Self-Administered Traction as an Adjunct in the Chiropractic Treatment of Low Back Pain: A Case Report.

Objective: The purpose of this case report is to describe self-administered lumbar traction as a component of the treatment of a patient with low back pain (LBP).

Clinical Features: A 41-year-old male chiropractic student presented with an exacerbation of intermittent LBP of approximately 2 years duration. Pain intensity was 4 to 8/10 on a verbal pain scale the day after exertion and 10 on the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) 3a.

The Use and Benefits of Focused Shockwaves for the Diagnosis of Myofascial Pain Syndrome by Examining Myofascial Trigger Points in Low Back Pain.

: Low back pain (LBP) is a widespread public health issue, with myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) being a common cause, affecting 67-100% of patients. However, there are significant challenges in the diagnostic process due to the subjective and unreliable nature of manual palpation. Focused Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (F-ESWT), traditionally used for MPS treatment, offers a reproducible and non-invasive mechanical stimulus, making it a potential diagnostic tool.

Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders in Heavy Vehicle Drivers and Office Workers: A Comparative Analysis Using a Machine Learning Approach.

: Job profiles such as heavy vehicle drivers and transportation office workers that involve prolonged static and inappropriate postures and forceful exertions often impact an individual's health, leading to various disorders, most commonly musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). In the present study, various individual risk factors, such as age, weight, height, BMI, sleep patterns, work experience, smoking status, and alcohol intake, were undertaken to see their influence on MSDs. The modified version of the Nordic Questionnaire was administered in the present cross-sectional study to collect data from 48 heavy vehicle drivers and 40 transportation office workers.

Full-Endoscopic J-Shaped Transforaminal L5 Nerve Decompression in Bertolotti Syndrome.

This case report and video demonstrate the technique of full-endoscopic J-shaped transforaminal L5 exiting nerve decompression in Bertolotti syndrome. Bertolotti syndrome, characterized by a congenital lumbosacral transitional vertebra, often results in mechanical lower back pain and nerve root compression. A 69-year-old male presented with progressive radiating pain in the right leg and tingling in the L5 dermatome.

Neuroimmune mechanisms of a mouse model of chronic back pain.

Unlabelled: Chronic back pain (CBP) is the leading cause of disability affecting 1 in 10 people worldwide. Symptoms are marked by persistent lower back pain, reduced mobility, and heightened cold sensitivity. Here, we utilize a mouse model of CBP induced by injecting urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), a proinflammatory agent in the fibrinolytic pathway, between the L2/L3 lumbar vertebrae.

Anaesthetic and corticosteroid response immediately following epidural injection in patients with MRI confirmed lumbar disc herniation.

Objectives: To describe a rapid, community-based assessment, referral and management system for acute symptomatic LDH. To identify and describe specific local anaesthetic and corticosteroid patterns of pain intensity change during the first week post-epidural injection.

Setting: Private practice, specialist physiotherapy clinic, community-based radiology facility.

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Hybrid Polyaryl-Ether-Ether-Ketone (PEEK) Spinal Fixation System: Technical Features and Preliminary Clinical Trial.

Objective: To present the clinical result of spinal fixation system made entirely of Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced (CFR)-Hybrid Polyaryl-Ether-Ether-Ketone (PEEK).

Summary Of Background Data: Fusion surgery has been used to treat chronic low back pain caused by degenerative disk disease (DDD). The traditional pedicle screw system made of titanium, though biocompatible, can lead to complications, such as stress shielding and implant failure.

Imaging observation of intervertebral disc degeneration in patients with old thoracolumbar fracture-related kyphotic deformity.

Old thoracolumbar fracture with kyphosis (OTLFK) often results in low back pain, with intervertebral disc degeneration being a significant contributor. We hypothesized that patients with OTLFK exhibit distinct patterns of disc degeneration compared to those with chronic low back pain without kyphotic deformity. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of disc degeneration in OTLFK patients and explore its association with sagittal spinal parameters and endplate injury.

Applied research using the NIOSH lifting equation to optimize the design of shopping trolley for the elderly.

In the context of an aging society, products for the elderly typically need to meet the criteria of ease of use and reduction of physical fatigue. Focusing on elderly shopping scene, combined with the ergonomic principles and JACK simulation software analysis, a method of mapping NIOSH lifting equation to the product optimization design is proposed to optimize the dimensions and styling design of the elderly shopping trolley as a carrier, to optimize length, depth, and basket height from the ground. When the handle height of the elderly shopping cart is adjustable to three levels: 795 mm, 908 mm, and 1021 mm, it can effectively reduce the pressure on the lower limbs.

Biomimetic Proteoglycans for Intervertebral Disc (IVD) Regeneration.

Intervertebral disc degeneration, which leads to low back pain, is the most prevalent musculoskeletal condition worldwide, significantly impairing quality of life and imposing substantial socioeconomic burdens on affected individuals. A major impediment to the development of any prospective cell-driven recovery of functional properties in degenerate IVDs is the diminishing IVD cell numbers and viability with ageing which cannot sustain such a recovery process. However, if IVD proteoglycan levels, a major functional component, can be replenished through an orthobiological process which does not rely on cellular or nutritional input, then this may be an effective strategy for the re-attainment of IVD mechanical properties.

Targeting IL-20 alleviates inflammatory mechanical allodynia and reduces epidural fibrosis in post-laminectomy syndrome rat model.

Background: Post-laminectomy syndrome (PLS) manifests as recurrent chronic back pain, with or without radiating leg pain, affecting 10-40% of patients following laminectomy. While surgical interventions can alleviate recurrent disc herniation or joint instability, medical management of PLS remains challenging due to unsatisfactory outcomes. Epidural fibrosis is a frequent cause of PLS, leading to nerve root tethering and dural sac compression.

Custom-Made Ce-Mn Bimetallic Nanozyme for the Treatment of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Modulating Macrophage M1/M2 Polarization.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD)-induced lower back pain (LBP) brings heavy burden worldwide. In the degenerated intervertebral disc, there is an increase in the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the infiltration of M1 macrophages, which leads to abnormal local inflammatory microenvironment and exacerbates IDD. In this study, we developed a novel injectable polyethylene glycol (PEG)-capped cerium ion-manganese ion (Ce-Mn) bimetallic nanozyme (CeMn-PEG) with strong ROS scavenging and M2-type macrophage polarizing abilities to efficiently alleviate IDD.

Nonspecific cervical spine pain/neck pain/in medical personnel of north-eastern Poland-A cross-sectional study.

Unlabelled: Both mechanical and psychological overload are inherent to the work of nurses and paramedics, resulting spondylogenic pain.

Aim Of The Study: To identify potential risk factors influencing the prevalence of non-specific cervical spine pain in professionally active nurses and paramedics.

Material And Methods: 324 nurses (53.

Nonoperative management for disseminated spinal blastomycosis with extensive lytic destruction in a 35-year-old male: illustrative case.

Background: The authors describe the case of a 35-year-old male who presented with back pain and painful masses on his upper extremities. He had a known sacral lesion identified 1 year prior at an outside facility, suspected to be coccidioidomycosis on biopsy, but the workup was not completed because the patient left against medical advice and was lost to follow-up. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging revealed lytic destructive lesions involving the calvaria, thoracolumbar spine, and sacrum, concerning for an active and disseminated infection.

Mitochondrial quality control: the real dawn of intervertebral disc degeneration?

Intervertebral disc degeneration is the most common disease in chronic musculoskeletal diseases and the main cause of low back pain, which seriously endangers social health level and increases people's economic burden. Disc degeneration is characterized by NP cell apoptosis, extracellular matrix degradation and disc structure changes. It progresses with age and under the influence of mechanical overload, oxidative stress and genetics.

Severe Transverse Myelitis Following Ankle Surgery Potentially Unmasking Late-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

A 70-year-old female underwent open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of her right ankle following a mechanical trip and fell two weeks before hospital admission. Two weeks following surgery, the patient experienced sudden-onset bilateral anterior thigh paresthesias and burning mid-back pain. Over the ensuing two days, the patient developed bilateral lower extremity weakness, bilateral lower extremity numbness, and urinary retention with constipation, which led to hospital presentation.

Characteristics and mechanical mechanisms of intervertebral disc degeneration in old thoracolumbar fractures with kyphosis: clinical observations and finite element analyses.

Background: Low back pain is a common complication in patients with old thoracolumbar fractures with kyphosis (OTLFK), and intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a major contributor. Mechanical abnormalities are believed to play a key role in the development to IDD. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of lumbar disc degeneration and underlying mechanical mechanisms in patients with OTLFK.

The pathogenesis and targeted therapies of intervertebral disc degeneration induced by cartilage endplate inflammation.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is the leading cause of low back pain, where degeneration and death of nucleus pulposus cells within the intervertebral disc (IVD) can be obviously revealed. This degeneration can result in an imbalance in the extracellular matrix due to the loss of proteoglycans and water content, which can further lead to catabolic and anabolic dysfunction of the IVD. Recently, the dysfunction of cartilage endplate (CEP) during aging has drawn large attention due to its essential functions in contributing nutrient exchange and maintaining IVD homeostasis.

Time Efficiency and Ergonomic Assessment of a Robotic Wheelchair Transfer System.

: Caregivers experience high rates of occupational injuries, especially during wheelchair transfers, which often result in back pain and musculoskeletal disorders due to the physical demands of lifting and repositioning. While mechanical floor lifts, the current standard, reduce back strain, they are time-consuming and require handling techniques that subject caregivers to prolonged and repeated non-neutral trunk postures, increasing the risk of long-term back injuries. : The aim was to assess the time efficiency and ergonomics of the powered personal transfer system (PPTS), a robotic transfer device designed for bed-to/from-wheelchair transfers.

Chromogenic Photonic Crystal Detectors for Monitoring Small Molecule Diffusion at Solid-Solid Interfaces Using Stimuli-Responsive Shape Memory Polymers.

In situ monitoring of small molecule diffusion at solid-solid interfaces is challenging, even with sophisticated equipment. Here, novel chromogenic photonic crystal detectors enabled by integrating bioinspired structural color with stimuli-responsive shape memory polymer (SMP) for detecting trace amounts of small molecule interfacial diffusion are reported. Colorless macroporous SMP membranes with deformed macropores can recover back to the "memorized" photonic crystal microstructures and the corresponding iridescent structural colors when triggered by diffused small molecules.

Restoration of lysosomal function attenuates autophagic flux impairment in nucleus pulposus cells and protects against mechanical overloading-induced intervertebral disc degeneration.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a leading cause of low back pain that incurs large socioeconomic burdens. Growing evidence reveals that macroautophagy/autophagy dysregulation contributes to IVDD, but the exact role of autophagy and its regulatory mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we found that mechanical overloading impaired the autophagic flux of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and .

Feasibility of a novel back support device to improve spine stability and muscular activity during trunk flexion: A prospective cross-sectional study with healthy controls and low back pain subjects - preliminary.

Background: Low back pain is a prevalent global condition often challenging to address due to the absence of a definitive diagnosis in over 80 % of cases. Manual lifting, common in many work environments, contributes to low back pain due to lumbar spine stresses, and existing assistive technologies like abdominal belts and exoskeletons have limitations in managing low back pain effectively. This paper presents a novel back support device designed to generate abdominal compression during flexion activities, potentially enhancing lumbar stability through increased intra-abdominal pressure.

Posterior Instrumentation without Curettage Promotes Rapid Restoration of Adult Spinal Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis.

Introduction: Adult spinal Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) presents a treatment challenge due to ongoing controversies. Traditional approaches such as curettage with bone grafting and internal fixation are preferred for severe cases involving mechanical instability, neurological deficits, or deformity. This study aimed to explore the efficacy of a customized approach involving simple posterior instrumentation without curettage or bone grafting in treating adult spinal LCH.