BACK PAIN afflicts 80% of the population at some time in their lives and are the leading cause of disability for people under 45. Back pain can be hard to trace and can be the result of a dysfunction in the body somewhere other that where the pain is actually felt. SCIATICA results from compression of the sciatic nerve at the base of the spine. It is characterized by pain radiating through the buttock down the back of the thigh and leg. CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT includes surgery for herniated disks and symptomatic relief with pain-relieving drugs. CHIROPRACTIC TREATMENT has proven more effective than conventional medicine for relieving back pain. Other effective physical therapies are massage, accupressure, and body work. EXERCISE is important for maintaining low-back strength and LOSING WEIGHT is also recommended. A large belly can pull the back out by the "fulcrum effect." TMJ (temporamandibular joint), the jaw hinge, dysfunction has been linked to some cases of back pain, as have infected root canals.
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