How to identify lower back pain

How to identify lower back pain

 

There is not a more pathetic situation in life than when your body is immobilized by a painful chronic condition for which it is difficult to find an exact reason. Back pain is one such condition that is complex in itself for diagnosis and a personalized experience for every individual. Back pain, particularly the lower back pain, is enigmatic for diagnosis as it involves many anatomical conditions which lead to this disease. Given its diagnostic complexity and a patient’s expectation to have transparent and accurate information of the treatment procedure, it becomes imperative for the patient to understand this disease thoroughly.

How is lower back pain different from upper back pain?

The nomenclature itself explains the difference. However, there is a lot of difference between them regarding the cause, diagnosis, and best treatment options to choose.

Its diagnosis depends on identifying the area from which the pain generates, its distribution, and the effect.

For example, back pain can be

1) Axial pain: Pain which concentrates at one spot or region
2) Referred pain: Pain that moves around and varies in intensity
3) Radicular pain: Pain which follows the path of the spinal cord

The absurdity with lower back pain is that even doctors find it difficult to pinpoint the reason in some cases despite having access to the most advanced imaging tools.

Symptoms of lower back pain

• Dull or sharp pain which comes suddenly or appears gradually
• Pain getting worse with certain positions and gets better when you lie down
• Stiffness in the spine, which makes changing your position difficult
• Difficulty in keeping the correct posture
• Contraction in muscles causing pain and making it difficult to stand, walk or move.

Types of lower back pain

Lower back pain can be classified into three types, depending on the nature of pain.

1. Non-specific muscular pain :

It is caused by muscle strain and is the most common form of lower back pain. Intense muscular pain on one or both sides of the lower back is the most commonly identified symptom in the non-specific muscular type of back pain. Activities that cause stress to the lower back, such as lifting, twisting, and stretching can give this kind of pain.

2. Muscle spasms :

Muscle spasms, that result from bending, heavy lifting, and other physically straining activities, also cause lower back pain. Here, the patients can recall when the pain started exactly. This pain shoots up at once instead of progressing.

3. Radicular pain :

A sharp shooting pain that starts in the back, radiating into one or both legs, is the characteristic feature of this type of back pain. Degeneration of disc or pinching of the nerve roots is the reason for this type of back pain.

Other causes

Apart from physical strain, certain conditions might cause lower back pain. While diagnosing lower back pain, it is important that these conditions are identified and ruled out.

• Sprains and strain caused by overuse of ligaments and tendons :

When certain parts of the spine are damaged, the responsibility of holding the body’s weight and taking the pressure falls on the surrounding ligaments and tendons. Overuse happens in degenerative disc disease, herniated disc, sciatica, spondylolisthesis, and spinal stenosis.

Abnormal spinal curvature

The curvature of a healthy spine supports the body structure. Any deviation can cause strain on the muscles by stretching them unnecessarily, causing inflammation and pain. Conditions like lordosis, kyphosis and Scoliosis can cause the abnormal structure of the spine. It can involve displacement from the normal position, abnormal curvature, or absence of curvature.

Arthritis

Arthritis is an inflammatory condition that affects joints in our body. Since the spinal cord has many joints, it can be affected by various types of arthritis such as spondylosis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoporosis, spinal tumors. When pain numbs your senses, and you have no clue what is causing the pain, then it is time you visit a spine specialist. Our spine doctors at Anupama Hospitals can make your treatment process comprehensible and help make the right decision

6 myths and 5facts about urinary tract infection

6 Myths and 5 Facts about Urinary Tract Infection

Urology in Kukatpally

Urinary Tract Infection is one problem that bothers continuously but doesn’t convince them into seeing a doctor. Thanks to the internet’s rabbit hole, many home remedies are readily available that claim to soothe, prevent, and even cure the disease. Falling for the spell of home remedies, people tend to ignore it until it gets gross because of conditions like incontinence or until they see warning signs like blood in the urine. So we have decided to bust few myths about UTIs so that you can feel motivated enough to visit a Urologist in Kukatpally at first sight of infection.

Myths about UTIs

Myth 1: UTIs are easy to manage
Milder UTIs indeed subside by themselves, but they may need antibiotics prescribed by the physician in slightly severe cases. If ignored for a longer time, it can spread to other vital organs like kidneys. As infection with kidneys is hard to cure, it can damage them permanently. Recognizing the minor symptoms early and promptly treating them is crucial in preventing severe damage to vital organs. For immediate care, visit the best department for urology in Kukatpally at Anupama Hospitals to get relief from pain and complete freedom from infections.

Myth 2: Drinking Cranberry juice can prevent UTIs
Cranberry juice can only reduce the chance of getting UTIs but cannot prevent it completely. It makes the urine more acidic and improves its proliferation through kidneys. However, once the urethra is infected, the cranberry juice cannot heal the inflamed lining of the urethra.

Myth 3: UTIs occur only in women
The fact is that most of the UTI infections happen in women, and a small number of men, i.e., only 12%, are affected by it. This prevalence in women is because of the natural structure of the female urinary system. In females, the urethra is closer to their vagina and anus, allowing for easy transmission of infection.

Myth 4: UTIs are the same as yeast infections
Though they share similar symptoms, they are in different conditions. UTIs occur when bacteria infect the urinary system, while yeast infection is caused by a build-up of candida on your skin. UTIs require antibiotics for their treatment, while yeast infections might need antifungal drugs.

Myth 5: People with UTIs cannot have sex
It is a fact that sexual intercourse can pass the infection to the body’s inner organs, particularly in women. They can prevent the spread of bacteria by emptying their bladder after having sex or having antibiotics after intercourse.

Myth 6: Pregnancies and UTIs are unrelated
The risk of infection is higher in pregnant women because of increased levels of progesterone hormone. Progesterone relaxes the ureter muscles and bladder, resulting in a decrease in muscle tone. The pressure exerted on the bladder can slow down the urine flow during pregnancy, putting pregnant women at higher risk of UTIs.

Best Urology in Kukatpally

FACTS

Fact 1: Sexual intercourse is one of the biggest causes
In women, the urethra is very close to the vagina, because of which it is easy for bacteria to travel to the urethra. These bacteria are harmless to the vagina but can infect the urethra. To mitigate the chances of infection, women can make a habit of urinating after intercourse.

Fact 2: Women experience recurrent UTIs
UTIs are common and persistent among women. Around 20% of women experience recurrent infections. It has been found that genetics play a significant role in the recurrence of UTIs in women.

Fact 3: UTI symptoms vary from person to person
People with UTIs do not show the same symptoms. Though everyone experiences symptoms like pain and burning sensation while urinating, the degree of severity varies. In some instances, they may not even show up.

Fact 4: Birth control put women at risk of infection
Some birth control measures like diaphragm or spermicides can increase the chances of infection by disrupting the pH balance of the vaginal area. Studies have shown that more women who use contraception pills have suffered from the condition than those who have not.

Fact 5: Children and infants can be infected too
When children get infected with UTIs, they will cure by themselves. However, due to certain factors like congenital disabilities, there is a chance that this infection and quickly spread to kidneys, damaging them permanently.

Orthopedics

Orthopedics

 

Orthopedics Hospital in Kukatpally

Orthopedics is all about the musculoskeletal system and the conditions related to the bones and the tissues connected to it. For sure, when Satan strikes, Orthopedics Hospital in Kukatpally, stationed at Anupama Hospitals, can pitch in for the combat. But then having some knowledge about the specialization will help you make an informed decision in tough times. Even if you are a healthy individual with a splendid physique and active life, you cannot afford to ignore getting acquainted with the process of how the frame that supports your beautiful body works.

Why is bone health important?

SKELETON is the basis for any system, so is for our body. The bones form the structure, help us stand, sit and move around. They protect the body parts from external harm. They store essential minerals such as calcium and phosphorous, released into the body when needed apart from helping keep the bones healthy. They are not simply a lifeless mass of minerals but organs of our body with connected tissues, which support break down old cells and generate new ones. For young bones, the production rate of new cells would be higher than the rate of disposing of old cells, which reverses after the age of 30.

The irony with bone health is that it is gradual, and you don’t notice it until it becomes a health condition. That is the reason why you have to keep a check on your bone health as you get older. Accidents minor and significant can leave you with complicated conditions and infections that you might ignore to care for initially. Apart from bone fracture, you can also end up with nerve damage, malunion of bones, and permanent loss of motion. Bone injuries are too subtle to put them on the back burner. They grow with you gradually, only to overpower you, depriving you of quality life and peace of mind.

A visit to your orthopedic at Anupama Hospital to get your skeleton system checked would only pay you off by protecting you from complications.

How is bone health diagnosed?

The diagnostic methods used for determining bone health and calculate bone density are painless and light on the pocket.
Dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan measures the bones’ composition concerning the different minerals present in your bones. The readings are measured and compared to the standard values to determine the ten-year risk of bone fracture, specifically the risk of hip fracture. It is a routine test that people above the age of 65 should regularly undergo. Factors such as the family history of osteoporosis, taking alcohol, taking medications that affect bones also determine your risk of developing osteoporosis. If you identify any of the above risk factors with yourself, make sure you make regular appointments with your orthopedician.

Orthopedic

Are orthopedic procedures effective?
Dig into the internet, and you will find many success stories of people who have recovered from total loss of movement to take part in adventure sports. Not all conditions need the same kind of surgery. The severity and cause of the injury determine the course of treatment. It is for the doctor who should decide on which approach would deliver the results you need. It is only the surgery that can fix the problem for some people, and for other cases, it is the pain management that works. It all boils down to how well your orthopedic can diagnose the condition accurately and zero in on the course of treatment. If you are serious about your bone health, your search for the best orthopedician in Kukatpally ends at Anupama Hospitals. Years of experience and expertise can shape your active life back to normal with the utmost care, and empathy is within the reachable distance.

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