Back Pain Common Among Those with COPD. A recent study investigated causes of pain in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and found that 71% of participants reported pain, with low back pain being the most common complaint (41%), followed by arthritis and muscle cramps. The findings suggest that individuals with COPD are at…

Childhood Exposure to Violence Linked to Chronic Physical Conditions. Researchers recently examined the associations of violence exposure with chronic physical conditions among a group of adolescents. The survey, which included 6,483 American teens, found that 24.99% of participants reported exposure to violence, and these children also had an elevated risk for back/neck pain, headaches, chronic…

Restoring Normal Neck Curve Offers Benefits. A recent study investigated the effects of improving cervical lordosis (curve) and anterior head translation (AHT) in patients with diskogenic cervical radiculopathy (neck and arm pain). In a normal spine, the head should be suspended directly over the spine. This keeps the weight of the head over the body’s…

Chronic Back Pain Affects Balance. In this study, thirteen subjects with chronic, recurrent, non-specific low back pain and 13 subjects without low back pain participated in a series of experiments to measure the effect of chronic low back pain on standing balance. The investigators found that individuals with low back pain exhibit altered late brain…

Musculoskeletal Pain Common Among Cancer Surgeons. A survey of 176 oncology surgeons reveals that fatigue, discomfort, stiffness, and back pain are commonly reported by such practitioners. Furthermore, nearly 20% of the surgeons surveyed reported occupational injuries that required treatment. The researchers conclude that changes to workplace ergonomics and surgery duration should be considered to aid…

Low Back Pain Common in Children. A new study recently investigated the prevalence of and risk factors associated with non-specific low back pain in children. The study included 444 students with an average age of about 15 years, and the results revealed that non-specific low back pain affected 22.3% of participants, leading to school absenteeism…

Patients with Modic Changes Respond to Spinal Manipulation. Modic change is a term used to describe alterations to the vertebral endplate and body related to spinal degeneration. In a recent study, researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and outcome data from 44 patients with a cervical disk herniation to evaluate their response to spinal manipulative…

Restoring Normal Cervical Curvature Reduces Common Cause of Neck Pain. A study involving 40 patients examined the benefits of restoring cervical lordosis (normal neck curvature) and reducing anterior head translation (forward neck posture) in individuals with diskogenic cervical radiculopathy. Cervical diskogenic pain originates from a damaged intervertebral disk and can lead to arm pain due…

Regular Exercise Can Reduce Healthcare Costs. Researchers reviewed data on more than 26,000 Americans and found that the average adult with heart disease who exercised on a regular basis saved about $2,500 in healthcare costs in 2012. The researchers estimate that if just 20% of physically inactive heart disease patients exercised regularly, it could save…

Social and Lifestyle Factors Involved in Low Back Pain. A study that included 3,014 men recently investigated factors beyond anatomical abnormalities associated with low back pain in older men. Using questionnaires on lifestyle and low back pain, researchers found that anatomical abnormalities such as spinal fractures, metastases, spinal stenosis, and degenerative conditions could only partly…