Blog

• A holistic approach to low back pain-Volume 2, Issue 2

  Posted on: 06 December, 2017

  Chronic low back pain is a leading cause of disability, suffering and work absenteeism with nearly four million Australians reporting back pain each year resulting in direct costs of AUD 1.2 billion and indirect costs (lost productivity) estimated at AUD 9 billion.

  This newsletter aims to promote communication between general practitioners and other health professionals and the team at Spine Service who deal with this challenging problem. For more information about Spine Service log on to www.spineservice.com.au

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• A holistic approach to low back pain - Volume 1, Issue 1

  Posted on: 06 December, 2017

  Spine Service is a multidisciplinary team of spine surgeons, pain physicians, sports physicians, physiotherapists, nurses and pain psychologists, and offers a holistic approach to the management of spinal problems. Having the entire team under one roof allows us to tailor the management plan to the individual needs of patients and their referring physicians. For more information about Spine Service log on to www.spineservice.com.au

  This quarterly newsletter aims to promote communication between general practitioners and other health professionals and the team at Spine Service and will comprise of news from the world of spine surgery and interesting case studies.

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• Surgical management of chronic low back pain

  Posted on: 06 December, 2017

  Back pain affects 13% of the Australian community on any given day, with 70% to 90% of Australians suffering from back pain at least once during their lifetime.

  Chronic back pain is defined as back pain lasting for more than three months.

  According to recent US data, low back pain is the leading cause of musculoskeletal pain, affecting 28.6% of the population. By comparison, neck pain affects 15.2%.

  In recent years, two factors have caused uncertainty for GPs managing low back pain:

  • Alarmist media reports questioning the validity of elective surgery for degenerative conditions of the spine;
  • While able to rule out pathological causes quickly, radiologists’ reports featuring words such as “disc desiccation, degeneration, annular tears, compression and bulges” can be hard to interpret and can become a source of catastrophisation for people with pain hoping to pinpoint a cause.

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