Some people with dizziness find relief by lying still in a dark room or by fixing their eyes on a spot to minimize the effects of uncontrolled eye movements. LOW BACK PAIN Low back pain can be a debilitating disorder and one of the most elusive to treat effectively. The underlying problem is often poor abdominal and back muscle tone, obesity, or degenerative changes in the vertebrae. Back pain of this type is often chronic, coming and going for months or years. Intervertebral disks are composed of the shock-absorbing tissue between the vertebrae of the spinal column.
Pain begins suddenly, often after heavy lifting, twisting, violent sneezing, or coughing.
The patient may be unable to stand, but the pain subsides promptly when the patient lies down. When the herniated disk pinches a root of the sciatic nerve, pain radiates into one or both buttocks or down the back of the leg to the knee or foot in a pattern known as sciatica. The distribution of pain, numbness, or weakness indicates which nerve root is involved. A physical examination or x-ray may detect a curvature in the spinal column after an imbalance in muscle tension has persisted for years. Diagnosing an isolated herniated disk with nerve compression is simplified when the patient experiences neurological problems that are caused by damage to a single spinal nerve.