Low back pain as perceived by the pain specialist

Abstract

Low back pain is considered to be chronic if it has been present for longer than three months. Chronic low back pain may originate from an injury, disease or stresses on different structures of the body. The type of pain may vary greatly and may be felt as bone pain, nerve pain or muscle pain. The sensation of pain may also vary. For instance, pain may be aching, burning, stabbing or tingling, sharp or dull, and well-defined or vague. The intensity may range from mild to severe. Many different theories try to explain chronic pain. The exact mechanism is not completely understood. The specialty of interventional pain management continues to emerge. There is a wide degree of variance in the definition and practice of interventional pain management and interventional techniques. Application of interventional techniques by multiple specialties is highly variable for even the most commonly performed procedures and treated conditions1-12