Doctors
and Spine specialists most commonly classify back pain as either
Acute or Chronic.
Acute
(short term): Is an episode of back pain that does not last more than
4 weeks. Most acute pains are caused by a sudden injury to the
muscles or ligaments supporting the back. Many episodes of acute pain
will subside automatically given adequate rest and precautions.
Chronic
(long term): Is a pain that extends beyond the expected period of
healing. Clinically it is defined as pain that lasts for 3 months or
more. It often progresses gradually and the cause is difficult to
determine in the vast majority of cases. Chronic pain has the
potential to cause serious disability in leading a normal productive
life and an accurate diagnosis is critical to ensuring effective
treatment that gets the patient back to a functional. Pain-free
state.
The
American College of Physician recommends that a Spine specialist
involved in the diagnosis and treatment of pain, should attempt to
categories chronic back pain into 3 categories:
Non-specific
low back pain: For which the spine specialist doctors cannot identify
the exact underlying cause. At least 85% of all pain cases are
clinically classified as 'non- specific in nature. MRl's and other
imaging tests fail to help spine specialist to arrive at a precise
diagnosis, and therefore a vast majority of pain sufferers continue
to suffer without an effective treatment based on a precise
diagnosis.
Low
back pain associated with radiculopathy or spinal stenosis:
Radiculopathy and spinal stenosis are specific causes of pain that
may be identified through a complete physical evaluation of the spine
and imaging tests like MRI. However, these two specific causes arc
estimated to cause not more than 8%-I 5% of all pain cases. Standard
treatment for such cases can range from physical therapy and exercise
to medication.
Other
forms of specific low back pain: These comprise causes like tumors,
Cancers, and disorders of certain organs not associated with the
spine. These cases are estimated to comprise no more than 2% of all
pain cases.
Thus,
not more than 8 out of 10 sufferers of chronic pain worldwide
clinicians are unable to determine a specific cause. The challenge
facing the medical community is to evolve a new diagnostic tool or
protocol which precisely determines the root cause of the so-called
'non - specific' cases. This will pave the way for specific and
effective treatment for the overwhelming majority of people struck by
debilitating long-term pain.
Qi
Spine Clinic has treated over 17,000 patients with back ailments with
a success rate of 91%.
Qi
Spine Clinic India's
first and only healthcare offering that exclusively focuses on the
diagnosis and treatment of spine related problems.
Clinic Locations: Currently we have 19 clinics across India in Mumbai, Delhi & Pune
Contact Us: +91 8655885566/ +91 7827907070
To learn more, please visit qispineclinic.com