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Health Tip: You May Need Surgery for Low Back Pain

By ariannawmd on September 4, 2013

If low back pain can’t be eased with a combination of rest, medication or exercise, you may opt for surgery, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons says.

The group says these factors may indicate the need to visit the operating room:

Pain in the leg or lower back interferes with daily activities and affects quality of life.
Back pain develops to other neurological problems, such as weakness or numbness in the limbs.
Bowel or bladder function are affected.
Walking and standing are compromised.
Therapy and medication have not been effective.

Source: HealthDay

Are You Living with Psoriasis?

A growing knowledge of the skin disease called psoriasis is leading to greater treatment choices, including personalized therapies, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports.

Psoriasis is an immune system disorder that causes overproduction of skin cells, resulting in scaling, pain, swelling, redness and heat. The condition affects about 7.5 million Americans.

“As we better understand the disease, researchers know more about what specific factors to target in order to develop effective treatments,” FDA dermatologist Dr. Melinda McCord said in an agency news release.

There is no cure for psoriasis, so the main goals of treatments are to stop skin cell overproduction and reduce inflammation. Current therapies include medicines applied to the skin (topical), light treatment (phototherapy), or drugs taken by mouth or given by injection.

Doctors used to take a step-by-step approach, starting patients with mild to moderate psoriasis on topical therapy. If that was ineffective, doctors moved on to phototherapy or drug treatment.

Health Tip: You May Need Surgery for Low Back Pain

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Are You Living with Psoriasis?

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