An overview of the management of back pain
South African Family Practice
| Field | Value | |
| Title | An overview of the management of back pain | |
| Creator | Padayachee, N. Lundie, M. Shellack, N. | |
| Description | Back pain affects people across any socio-economic category and is a leading cause of absenteeism and decreased productivity in the workplace. This symptomatic condition is caused by multiple factors, making it difficult to manage. With a small proportion of people experiencing back pain due to pathological reasons, in the larger majority, back pain is due to a mechanical cause. Taking a complete history that includes identifying risk factors such as depression, poor posture, lack of exercise, older age and a physically demanding job is crucial to the effective management of the condition. Behavioural, psychological and social factors of the patient should form the backbone for treatment of back pain. Non-pharmacological management such as exercise, spinal manipulation and acupuncture should be the first-line treatment; however, if this provides poor results then pharmacological measures such as the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like ibuprofen or muscle relaxants such as cyclobenzaprine should be considered. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2018-08-28 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/safp.v60i4.4897 | |
| Source | South African Family Practice; Vol 60, No 4 (2018): July/August; 14-21 2078-6204 2078-6190 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/4897/5798
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