, PhD, ABPP
Depression and chronic back pain
October 15, 2004
Even though it is not always recognized and/or treated, clinical depression is estimated to be four times greater in people with chronic back pain than in the general population. This article discusses the interrelationship between depression and chronic back pain and helps patients recognize the signs of depression. Read more...
By: William W. Deardorff, PhD, ABPP
Treating chronic pain and depression from degenerative disc disease
June 7, 2000
The depression from degenerative disc disease can be treated with medication, and there are several very effective antidepressants that can be useful. As with everything else, exercise also can also help relieve some symptoms of depression. Read more...
By: Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
Psychological approaches for insomnia
August 23, 2005
Patients with chronic pain can learn and practice several
psychological techniques to help with a sleep disorder.
Techniques such as deep breathing can actually both
help improve sleep and decrease the brain’s perception
of pain. Read
more...
By: William W. Deardorff, PhD, ABPP
Guidelines for a successful recovery from low back pain
June 25, 2001
In addition to stretching, strengthening and aerobic exercises, there are several basic guidelines that can help you in your healing and rehabilitation process and to prevent future chronic back pain. These guidelines include managing anxiety, maintaining proper diet and nutrition, sleeping well, controlling use of medications, and doing back exercises. Read more...
By: Vert Mooney, MD
Effective coping strategies for chronic back pain
June 14, 2000
Whatever your medical condition, there are a number of effective strategies for coping with chronic pain. These techniques generally include relaxation training, hypnosis, biofeedback and guided imagery. Read more...
By: Andrew R. Block, PhD
Spinal
cord stimulation for chronic pain
July 24, 2006
While spinal cord stimulation does not work for everyone, most patients with
chronic pain who qualify for a spinal cord stimulator report a 50 to 70% reduction
in their pain, as well as an increased ability to participate in normal family
and work activities. Read more...
By: Clifford A. Bernstein, MD
Rechargeable
spinal cord stimulators for chronic pain (Research
article)
September 23, 2005
Spinal cord stimulators are small devices implanted
under a patient’s skin
with the purpose of stopping pain signals from reaching the brain and thus alleviating
chronic or neuropathic pain. They may be recommended if conservative treatments
fail to relieve chronic pain. Read
more...
By: Thomas M. Wascher, MD, FACS
Breaking the cycle of chronic pain and insomnia
Updated September 7, 2006
The majority of patients suffering
from chronic pain, such as chronic back pain, also suffer
from sleep disorders. Disrupted sleep often exacerbates
chronic pain problems, which in turn makes sleeping more
difficult. This article reviews several behavioral and
medical approaches, including prescription sleep aids,
that can help treat both chronic pain and sleeping problems. Read
more...
By: William W. Deardorff, PhD, ABPP
IDET: an alternative to invasive surgery for chronic low back pain
November 30, 2004
Intradiscal Electrothermal Annuloplasty (IDET) is a minimally invasive treatment for patients with chronic low back pain from certain types of degenerative disc disease or a contained disc herniation. Read more...
By: Jonathan Lester, MD
Pain management for chronic back pain
October 24, 2001
Pain used to be something many patients simply had to learn to "live" with. Recently, researchers have learned a great deal about pain and its physiological and psychological basis and connections with depression, leading to treatments that can provide complete or partial pain relief. Read more...
By: John Revord, MD
Treatment options for neuropathic pain
June 27, 2001
Currently there is no proven treatment to prevent or cure neuropathic pain, a type of chronic pain (neuropathy or nerve pain). Instead, the primary goals of treatment are to reduce the chronic pain as much as possible, balance the negative side effects of the treatment, and help patients manage any unresolved pain. Read more...
By: Ralph F. Rashbaum, MD
Prolotherapy and chronic back pain
January 25, 2001
Prolotherapy is a non-surgical pain management procedure used to treat connective tissue injuries (and the resulting chronic back pain) of the musculoskeletal system that have not healed by either rest or conservative therapy. This article provides an overview on this injection procedure and addresses potential risks. Read more...
By: Vert Mooney, MD and Bjorn Eek, MD
Exercise walking for better back health
May 24, 2004
Exercise walking is an excellent way for most people with low back pain to benefit from regular exercise while not aggravating the structures in the lower back. It is a gentle form of exercise that may be suitable for patients with chronic back pain. Read more...
By: Ted Forcum, DC, DACBSP, FICC, CSCS and Tom Hyde, DC, DACBSP
Tai Chi for posture and back pain
February 19, 2004
Tai Chi involves slow, deliberate, flowing movement of the body (no jarring motions that create impact on the spine) along with a focus on breathing, all carried out with particular mental focus. This combination is why Tai Chi is referred to as "meditation in motion" and can be an ideal exercise for people with back pain or stress. Read more...
By: Robert Humphreys, DC
How yoga relieves back pain
January 27, 2004
Although yoga has many physical benefits as it helps ease low back pain, yoga also has numerous helps with stress reduction, mental health, and relaxation. Read more...
By: Fred Busch
Exercise for back pain
October 1999
Almost everyone can benefit from stretching the soft tissues— the muscles, ligaments and tendons—around the spine. The spinal column and its contiguous muscles, ligaments and tendons are all designed to move, and limitations in this motion can accentuate pain. Read more...
By: Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
Failed back surgery syndrome: what it is and how to prevent it
January 28, 2003
The number one reason back surgery is not effective (often referred to as failed back surgery) is because the lesion that was operated on is not in fact the cause of the patient's pain. In most cases of lower back pain (including chronic back pain), a pain generator cannot be found and surgery is very unpredictable. For this reason, accurate preoperative patient selection is critical to a successful surgical outcome and avoiding failed back surgery syndrome. Read more...
By: Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
The importance of psychological preparation for back surgery
August 30, 2000
The stress of an illness or injury, the impending surgery, and the recovery process after back surgery can all have a significant impact on a patient’s physical, psychological and social state. This article explores how valuable mental preparation can make a difference, and help prevent chronic back pain after surgery. Read more...
By: William W. Deardorff, PhD, ABPP
How to prepare psychologically for back surgery
August 30, 2000
Although there are many aspects of a psychological preparation program, a tailored approach often works the best to help manage stress, anxiety and depression before a spine surgery. This article explains specific techniques for the psychological preparation of back surgery. Read more...
By: William W. Deardorff, PhD, ABPP
Back-to-Back: Support and help for chronic back pain sufferers
In this section, patients share their insights about their emotional coping strategies, challenges and successes gaining support from family and friends, and advice for others about living with back pain. The Back-to-Back section helps patients with chronic back pain learn from the experiences of others. Read more...
Back-to-Back: Chronic back pain management
In this section, patients share their advice and strategies for chronic back pain management, such as emotional support, medications, gentle exercise and injections. The Back-to-Back section helps patients with chronic back pain learn from the experiences of others. Read more...
Back Pain Radio transcript: managing stress, depression and chronic back pain
April 19, 2005
What many patients don’t realize is that stress, chronic pain and depression are interrelated and need to be treated simultaneously by a multi-disciplinary team of health professionals. William Deardorff, M.D., a clinical health psychologist in California and Contributing Author for Spine-heatlh.com and Grant Cooper, M.D., host of Back Pain Radio, discuss chronic pain and depression on the April 11, 2005 radio show. Read transcript...
Chronic pain and pain management – The doctor is in!
April 19, 2005
This section addresses patients’ questions about undergoing facet joint injections and epidural steroid injections for pain management. Answers are provided by Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., M.D., an orthopedic spine surgeon and Medical Director for Spine-health.com. Patients’ inquiries on injections for pain relief from back problems were submitted by e-mail, and we’ve posted some common questions and responses here. Read more...
Are your medications making you sick? – Spine-health.com Newsletter
This newsletter explains some of the potential side effects and risks of several
commonly used drugs for back pain, including COX-2 inhibitors, other NSAIDs,
acetaminophen and anti-depressants for depression (which is often a factor for patients with severe chronic back pain). Read
more...
Understanding different types of back pain - Spine-health.com Newsletter
Because back pain is an intense and personal experience, it’s important to understand some of the basic tenets and different types of back pain and neck pain (including chronic pain and neuropathic pain). This newsletter will outline some of the basic tenets of back pain to help you on your journey to finding a treatment approach that works for you. Read more...
Please note that these additional patient resources (such as The Back-to-Back Forum and Newsletters) on Spine-health.com are not peer-reviewed by the Spine-health.com Medical Advisory Board. They are provided as additional resources for patients to learn from the experiences of others and to gain information from our popular newsletters.
