Back pain is an enigmatic yet extremely common complaint with orthopaedic surgeons seeing nearly one half of their out patients with this complaint. To say that it is often misdiagnosed is an understatement. Almost every patient now walks in with an MRI scan hoping that this expensive investigation may lead to an early diagnosis. As time progresses the reverse is in fact turning out to be true. MRI scans are now confusing the issue as they are often unwarranted and not supported by a sound clinical diagnosis.
Back pain has a variety of causes both related to the spine and it’s supporting structures as well as due to a multitude of other causes ranging from urinary tract complaints and abdomen related complaints to osteoporosis. A majority of them are related to mechanical stress, poor posture and lifestyle choices. However to generalize all back pains into mechanical back aches is to court the chances of missing serious spine conditions like tumours and tuberculosis. The spine surgeons are now faced with a dilemma of not only having to diagnose which is what but also to treat in entirety the complaints of the patient.
Such a difficult issue needs careful clinical examination with a patient oriented approach. The decision to investigate must be supported by clear cut evidence so that it will clear the smoke. Aimless investigation only serves to confuse the issue. The multitude of changes seen on MRI scans may not indicate the true basis of the problem. At times the X-ray may be the only investigation to provide an answer to the problem. Bone scans, CT scans, blood investigations and nerve conduction studies all have specific indications and could in different situations throw light on the source of the patients complaints and thus change the direction of treatment.
We, at Ganga Hospital, base our care of patients with low back pain on a combination of scientific evidence, careful clinical examination, rational investigation plans and a true motive towards curing the patient. Every patient with back pain is evaluated first by our spine team and investigations are tailored to the individual. This approach makes sure that there is no trivialization of a patient’s complaints. The spine team sees approximately 80 patients with back pain and other spine related complaints a day. Ably supported by our physiotherapy team, we provide holistic care for back pain. With laboratory diagnostics, advanced CT scan and 1.5T MRI, all under one roof, spine care has reached new dimensions. Coupled with our advanced spine surgery techniques we are equipped to handle difficult, daunting and dangerous spinal conditions.
 |
 |
Ganga hospital is also permanently working towards medical research and education thus improving the quality and standards of medical care. Audits and ongoing self-analyzing policies help us to work towards patient convenience and care by decreasing waiting times and having scientific protocols to prevent missed, late and wrong diagnoses. |
