Spine

After having a month of severe right-sided low back pain – so bad that he had trouble getting out of bed and dressed in the morning – he was referred for physical therapy. It came on out of the blue when he got out of bed one morning. After a steroid pack he was minimally better. He was unable to sit for longer than about an hour, unable to work out, and unable to ride his bike. Unilateral (one-sided) low back pain with rapid onset (starts suddenly) is a common problem. Rapid-onset low back pain many times can be rapidly eliminated as well. [Read more…] about 31 y/o – Severe Low Back Pain

Her back pain started about 4 years ago with slowly worsening symptoms since then, and started to have numbness and tingling down her left arm about 6 months before starting therapy. She had a previous corticosteroid injection and physical therapy – massage and light general exercise – which was minimally helpful. Her physician asked her to try again at a new clinic. [Read more…] about 83 year-old with Chronic Back Pain

Sciatica that is along the top and/or inside of the thigh is relatively rare, and normally originates from the upper lumbar spine. Care has to be taken to rule out hip arthritis, which can cause pain along the same area. Basic management includes obtaining a baseline of strength and sensation for areas affected by the involved nerve roots. Generally, sciatica of a longer duration, with symptoms that are further from the back, or with more severe signs – weakness, reflex loss, or numbness – is tougher to treat and has a lower chance of resolving with therapy. [Read more…] about 50 year old Consultant with Sciatica