Dealing with Lower Back Pain

A recent article in The Baltimore Sun points out, “back pain is the second most common neurological ailment in the United States behind headaches, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. More than a quarter of adults experienced lower back pain in the last three months, according to a recent report by the National Center for Health Statistics.”

In fact, at some point in their lives, it is estimated that 80 percent of Americans will experience some form of back pain. This makes the ailment a likely target of controversy over treatment, specifically regarding the recent outbreak of meningitis following tainted steroid injections.  As the article states, “Shots of the steroid preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate, which has been linked to the meningitis outbreak, has become a common way to treat the pain.”

We at Multi-Specialty HealthCare (MSHC) lament this outbreak, including unfortunate fatalities, of some of the estimated 14,000 people who received contaminated steroids for their back pain. While MSHC practices an entire range of back pain treatments, including medications and orthopaedic surgery, we also recognize and practice an entire range of back pain treatments. These include alternatives such as chiropractic and physiotherapy.

We highly encourage consumers to explore every means possible when confronting their back problems or healthcare in general. From learning about exercise for rehabilitation and prevention, to medication and surgery, an informed public is inevitably a healthier public.