• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.234-238
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• 2001

Percutaneous laser discectomy has potential advantages over conservative therapy and classical open surgery as a minimally invasive procedure, although clinical experiences are limited. We experienced a patient treated with herniated lumbar discs using Nd：YAG laser. A 55-year-old woman complained of severe back pain with sciatica on L4/5 and L5/S1 dermatome for several months. The MRI finding showed bulging discs at L4/5 and L5/S1. Epidural, transsacral and root block treatments were attempted without effect. Under fluoroscopic guidance, a 14 G biopsy needle was inserted into the L4/5 and L5/S1 disc spaces to the margin of the nucleus pulposus. Laser irradiation for vaporization of tissue was performed at 20 W/second to 1200 J. A laser fiber ($600{\mu}m$) was advanced 1 cm from the tip of the needle. At the end of the procedure, the patient began to feel relief of pain (VAS changed from 9 to 4) and was discharged the same day after staying 2 hours in the recovery room. Antibiotics were administered for prevention of discitis. She had no complaints of pain until the 1-month follow up visit. Percutaneous laser discetomy technique has the disadvantages of expensive equipment, high temperature and amount of vaporing disc tissue is empirical. However, this technique, as one of the therapeutic modalities for disc herniation, provides faster relief from acute attack than conservative management techniques in carefully selected patients with sciatica due to disc prolapse.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.51-60
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• 1998

The result of studying papers about management of lower back pain published in domestic and foreign nursing and medical magazines in these 10 years is as follows ; 1. General characteristic of lower back pain ; 1) In sex distribution, there were more men than women in 5 papers and more women than men in 4 papers among 9 papers surveryed. 2) In age distribution, thirties to forties of patients had more lower back pain as surveyed by general hospitals and fifties to sixties of patients had more lower back pain as surveyed by oriental medical hospitals. 3) In cause factor, there were 50 to 65% of sprain, 32 to 44% of herniated intervertebral disc and 13 to 29% of degenerative changes. 4) In symtom distribution, there were 26 to 57% of lower back pain, 42 to 65% of lower back pain with radiating pain and 34 to 99% of paravertevral muscle spasm. 5) In period of pain management distribution, 18 to 40% of patients experienced pain for less than 6 months and 59 to 82% of them experienced pain for more than 6 months in 3 papers among 4 papers. 6) In surveying the treatment, 66 to 88% of patients had conservative treatment and there were treatments of general hospital, oriental medicine, self remedy and traditional practice in conservative treatment. 7) In job distribution, 12 to 50% of them were housekeepers, 23 to 31% office workers, 4.6 to 36% blue color workers and 11 to 15% students. 2. As psychological character lower back pain paients had anxiety, depression, anger-hostility, phobic anxiety, neurasthenia, hypochondriasis, and interpersonal sensitivity. 3. To distinguish the cause of lower back pain, plain lumbar roentgenogram, straight leg rasing test, eletromyelogic findings, somatosensory evoked potentials CT and MRI were performed. 4. To relieve lower back pain. epidural adhesiolysis, epidulal injection of local anesthetic in mixture with steroid, lumbar spinal root block, low level laser therapy, acupuncture like transcutaneous nerve stimulation(AL TENS), topical capsaicin and lumbar orthotics were used in medical field, and relaxation technique was used in nursing field. 5. Mckenzie's extension exercise and William's flexsion exercise for lower back pain were used in medical field and Yoga exercise was applied in nursing field. 6. The more school education and self efficacy were high, the better they had active coping lower back pain positively and the less self efficacy was the more they had serious pain. As a result of studying the paper there have been very little research for lower back pain in nursing fields of Korea and foreign countries. Because 60 to 80% of population expeience lower back pain at least more than once, it is necessary to develop the study and clinical practice for management of lower back pain.