Major sources of lower back pain revealed

Washington, October 2 : A new study has revealed that the collection of fluid in the spinal joints, and swelling of the interspinal ligaments are major sources of lower back pain.

The research team comprising of experts from Baskent University Hospital and Alanya Research Center, both in Antalya, Turkey, used new MR techniques for the study.

During the study, 372 patients with lower back pain and 249 healthy patients underwent MRI accompanied by short inversion time inversion recovery (STIR) sequences.

"The most common imaging findings in patients with lower back pain were soft tissue changes, mainly facet joint effusion, 85.5 per cent, and interspinal ligament swelling, 80.6 per cent," said Dr. Nefise Cagla Tarhan, lead author of the study.

"Soft tissue changes are important in the understanding of lower back pain and prevention and treatment options should focus more on these changes. A lot of patients (mostly younger) come to me with complaints of bad, lower back pain; it is a very common community problem."

"With this new MR technique, prevention and treatment options for lower back pain can focus more on soft tissue degenerative changes that cause facet joint effusion and interspinal ligament swelling," added Dr. Tarhan.

The study has been published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

ANI