Back pain

Published on: November 25, 2020

New Drug Promises Relief for Chronic Lower Back Pain

A new drug that works in a different way to treat chronic lower back pain is welcome news for thousands of Georgians who struggle with chronic pain. A recent study found that Tanezumab, a nonopioid pain medication, works by inhibiting the nerve growth factor, a protein that can exacerbate back pain.

This is welcome news because other treatment options such as opioids and nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs are risky. These have typically been the only options for treating chronic low back pain. Opioids can be addictive. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are linked to gastrointestinal inflammation among other problems.

Tanezumab, however, works by lowering the sensitivity of the nervous system. This new approach to pain management appears to offer less critical side effects and perhaps a greater result. Chronic pain is one of the most frequent bases for Social Security disability benefits claims filed in Georgia and around the metro Atlanta region every year.

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Published on: September 16, 2020

Increase in Disability Claims for Musculoskeletal Problems

By Lisa Siegel

Since 2010, there has been a significant increase in the number of long-term disability claims filed on the basis of musculoskeletal injuries. According to insurer Unum, there has been a 40% increase in the number of workplace disability claims filed on the basis of musculoskeletal injuries. Among men, there has been a significant 62% increase.

The injuries are especially likely to affect workers in jobs that require them to perform certain activities such as repetitive and heavy lifting or long periods of sitting. Activities that involve continuous or repetitive motion or stress are also likely to result in musculoskeletal injuries that can be serious enough for the person to apply for long term disability. According to the insurer, the top causes of long -term disability among American workers continue to remain cancer, back injuries and musculoskeletal injuries.

Many of these types of injuries can be prevented through strategic countermeasures in the workplace. A greater focus on worker education on the importance of safety in the workplace, especially worker ergonomics would help. Certain types of workers may be at a higher risk of musculoskeletal injuries, including aging or obese workers. Maintaining an optimum weight could be a significant way to reduce injury risks, and employers could focus on encouraging workers to remain healthy and at an ideal weight by providing incentives for the same.

Published on: December 24, 2015

Social Security Disability Benefits with No Medical Diagnosis

By Lisa Siegel

Sometimes an individual does not have a medically verified diagnosis of their condition, but may suffer symptoms that impair their ability to work. If you suffer from chronic pain for instance, but have no medical evidence or diagnosis from a doctor about your condition, you will find it hard to qualify for Social Security disability benefits.

The Social security Administration (SSA) will require a medically verifiable condition, and will require that your application for benefits be accompanied by medical documentation and evidence of your condition. Even if you are suffering from symptoms like pain, fatigue, frequent dizzy spills or other issues that make it difficult for you to earn a living, you most likely will not qualify for benefits if you are unable to provide medical proof of these symptoms.

Conditions that involve frequent and chronic pain are a prime example of cases in which a person may find it hard to qualify because there is no medical evidence of the impairment. Apart from chronic pain and fatigue, you might also find it more challenging to claim benefits if you suffer from unexplained lower back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome or other types of repetitive stress injuries that may not show up on lab tests, CT scans, or MRI’s.

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Published on: October 20, 2015

Physiological and Psychological Therapy Beneficial for Back Pain

By Lisa Siegel

A combination of physiological and psychological treatment has been found to be very beneficial in the treatment of back pain. According to researchers, Contextual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy releases psychological stress in persons who suffer from chronic back pain, and that helps make their physiological treatment much more effective.

According to the researchers, doctors who use this therapy will be able to help reduce back pain in patients, and also reduce the cost of treatment. Many back pain patients suffer from stress, and also may turn fear-avoidant, a mindset in which they fear taking part in any kind of activity because they are afraid that their back pain will get worse. For such people, finding an effective back pain treatment is very important and also very challenging.

The researchers conducted a pilot study in which they combined physical as well as psychological approaches to treating the problem, and found that chronic back pain could be treated more effectively with a combination of these approaches. Persons who participated in Contextual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy found it was beneficial in treating their back pain.

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Published on: February 17, 2014

Growing Incidence of Hip Pain Among Young Patients Raises Risk of Disability

By Lisa Siegel

Chronic hip pain that is so serious that a person is no longer able to stand or walk now affects many young persons. In fact, researchers recently found a growing incidence of hip pain, or hip impingement, among younger people.

The study was conducted by hip experts at The Ohio State University, and they found that they are seeing an increase in the number of young persons with hip impingement. The experts stated that the ages of these patients range all the way from those in their teens through 60s.

This condition is very frequently seen among young persons who are active and play sports. In many cases these injuries tend to be sports-related, and although the incidence of such hip impingement or chronic pain is also evident in non-athletes, the incidence seems to be higher among those persons who were active round and going through puberty.

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Published on: January 21, 2014

Exercise Effective Therapy to Treat Back Pain

By Lisa Siegel

Back pain is one of the most problematic medical conditions in the United States, and is linked to thousands of cases of severe disability. The simple truth is that the back is necessary for almost all work-related activities, and having problems in that area of the body almost always has a negative impact on other areas. However, in spite of the fact that millions of Americans suffer from this debilitating condition, there are very few therapies that have been found to consistently work. While surgeries and painkillers are prescribed in most cases, very often, people continue to suffer from pain in spite of these treatments.

Over the past few years, experts have been more inclined to recommend other less expensive treatments that may actually help treat back pain better than more expensive options, like surgery. To find relief, some patients with back pain are now encouraged to attend “pain boot camps,” where they are basically trained to help them deal with their pain. Routine exercise is one method that is focused-on in these training sessions.

However, it is important to understand that there are cases of serious and chronic pain in which people may simply not be able to withstand the pain, or mentally block it out. In cases where people suffer from such debilitating pain, they may barely be able to get out of bed and move about on a bad day, let alone go to work. In these cases, disability benefits may be the only way to provide for the most necessary living expenses. This is why the SSDI and SSI systems exist.

Published on: August 29, 2013

Study Finds Steroid Injections to Treat Back Pain May Increase Risk of Spinal Fracture

By Lisa Siegel

Back pain is one of the most disabling conditions that a person can suffer from, and very often the pain is so debilitating that it no longer allows the person to work. A recent study, however, showed evidence that some back pain sufferers may also be at risk of a spinal fracture if they are taking steroid injections for pain.

The study was published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, and suggests that older patients who suffer from low bone density should be particularly cautious when receiving steroid injections.

At issue are lumbar epidural steroid injections, which are injections into the spine where the nerve is being compressed, usually due to a spinal stenosis or herniated disc. While it has been widely accepted in medical literature for years that the use of steroid injections over a period of time can lead to a decrease in bone mineral density, this new research goes a step further by linking this lowered bone mineral density to the more serious spinal fracture.

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Published on: June 12, 2013

Persons Who Suffer Chronic Back Pain Have Higher Suicide Risk

By Lisa Siegel

Persons who suffer from chronic back pain and migraines may be at a much higher risk of suicidal thoughts and fantasies. According to the results of a new study that was recently published in JAMA Psychiatry, doctors treating patients who suffer from chronic pain or migraines must be aware of the link between back pain and suicide.

The study was based on an analysis of more than 4.8 million veterans treated by the US Veterans Health Administration in 2005. Veterans, who suffer from chronic back pain, were tracked by researchers over three years, to determine whether there was a higher association with suicide.

They found that overall a higher suicide risk was linked to migraines, headaches, neuropathy, back pain, fibromyalgia and psychogenic pain. They found that all these conditions were linked to a high rate of suicide.

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Published on: January 21, 2013

Musculoskeletal Disease Biggest Cause of Disability Worldwide

By Lisa Siegel

According to a new international study that was published in The Lancet Journal, across the globe, musculoskeletal disease is the number one cause of disability.

The biggest cause of disability across the world was back pain, while osteoarthritis was the fastest growing cause of disability. Georgia Social Security disability lawyers find that conditions like arthritis and back pain dramatically reduce a person’s ability to return to his job, increasing his dependence on disability benefits.

The findings of the study are being promoted by the Bone and Joint Decade, which is an international initiative to raise awareness about the severe cost of musculoskeletal conditions. The initiative is aimed at making these conditions a public health priority in many countries.

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