Chronic Low Back Pain: Symptoms, Pain Mechanisms and Treatment
A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Research".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2024) | Viewed by 8882
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is the most frequently reported cause of years lived with disability. Due to the complicated structure and function of the lumbar spine, it is hard to provide a correct diagnosis (type and cause of the pain) and consequently establish a treatment plan. In general, three categories of presumptive pain mechanisms can be defined: non-degenerative CLBP (trauma, tumor, inflammation, and infection); degenerative CLBP (non-specific CLBP); and CLBP of unknown origin, where medical imaging cannot explain the presenting symptoms.
Degenerative CLBP can originate from the discs, facet joints (or both), ligaments, regional or global disorders of spinal balance and muscles, tendons, nervous tissue, facet, and sacroiliac joint degeneration. The diagnosis mainly relies on medical history, clinical examination, medical imaging, and the consideration of differential diagnoses. In most cases, no clear pain source can be identified.
There is evidence that pharmacological treatment is effective for the management of acute LBP, while chronic symptoms often require a multidisciplinary approach, including rehabilitation, physical and psychological treatment, minimal interventional pain management, and eventually surgery. The treatment of CLBP is ideally performed in a multidisciplinary context for patient assessment and the establishment of a treatment plan.
In this Special Issue, we will focus on degenerative CLBP. In the diagnostic work, we will try to identify the structures that cause the pain. For each diagnosis, the potential treatment schedule will be described. The selection of interventional pain management procedures and surgery will be discussed, providing a balance between expected outcomes and potential side effects and complications.
Prof. Dr. Erik Van de Kelft
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- chronic low back
- musculoskeletal pain
- conservative treatment
- interventional treatment
- spine surgery
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