For more than a decade, Dr. Brian Klagges has served as an anesthesiologist and pain interventionalist at Amoskeag Anesthesia in Manchester, New Hampshire. Dr. Brian Klagges also trains physicians nationwide in techniques such as minimally invasive decompression and percutaneous arthrodesis, both of which can offer relief for lumbar pain.
Statistics suggest that approximately 80 percent of individuals in the United States will experience back pain within their lifetimes. The lower back is a common source of discomfort, as it bears the weight of the upper body.
The spine can bear the stress of this weight and repeated strain largely thanks to structures of sponge-like cartilage, known as the intervertebral discs. Although these discs are generally effective at absorbing shock, years of strain from everyday movement can cause them to degenerate. Eventually, weakening of the disc material can cause a herniation, in which the material from the inside of the disc bulges outward and presses on the nearby nerves, causing pain.
Many other cases of lower back pain stem from a condition known as spinal stenosis, defined as a narrowing of the area around the spinal cord. This narrowing most often occurs due to the growth of bony pieces known as spurs, which develop as a side effect of osteoarthritis.
Lower back pain may also be a result of malfunctions in the facet joints, located behind the intervertebral discs, or the sacroiliac joint, which connects the sacrum to the bones of the pelvis. Relatedly, an instability of the facet joints may cause spondylolisthesis, which occurs when one vertebra slips over another.
While all of these conditions are common causes of lower back pain, they are not the only possibilities. Patients experiencing such discomfort should seek the expertise of an experienced physician, who may be able not only to identify the source of the pain, but also to determine an appropriate course of action.
