Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-13
Complications Of Back Pain
May Be Many, Doctors Told

SVQy Dc VQfylk
Apart from the terrific pain
a pain which makes brave men
cry-there are other compiica-
tions of low back pain with
sciatica.'
Too often the sufferer is told
his back pain is q lot Of malar-
key. probably because he appears
in good health. There are no
obvious signs of the condition
like swelling or discoloration Of
any one area. Besides a normal
amount of sympathy, he's also
told, in some cases, to stay
away from a doctor he'll Grip
pie you for life"
Actually, doctor reported
yesterday, the surgical method
perfected to relieve low back
pain with sciatica can be COM
pared to just another appended
tony. It has reached that point.
Doctors Meeting.
Speaking to members of the
National Medical Association
yesterday. DR.. James Peter MUIR
ply, assistant clinical professor
of neurological surgery at George
Washington University. reported
that 80 per cent of all patients
who undergo the ruptured disc
operation return to their jobs
within 4 to IL weeks, depending
on the type of employment. They
are completely relieved of severe
pain.
This particular type Of back
pain, always associated with
pain that reaches as low as the
toes in both feet. is caused, &C
cording to DR.. Murphy, by a
small rupture or bursting out Of
a thick fluid, which fills a pad
like disc between the larger.
lower bones of the backbone.
The pad. or disc, separates the
lower, larger bones OF the back
bone, acting as a shock absorber.
When too much pressure is
forced on this region of the
backbone, like lifting q heavy
object without the help the legs
can give. the disc is squeezed by
the bones above and below. and
then it ruptures. The thick fluid
Git has the consistence Of crab
meat spills out in a blob that
presses against q nerve. which
leads downward, then splits OF
into both legs. The rupture
comes like a snap or tear in the
low back. and the pain shoots
down both legs and stays there
It is a misconception that the
disc has slipped" in these par
ticular cases, DR.. Murphy said
Simple Surgery.
| Surgeons, DR.. Murphy ex-
| planned, are able to cut into the
back, lift the pressed nerve, then
remove the spilled-out portions Of
the disc, as well as the dead ma
terial within the disc. In time
bone forms between the two por-
tons of the backbone and the
patient is up and around and
more important. back to work.
The success of such operations
has been improved with a new
X-ray technique. DR.. Murphy
said. Similar to pre-X-ray bar
ium. injections. which help doc
tors tell what's going on inside
the stomach. an opaque sub.
stance is injected into the spina
canal and fills the rupture. Thi.
shows up on the X-ray and give'
the surgeon the exact spot of thu
trouble. y
DR.. Murphy cautioned that thu
ruptured disc operation SHOULD
be employed only when the pair
as well as the sciatica. or lie.
pain-has persisted over si1
weeks and other methods have
failed to relieve pain. There car
be a flock of other causes of bacl
pain and without leg pain.
What sometimes happens, DR.
Murphy said, is that the dis
does not rupture but protrude;
enough from it's housing to pres