Back

Back

Your back is an intricate structure of bones, muscles, and other tissues extending from your neck to your pelvis. Back injuries can result from sports injuries, work around the house or in the garden, or a sudden jolt such as a car accident. The lower back is the most common site of back injuries and back pain. Common back injuries include

Sprains and strains
Herniated disks
Fractured vertebrae
These injuries can cause pain and limit your movement. Treatments vary but might include medicines, icing, bed rest, physical therapy or surgery. You might be able to prevent some back injuries by maintaining a healthy weight, lifting objects with your legs and using lower-back support when you sit.

Overviews

Back Pain at Work: Preventing Aches, Pains and Injuries(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/back-pain/HQ00955/METHOD=print

Taking Care of Your Back(American Physical Therapy Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.apta.org/AM/Images/APTAIMAGES/ContentImages/ptandbody/back/back.pdf

Diagnosis/Symptoms
MRI of the Spine(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=spinemr

Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=spinemr

Treatment

Back Surgery: When Is It a Good Idea?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/back-surgery/HQ00305/METHOD=print

Kyphoplasty(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00388

Spinal Fusion(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00348

Prevention/Screening

Back Facts: A Training Workbook to Prevent Back Injuries in Nursing Homes(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthcarefacilities/training/

Lifting Safety: Tips To Help Prevent Back Injuries(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/safety/safety/174.printerview.html

Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/healthy/safety/safety/174.printerview.html

Specific Conditions

Facet Joint Syndrome(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/facet_joint_syndrome/hic_facet_joint_syndrome.aspx

Fracture of the Thoracic and Lumbar Spine(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00368&return_link=0

Low Back Strain and Sprain(American Association of Neurological Surgeons) - http://www.neurosurgerytoday.org/what/patient_e/low_%20back_strain_sprain05.asp

Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00053

Health Check Tools

Back Injury(DSHI Systems) - http://www.freemd.com/back-injury/visit-virtual-doctor.htm

Back Injury from Lifting(DSHI Systems) - http://www.freemd.com/back-injury-from-lifting/visit-virtual-doctor.htm

Videos

Kyphoplasty for Vertebral Compression Fractures(OR-Live) - One hour program - 4/19/2007 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=426

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Back Injuries(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Back+Injuries%22

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Article: Health tips. Luggage without pain. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19400009&tool=MedlinePlus

Article: Occupational health nurses--the solution to absence management? - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19338262&tool=MedlinePlus

Article: Evolving ergonomics? - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19308821&tool=MedlinePlus

Back Injuries -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=back+injuries[mh:noexp]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(case+reports[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+letter[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+2+Years&tool=MedlinePlus

Directories
Find an Orthopaedist(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://www6.aaos.org/about/public/members.cfm

Organizations
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons - http://www.aaos.org/
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/

Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/

Children
Backpack Safety(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00043

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:
Back Pain - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/backpain.html

Herniated Disk - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/herniateddisk.html

Bones, Joints and Muscles - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bonesjointsandmuscles.html

Injuries and Wounds - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/injuriesandwounds.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Back Injuries is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/

Back Injuries - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/backinjuries.html