Why Does My Back Hurt?

There are a number of reasons you can develop back pain during pregnancy. "It's a multifactorial issue," Dr. Peters says. "Hormonal alterations in soft tissue and even bone tissue play a part, along with changes in weight, spinal alignment, and activity level."

The hormones that are released during pregnancy allow joints and ligaments in the pelvic area to become more pliant and loose, in preparation for the birthing process, Dr. Peters explains. The downside of this softening is that it can affect the natural support your back normally receives, particularly as the weight of your baby increases.

A growing baby also causes your center of gravity to shift. Abdominal muscles stretch and weaken, making it more difficult to maintain good posture and further challenging your natural spinal alignment. "In the third trimester, for example, the forward flexion of the hips brings the pelvis and sacrum forward as well, contributing to a 'swayback' effect in the lumbar spine," Dr. Peters says. "Increasing breast tissue can also accentuate this shift in spinal realignment. Some of these tissue and mechanical alignment alterations are good for the body, in order to distribute weight gain to the middle of the body where, structurally, it's the strongest. But in a woman whose structure is weak where stress is magnified, low back pain can be the result."

Common patterns of pregnancy-related back pain include pain in the lower back, or lumbar spine, and pain that feels like it's centered even lower in the body, in the back, or posterior, of the pelvic area. If pressure is placed on the sciatic nerve or presses on a spinal disc, pain may extend through the hips, buttocks and legs.

Reference: www.back.com.

The information provided aims to provide educational purpose, if you have the described conditions as above, please consult your neurosurgeon

Managing Back Pain During Your Pregnancy

Along with morning sickness, food cravings and weight gain, back pain can be a common complaint during pregnancy. There are a few things you can do, however, to prevent pregnancy-related back pain or manage your discomfort once it starts.

Preparing for a baby's birth can be an exciting time. But as any woman with a dog-eared copy of What to Expect When You're Expecting knows, a certain amount of physical discomfort is normal during pregnancy and, well, to be expected. Back pain is a common complaint in the months leading up to delivery, especially during the final trimester, but there are a few things you can do to manage your back pain so that you can keep the focus on what's most important — getting ready to welcome your new baby!

It's Not Just You...
According to the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, more than 50% of pregnant women report low back pain at some point during their term; some studies have found the incidence to be as high as 70%. "The incidence of low back pain in pregnant women is well over double the incidence of back pain in those who are not pregnant in the same age group," says orthopaedic surgeon John G. Peters, MD, medical director of Medtronic, Inc., the world's leading spinal device company.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, women most frequently report low back pain later in their pregnancies, as the baby grows larger and heavier; however, some women also start feeling low back pain early in their term. Women who may be most at risk for developing back pain during their pregnancies are those who are overweight (though studies are inconclusive on this), or who experienced back pain prior to becoming pregnant. Women who lack flexibility and strength in their back and abdominal muscles and those carrying more than one baby also may be more susceptible.

Reference: www.back.com.

The information provided aims to provide educational purpose, if you have the described conditions as above, please consult your neurosurgeon.

Project Brings smile to cancer kid

 

“I am very lucky to get the operation free of cost,” she said, her eyes sparkling. Wei said she would like to go to school as soon as possible. Wei also added that she would like to become a doctor to take care of patients and reduce their pain.

One of the volunteer-doctors said the cost for acoustic neuroma removal surgery was HK$600,000. He said there were about 100 new cases of acoustic neuroma in Hong Kong each year. However, there are a few cases of giant tumor of more than four centimeters.

The majority of patients in Hong Kong were middle-aged men, he noted, and young patients like Wei were rare. Explaining acoustic neuroma, he said if the disease was found at a young age, the tumor would grow rather fast. He also said patients in Hong Kong with tumor less than two centimeters could opt for a follow-up therapy instead of surgery.

Dr. Joseph Lam Ming-kuen, specialist in neurosurgery who also took part in the free surgery, said the incidence of acoustic neuroma in Hong Kong had been increasing in recent years.

A higher incidence rate could be related to the fact that MRI scanning had become more common for people with loss of hearing on one side. Chief hospital manager of The Hong Kong Hospital, said: “Healing Heart Initiative” would provide free surgery to 10 poor patients in Hong Kong and mainland. Wei was the third person to have received the service, he added.

Reference: www.scmp.com.

The information provided aims to provide educational purpose, if you have the described conditions as above, please consult your neurosurgeon.

What is neurosurgery? And what is the neurosurgeon do?

Neurosurgery is a specialty of surgery which provides the critical care, prevention, diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation of neurological disorders. This includes the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their supporting structures and vascular supply; the evaluation and treatment of pathological processes which modify the function or activity of the nervous system, including the hypophysis and the operation and non-operative treatment of pain. As such, neurosurgery encompasses treatment of adult and pediatric patients with disorders of the nervous system: disorders of the brain, meninges, and the skull, and their blood supply, including the extracranial carotid and vertebral arteries; disorders of the pituitary gland, disorders of the spinal cord, meninges, and vertebral column, including those which may require treatment by spinal fusion or instrumentation; and disorders of the cranial and spinal nerves throughout their distribution.

What is neurosurgeon?

Neurosurgeon is a surgical doctor specialized in neurological disorders.

Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders - Stroke, Parkinsonism disease, Dementia, Brain tumors, Acoustic neuroma, Arteriole-venous malformation (AVM), etc...

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) disorders – like Back pain, Scoliosis, Sciatica, Low back pain, Neck pain, Neuropathic pain, etc…  .

Reference information: www.brain-spine.com.hk, http://www.surgery.cuhk.edu.hk/neuro/default.htm

The information above is used for educational purpose only, for any enquiries, please consult your neurosurgeon for medical advices.