Acute Low Back Pain Lumbar Disc Herniation
Low back pain is a common condition. 90% of patients with
low back pain will improve without surgery. Usually they get better with
spontaneous resolution of the symptoms within 12 weeks. We usually advise the
patient for early return to activity and function as the symptoms and the pain
permits. The risk factors for development of low back pain are numerous, some
include: vibration exposure, poor physical fitness, smoking and obesity,
anxiety and depression, job dissatisfaction, or repetitive bending or “stooping”
on the job. The worst pressure on the disc occurs with prolonged sitting and
bending over. In summary, if the patient has no red flags
and has a normal neurological exam, there is no reason to get early
radiological studies. Getting early x-rays and early MRIs leads to a better
patient satisfaction but does not give a better patient outcome. If there is no
specific pain pattern, then there is no need for further workup. MRIs are good
studies, but they give false positives. There is degeneration or a bulge of a
disc in 35% of all asymptomatic subjects between 25-39 years of age. In patients
60 years old or older, the majority of the patients will have changes in the
MRI. MRI abnormalities are common and must be correlated with the age and the
clinical signs and symptoms of the patient. An MRI is good for diagnosing the
lumbar disc herniation, which is sometimes called a ruptured disc, a slipped
disc, or a herniated disc. The most common location of a disc herniation is a
posterolateral herniation involving one nerve root. A foramninal L4-L5
herniation occurs in about 8%-10% of the cases. It involves the exiting nerve. A
central herniation involves multiple nerve roots. It predominantly causes low
back pain more than leg pain. It may cause bladder and bowel symptoms. This type
of disc herniation causes Cauda Equina Syndrome which needs urgent diagnosis
and surgical treatment. Clinical evaluation for a herniated disc examines
sensory and motor reflexes. The Straight Leg Raising Test is the most important
finding. It can be done in either the sitting or supine position. The test is
positive as indicated by pain in the leg when the patient’s leg is raised to
flex the hip with the knee extended. A positive straight leg test means a tension
sign, something is putting tension or stress on the sciatic nerve. When the
test is positive, it indicates possible disc herniation. Treatment is typically
non-operative. First, reassure the patient. Let the patient take some rest (no
more than a few days), give the patient anti-inflammatory medication, and
instruct them to attend physical therapy. Indications for surgery include
progressive neurological deficits, Cauda Equina Syndrome, the patient is not
getting better with time and treatment or if the symptoms are not getting better
with conservative treatment, or the patient has a positive tension sign with
persistent sever pain. Patients with sciatica and positive tension signs or
patients with positive neurological findings on clinical exam with positive MRI
findings make ideal surgical candidates. Surgery results in relief of leg pain
in the majority of patients. Back pain may persist in some patients.
Surgery results
in neurological improvement, 50 % motor and sensory and 25% reflexes. In patients
with discogenic back pain, they may need fusion which is a major procedure.This is the position that produces the highest pressure on the
disc. If a patient has back pain but no radiation, by the patient’s history or
physical examination and there are no red flags, then there is no reason to get
x-rays or MRI early in the treatment of the patient. Red flags include a
history of trauma, a tumor, infection, or Cauda Equina Syndrome symptoms. To rule
out a history of trauma you should rule out fractures with x-rays, MRI, or CT
scans. Tumors are a risk if the patient is older than 50 years old, if the
patient had weight loss, or if the patient has pain at rest or at night. An infection
may be present if the patient has fever and chills, if the patient has a
history of diabetes, or if the patient has a history of IV drug abuse. Cauda
Equina Symptoms may be present if the patient has back pain more than leg pain
or if the patient also has bladder and bowel symptoms. Cauda Equina Syndrome
needs to be diagnosed and surgically treated early. An MRI needs to be ordered
urgently in the course of treatment. The MRI should be ordered STAT. There may
need to be a wet read; a wet read is an early preliminary read of the
radiographs. A wet read needs to be communicated with the physician and can be
done while the patient is still on the table of the MRI.