Back Pain

In Europe, low back pain is a problem for approximately 10% of the general population (38 million people). Twenty percent to 30% of patients visiting general practitioners are patients with back pain. In many countries back pain is the leading cause of sick leave from work, resulting in enormous costs related to reduced productivity. Most commonly back pain is caused by muscle strain, but it can also be attributed to a variety of traumatic and degenerative conditions, including:

 

–	Spinal stenosis
–	Osteoarthritis
–	Bone fractures
–	Osteomyelitis
–	Spondylolisthesis
–	Degenerative disc disease (DDD)

 

For most, back pain is only a temporary problem that can be alleviated with conservative (non-surgical) treatment such as rest, medication, physical therapy, spinal injections and the use of orthotics.  Patients suffering from chronic back pain that does not improve with conservative (non-surgical) treatment may require surgery.

Neck Pain

Neck and arm pain is also a prevalent problem that can be attributed to degeneration problems in the cervical spine.  Other neurological problems such as motor function limitations and sensory dysfunctions may also be associated with degeneration in the cervical spine. In some cases, conservative treatment may relieve neck and arm pain; however, conservative treatment is less successful in the cervical spine compared with the lumbar spine. Surgical treatment may be required to prevent severe and ongoing neurological problems.