Does caffeine consumption heighten pain sensitivity, particularly in the case of back pain? A recent article published in The Clinical Journal of Pain suggests that this is not the case:
"There were no significant differences among the low, medium, and high caffeine consumer groups on any self-report measure of pain severity, affective distress, anxiety-related symptoms, or sleeping behavior.Currie SR, Wilson KG, Gauthier ST. Caffeine and chronic low back pain. The Clinical Journal of Pain 11:214-219.High caffeine users were more likely to be tobacco smokers than low caffeine users (79% and 27%, respectively, p <0.001)."Conclusions: Our findings indicate that dietary caffeine consumption is not related to the global experience of pain and disability in patients with chronic low back pain, although high caffeine use may be embedded in a context of other unhealthy life-style behaviors."
Failed Back Surgery -- An "Enormous" Problem
Chiropractors have long been aware of the fact that surgery can be ineffective for treating back pain, but MDs are now beginning to become more aware of it, as evidenced by the following quote from the San Francisco Spine Center's newsletter, Backtalk:
"Almost everyone has a friend or relative who has had low back surgery, and after the operation, has never been 'quite the same.' In fact, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, there are approximately 200,000 laminectomies performed every year. An estimated 20%-30% (40,000 - 60,000) of these operations are reported to be unsuccessful. It is easy to see that the problems of 'failed back surgery' are enormous."Light, Kenneth I., MD. Failed back syndrome: fact or fiction? Backtalk. Fall: 1995
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