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Treatment Modality
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What this should help
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Efficacy in general
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Nothing-- “just wait it out”
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Your condition and symptoms may settle down. But, usually if the symptoms are there for more than 6 weeks, you probably need to deal with it
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About 30% of patients with symptoms from herniated discs get remission of symptoms for a time.
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Over-the-counter remedies
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These medications include Tylenol, Motrin, MSM, homeopathics, thermal patches, copper bracelets, braces, may help you deal with the symptoms
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Helpful with no definite percentages
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Back brace
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Bracing can reduce micromotion of the spine and give you some relief.
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Usually helpful in reducing some degree of back pain. Not too helpful if you are very obese.
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Acupuncture
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This modality may help your pain, but will not “fix” the problem
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Reduces extremity or radicular pain for a time in about 40% of patients
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Massage
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Back pain
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Helpful in patients without severe back spasm which makes contact difficult
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Physical therapy including traction
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Back pain, organized exercise, muscle spasm
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Helpful with no definite percentages
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Chiropractic
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Back pain
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Published temporary responses range from no response to 80% “better”
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TENS
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Back pain
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30 - 60% temporary improvement
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Course of prescribed anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), i.e., Naprosyn, Orudis, Daypro, Celebrex, Medrol, Decadron, Prednisone, or Motrin
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Back pain and extremity or radicular pain
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Medications provide symptom improvement but do not fix the underlying condition. If symptom relief is prolonged, the patients may get used to the problem.
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Course of muscle relaxants, such as Valium, Flexeril, Soma, Robaxin, Klonopin, Baclofen, others
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Back pain from spasm
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Helpful with no definite percentages
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Exercise- nonimpact i.e., swimming and non-impact fitness machinesg
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Back pain
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Nonimpact exercise cannot hurt, but tolerance to exercise depends on how severe the symptoms are. If a patient has a “weak back”, then strengthening may overcome that problem and lead to improvement.
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Rolfing
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Back pain
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Anna Rolff developed this radical stretch and manipulation and it has various results
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Pain Management-- i.e., course of narcotics, nerve blocks, epidural steroid blocks
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Back pain and extremity or radicular pain
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Pain management is often legalized addiction to such medicines as Morphine, Oxy-Contin, Dilaudid, and Methadone. Nerve blocks, facet blocks, and epidural blocks usually result in a 45% overall improvement rate.
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Other treatments
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Back pain
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There are hundreds of remedies proposed for back pain-- too numerous to mention
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