Back injury Talk - main page
Test Helps Doctors Treat Back Pain
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A study reported in this month's Radiology, reveals how a simple imaging test can help doctors determine what treatment to provide patients with lower back pain.
According to the study conducted by researchers from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) can help identify individuals who will benefit from spinal injections and spare those who will not be helped by the procedure.
SPECT shows abnormal cells in the spine. This can help doctors better understand the cause of some lower back pain. For the procedure, patients receive an injection of radioactive material. The material travels to the bone, and a 30-minute test shows where there are abnormalities in cell function.
Individuals who showed positive results on the test and who were treated with facet joint injections had a significantly higher reduction in pain than those who showed no abnormalities or those who were not tested prior to treatment.
Facet joint injections are injections of anesthesia into the small joints of the spine called facet joints. This treatment is often considered a good short-term alternative for some patients but can be expensive and can lead to complications.
Based on their findings, the researchers say, "Our study showed that patients with positive bone SPECT have an excellent response to facet injections when injected at the abnormalities seen on SPECT, while patients with a negative SPECT have a much smaller chance of improving."
About 85 percent of adults will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, Md., lower back pain is the most common cause of work-related disability and a leading contributor to job-related absenteeism.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.