Part of the reason we are the most respected choice for lower back pain Atlanta can provide is because we believe in integrative medicine and looking for solutions across disciplines. For example, we are interested in how the health of the stomach and the digestive system in general can potentially be a cause of chronic pain.
The obvious reason the stomach is related to other health disorders is because nutrients are processed there; so if it is not working correctly, those nutrients will not be assimilated into the bloodstream and reach the rest of the body. The less obvious explanation is that bacteria entering through the digestive tract may be causing the problem. The field of pain management is fascinated by a recent study suggesting that might be the case with lower back pain (LBP).
The Lesson of Stomach Ulcers
To set the stage before we look at the relationship between back pain and bacteria, let’s first look at the case of stomach ulcers and cancers. Both were found to because by bacterial infection when Dr. Barry Marshall of Australia found infections of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in patients with both types of health issue.
Marshall ended up winning the 2005 Nobel Prize for the discovery, partially because he proved his case by drinking a large quantity of the bacteria himself, falling extremely ill, to prove its effects to the medical community (1). Luckily, the researchers working on the connection between bacteria and back pain did not have to undergo such a self-sacrificing experiment. Let’s look now at the recent findings and their relationship to pain management.
Bacteria, Back Pain & Ramifications
The European Spine Journal published a study in April 2013 which suggests a strong correlation between lower back pain and bacterial infection (2). The study tracked the progress of 162 patients with LBP. Half were given Bioclavid, an antibiotic, for 100 days. The other half were given a placebo. The population given the antibiotic showed a “significantly” higher likelihood of responsiveness to treatments.
These new findings suggest that lower back pain, like ulcers and stomach cancer (both of which are typically accompanied by pain), can be attributed to bacteria – at least in part. What about pain in joints and elsewhere in the body, though? The real ramifications of this new study are that bacterial infection could be responsible, wholly or partially, for any type of health disorder.
Looking for the best treatment of lower back pain Atlanta has to offer? At the Atlantic Medical Clinic, we don’t look for the simplest solutions. Rather, we use an integrative, multi-disciplinary approach, respecting the complex nature of the human body. Call us now http://www.atlantamedicalclinic.com/contact for a comprehensive evaluation.
Sources:
(1) [http://discovermagazine.com/2010/mar/07-dr-drank-broth-gave-ulcer-solved-medical-mystery]
(2) [http://life.nationalpost.com/2013/05/14/link-between-bacteria-and-back-pain-is-for-real-has-researchers-wondering-if-parkinsons-diabetes-may-be-tied-to-infections-too/]