There are many resources available on the web for patients with lower back pain. As always, when using any resources you find online, keep the following points in mind:
- Investigate and verify any information you receive, so that you can understand how it might or might not apply to your specific situation.
- Always consult your doctor for health-related problems
The following resources may help you get the information you need:
MayoClinic.com
Web site of the reputable teaching hospital containing information on back pain.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/back-painSpine-Health.com
Provides extensive medical information on spine health that has been reviewed for accuracy and approved by a board of consulting physicians. Also provides flash animation of the IDET* procedure.
http://www.spine-health.com (general site)
http://www.spine-health.com/dir/idet.html (IDET animation)
- Spine-Inc.com
An extensive clearinghouse for useful information on all aspects of the spine. Search under lower back pain for the most pertinent general information. The search engine also accesses information from other sites.
http://www.spine-inc.com
SpineUniverse.com
Another dedicated web site with information for patients and physicians on a broad range of back-related subjects.
http://www.spineuniverse.com
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)
Maintains an area for patients with spinal problems, including chronic lower back pain.
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org
American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)
Provides an online resource for people with neurological problems, including lower back pain.
http://www.aans.org
MedlinePlus
A general health information resource of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that provides extensive information and additional resources on a wide range of health issues, including back pain. Search under ‘B’ for back pain.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Also a division of NIH. Offers a 44-page booklet on back pain available as a downloadable PDF.
http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/pain/backpain.ht
National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Maintainsinformation on a variety of neurologic problems, including back pain. Provides specific information on lower back pain and full contact information for major professional medical organizations concerned with back pain.
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/backpain/
detail_backpain.htm
North American Spine Society
Features anatomy diagrams, lifestyle tips, andexplanations of common disorders.
http://www.spine.org
The following links will take you to pages containing explanations and illustrations of back exercises. Keep in mind that only your doctor can determine if exercise is right for you.
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)
The AAOS web site includes a “Lower Back Pain Exercises” page that illustrates 15 floor exercises you can do (some with an exercise ball) to tone and limber up your back ad maintain good back health.
http://www.orthoinfo.org/booklet/view_exercise.cfm?
Thread_ID=18&topcategory=Spine
Food & Drug Administration
This page at the FDA’s web site includes simple animations of 4 basic lower back exercises.
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/1998/298_exer.html
Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma
This web site includes easy-to-understand descriptions and illustrations of 23 different floor exercises to combat lower back pain and promote better overall back health.
http://www.nismat.org/orthocor/programs/
lowback.html
- North American Spine Society (NASS)
The NASS’s “Exercises for a Healthy Back” web page includes simple descriptions and photo illustrations of nearly a dozen exercises for the lower back, some of which can be done while seated in a chair.
http://www.spine.org/articles/exercises.cfm