脊椎痛長卧床礙康復

【本報訊】都市人不時受到頸梗膊痛或腰痠背痛折騰，有時更會痛至坐立難安，甚至擔心脊椎出現嚴重問題。骨科醫生指出，脊椎痛症大多是短暫性勞損引起，八成 患者有一次嚴重的腰背痛，且不少人有脊椎側彎及骨刺，但只要沒有嚴重影響日常生活，毋須過份擔憂。痛症出現後要多活動強化肌肉，長時間卧床反會影響康復。
記者：伍雅謙

脊椎痛症在30至40歲人士非常普遍，骨科醫生張啟然表示，大部份痛症並非由嚴重疾病引起，常見頸腰痛都是椎間盤勞損，除非痛楚持續太長，才有機會是腫 瘤、骨折或受細菌感染。人體脊椎每節骨中間都有軟組織，稱為椎間盤，讓脊椎有軟韌度及吸震功能。若椎間盤勞損便會出現撕裂，甚至令患者無法走路，惟大部份 人可靠止痛藥舒緩，嚴重者則需到醫院注射止痛針，一般數日至數周便會自行痊癒。

椎間盤勞損有機會令中間的髓核向外突出，壓擠附近的神經線，形成椎間盤突出，若造成放射性痛楚，即坐骨神經痛。他說，椎間盤勞損常見於頸椎第四至七節，患 者肩膀至手部會受影響而疼痛。位於臀部以上的腰椎第四及五節，也是常見痛位，會影響臀部至小腿。一般會處方止痛藥舒緩患者痛楚，約六周內會痊癒。

惟嚴重者如壓着中樞神經，會導致四肢麻痹甚至致癱，便需切除突出的椎間盤放鬆神經。他提醒，雖然脊椎痛症大部份都可自癒，但大腦會記憶痛楚，若感到脊椎痛便應求醫，否則拖延太久，即使痊癒也會感到痛楚存在。

勤做運動　強化肌肉
他表示，止痛藥可舒緩患者痛楚，防止患者因疼痛而長期卧床，因患者躺床逾三日，康復速度會大減，完全康復的機率也大受影響。建議患者要保持活動，令肌肉不致萎縮，讓身體自行修補。痊癒後勤做運動，強化肌肉，鍛煉背部肌肉尤以游水最佳。

不少長者隨着年紀增長，椎間盤退化，為穩定脊椎便會出現增生情況，造成骨刺。除非骨刺增生至壓着神經線，否則大部份骨刺毋須特別治療。若椎間盤增生又無法 穩定脊椎，會出現脊椎滑脫的情況，需視乎情況進行手術。很多人都擔心脊椎移位，他指不少人有移位情況，只要沒有引起痛楚及影響日常生活便可。



新聞來源: http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20141009/18894407
以上所提供的資訊僅作為教育及參考用途，如果你有任何醫療問題，
應向自己的骨科醫生查詢，而不應單倚賴以上提供的資料。

Spine knowledge - Intervertebral Disc

INTERVERTEBRAL DISC (IVD) are located between the concave articular surfaces of the vertebral body endplates. IVDs form the most important and unique articulating system in the spine, allowing for multiplanar motion.

These fibrocarilaginous, composite structures make up one fourth of the total length of the spinal column. Discs are present from the C2-C3 interbody space to the L5-S1 interbody space. There is no disc between the skull (C0) and the atlas (C1), nor is there a true disc between the atlas (C1) and the axis (C2).

Intervertebral discs are the cartilaginous joints of motion segments. A motion segment is composed of two adjacent vertebrae, the disc between them, the connecting capsular facet joints and the ligamentous structures attached to the vertebrae.

Each disc permits slight flexion, extension, lateral flexion, rotation and some circum-duction. Movement at a single motion segment is limited, but since motion segments are stacked on top of each other, considerable movement throughout the spine is possible. The greatest range of motion occurs in the cervical and lumbar areas, with smaller degrees of motion in the thoracic region.

Intervertebral discs are the largest avascular (without blood supply) structures in the human body. The discs are composed of the annulus fibrosus and the nucleus pulposus.

Reference information: ispine.com.hk

It is not intended as medical advice to any specific person. If you have any need for personal advice or have any questions regarding your health, please consult your orthopedic doctors for diagnosis and treatment.

What is back pain?

1.      Degeneration

The rate of degneration is vary from people. Generally, the interverbral disc and joints will become unstable after aged 30, leading to back pain or sciatia caused by nerve compressions.

2.      Bone Projection / over-growth

Osteophytes (bone spur) form naturally on the back of the spine as a person ages and are a sign of degeneration in the spine. In most cases, the spur are not the source of back pains. However, if the bone projections compress the adjunct nerves and suppress the blood supply to the nerve, the patients would suffer pain in running or standing position.

3.      Others

If back pain caused by tumor/ cancer or bacterial infections, patients may experience persistent pain in back, leading to insomnia and other associated syndromes.  

Back pain - prevention

Exercise is an effective way to strengthen your muscles. The strong muscles can help to maintain a correct position of spine. Low-impact activities can increase overall fitness without straining the low back.

Back pain - treatment

1.      Physiotherapy. It can be classified as active and inactive treatment.

Active – effectively strengthen the patient’s muscle through persistent specific exercise. 

Inactive – relieve pain in specific position through micro-current therapy

Misconception:

Many patients believe that reductions of physical activity can relieve their pain conditions, however, it is incorrect as physical acticity can help to strengthen your muscle and relieve the pain in long term. You are recommend to consult physiotherapy to personalize an exercise plan for you.

Medication

Depends on the severity of pain, orthopaedic doctor would prescribe oral medications for pain reliever. If needed or pain persist, orthopaedic doctor may recommend for intramuscular or percutaneous injections of nerve blocks to control your back pain.

Surgery

Orthopaedic doctor would recommend for orthopaedic surgery if needed, especially for patients suffering:

i.                    Medications and physiotherapy treatments cannot manipulate the back pain

ii.                  Incontinence caused by nerve compression

iii.                Progressive muscle weakness caused by nerve compression

iv.                No improvement of pain conditions after 4-6 weeks physiotherapy treatment.

references: www.ispine.com.hk/

It is not intended as medical advice to any specific person. If you have any need for personal advice or have any questions regarding your health, please consult your orthopedic doctors for diagnosis and treatment.