Low Back Pain Topic Guide

An broken ankle (ankle fracture) can be caused by rolling the ankle in or out, twisting the ankle, extreme flexing of the joint, or trauma. Symptoms of a broken ankle include pain, swelling, inability to move the toes or foot, and exposed bone. Treatment of broken ankle depends on the type of fracture.

Cauda equina syndrome is a condition that involves severe compression and inflammation of the nerves in the lower spine. Cauda equina syndrome requires emergency surgery because it may result in permanent loss of bladder control, and disabled lower limbs.

Exercise has been shown to reduce one's risk of heart disease, diabetes, colon and breast cancer, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and reduce depression and anxiety. The Surgeon General recommends accumulating 30 minutes of exercise on a daily basis.

Fibromyalgia is an illness with no known cause. Symptoms include chronic pain, fatigue, fibrofog (mental haziness), insomnia, headaches, nervousness, numbness, dizziness, and intestinal disturbances. Treatment may involve acupuncture, massage, biofeedback, antidepressants, Lyrica, Cymbalta, Savella, Flexeril, and Mirapex.

A lumbar laminectomy is a surgery that removes most of the bony arch of a vertebra after other medical treatments have failed to relieve lower back pain. Lumbar laminectomy is often performed in combination with other types of back surgery, such as lumbar laminotomy and discectomy. Complications and risks of lumbar laminectomy include nerve damage, bleeding, infection, and blood clots.

Sciatica is lower back pain with pain that radiates through the buttocks and down one leg. Common causes include herniated disc, spinal stenosis, piriformis syndrome, pregnancy and a pinched nerve. Treatment involves applying a cold pack and taking pain medications.

Spinal stenosis is defined as an abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal. The most common cause of spinal stenosis is degenerative arthritis. The types of spinal stenosis depend on the location along the spine, cervical, thoracic, or lumbar. Symptoms are generally experienced to the areas of the body that is regulated by that portion of the nerves in the spinal chord. Possible symptoms include worsening balance, falling, dropping objects, difficulty buttoning buttons or picking up small coins, loss of control of the bowel and/or bladder, pain, numbness, tingling, weakness along the path of the nerve being compressed, myelopathy (spinal cord compression), weakness or cramping in the arms and hands, and weakness or cramping in the legs and feet, particularly progressively with walking and being relieved with resting. Treatment for spinal stenosis is generally surgery.

Spondylosis is stiffening of the spine (vertebrae) as the result of a disease. It is often called osteoarthritis. It refers to degenerative changes such as bone spurs and degenerating intervertebral discs. Cause is usually age related. Symptoms include back or neck pain, tenderness, muscle spasm, numbness, tingling, or sciatica (low back pain with pain down one leg). Treatments target the pain and include medications, self-care, exercise and physical therapy, adjunctive therapies (chiropractic and acupuncture), injections, and surgery.

Spinal stenosis is treated with medications, lifestyle options, and surgery. Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces in the spinal canal, which is the space that contains the vertebrae, spinal cord, spinal discs, nerves, and other tissues. The narrowing is typically caused by arthritis or injury.