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Ozone Injections Relieve Pain of Herniated Discs

A non-surgical, radiologically guided injection of oxygen and ozone into bulging or herniated discs results in just as much pain relief and restoration of function as back surgery but with fewer complications and shorter recovery time, two recent studies revealed.

The groundbreaking therapy involves injecting a gaseous mixture of oxygen and ozone into a damaged spinal disc, using an imaging machine to guide the needle. The ozone causes a slight shrinkage of the disc, which relieves internal disc pressure and lessens back pain considerably. Researchers at the Society of Interventional Radiology predict this therapy will become standard in the United States in the next few years.

Seatbelt Plus Airbag Use Reduces Spine Fractures

When seatbelts and airbags are used together, victims of motor-vehicle accidents suffer spine fractures at a 33 percent lower rate than those using neither device, a recent study has shown. And use of the two restraints in combination cuts the risk of suffering severe spine fracture by 59 percent.

In addition, using seatbelts or airbags separately raises the spine-fracture incidence slightly.

The study, which was reported in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, was performed using data from 20,276 vehicle-crash victims, including drivers and front-seat passengers age 16 and above, who were released from the hospital in Wisconsin from 1994 through 2002.

Surgery Likely Better Than Exercise for Back Pain

The results of a four-year study on severe back pain show that spine surgery produces more and faster pain relief and greater improvement in function than exercise, physical therapy and analgesic drugs.

The study, known as the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT), was published in the medical journal Spine. The results of the first two years of the research had already found that spine surgery works better than non-surgical techniques for patients who have herniated lumbar (lower back) discs. The next two years have confirmed those findings. ( Read more about Surgery Likely Better Than Exercise for Back Pain)

A Step Toward Overcoming Paralysis

U.S. scientists have created a machine that allows the brain cells of paralyzed monkeys to circumvent a simulated damaged spinal cord and move muscles well enough to play a computer game. The University of Washington researchers, led by Chet Moritz and Eberhard Fetz, used a computer-controlled device to stimulate chemically immobilized muscles. Not only cells in the motor cortex - the brain area that controls movement - were investigated, but sensory cells, too. And they worked equally well. In fact, the scientists found that two-thirds of the neurons they tried could be utilized to move musculature.

( Read more about A Step Toward Overcoming Paralysis)

Smoking's Link to Back Problems

Smoking causes cancer, lung disease and heart attacks, and disrupts body chemistry in such dangerous ways that a host of other ailments can result. So it's not surprising that even back problems might be caused by nicotine and smoke ingestion. Indeed, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) says smoking diminishes the blood supply to the bones, and saps them of calcium, both of which increase the possibility of the onset of osteoporosis. Suggestive of the relationship between smoking and back issues, one's chances for success after back surgery improve dramatically if one is a nonsmoker or has ceased smoking.

( Read more about Smoking's Link to Back Problems)

When to See a Doctor for Back Pain

Back injuries, with their associated pain, are so widespread that they have become the costliest health care problem for those in the 30-50 age range. So says the Journal of the American Medical Association. "Back pain is probably the commonest reason people seek help for pain management other than acute post-surgical pain," says Dr. Michael Ramsay, chief of the department of anesthesiology and pain management at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas.

( Read more about When to See a Doctor for Back Pain)

Human Stem Cells Return Motor Function to Paralyzed Rats

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego report that experimental rats recovered from blood flow related paralysis after receiving grafts of human spinal stem cells. When damage occurs due to loss of blood flow to the spine's neural cells, applying human neural stem cells directly to the spinal cord achieves recovery of motor function. In this specific type of paralysis, known as spinal cord ischemia, there is no mechanical damage to the spinal cord. The brain motor centers remain partially connected to the spinal cord but the loss of inhibitory neurons leads to the degeneration of muscle control in lower limbs.

Understanding Slipped Disc | Symptoms, Causes, Treatments

What is a Slipped Disc?

One of the most common injuries to the spine is slipped or a herniated disk. This condition may be extremely painful and may damage surrounding muscle and nerve systems.

Core Strengthening and Back Pain

As a youngster, Angela Benvenuto had a diving accident which severely damaged her spine. Her vertebrae became compressed in several different places. "I was writhing in pain for years and it was my chiropractor who suggested yoga would be helpful and when I went to yoga class, it was the first time I was without pain in many years and I became addicted."

( Read more about Core Strengthening and Back Pain)

M.S. and Alzheimers Drug

Taking a drug used for Alzheimer�s disease may help deal with the memory loss experienced by people with multiple sclerosis, according to a study published in the medical journal Neurology. The finding could help the large percentage, nearly fifty percent of MS patients, who suffer from cognitive problems.

( Read more about M.S. and Alzheimers Drug)