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Show TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH By Dr. Jas. W. Barton (Released by Western Newspaper Union.) LOWER BACK PAIN When there is pain in lower back, physicians are usually able to locate the cause of the trouble because three of four cases are due to infection infec-tion from other "LtmPy parts teeth, tonsils, r V gall bladder and one in every four is due to injury. Gen-'Z2Z Gen-'Z2Z Jgl e r a 1 1 y speaking, V J pain that is worse -Mp, when the patient is I t,ni I at rest is due to to-I to-I r fection and pain s. i 's worse when k .vSifcKj ' patient is up and Lt. .ieaiJ about is due to in-Dr. in-Dr. Barton jury. However, there are a number of cases where infection or effects of infection and also injury are present in the same patient. When the pain is not in lower back but in other parts of the spine and is not arthritis or rheumatism in the joints between the bones (vertebrae) the cause of the pain or disability may be hard to find. For some time physicians and surgeons have been obtaining small portions of the soft tissues by means of suction or use of a tiny syringe or suction apparatus. This is one method of finding if lump, growth or sore in the breast or uterus is or is not cancer. That small portions of the bones ofVthe spinal column obtained by this method and examined under the microscope will enable the physician to tell what is wrong with the patient is reported by Dr. J. Vails and his associates of Buenos Aires. A Safe Method. By control under the X-rays and a special method of anaesthesia of the nerve and the bone itself a puncture punc-ture is made directly into the bone. These physicians report that the method is safe and not difficult. Among the diseases found in these bones of the spine were tuberculosis, tuberculo-sis, extension of cancer from other parts of the body, growths, cysts, a porous condition of the bone found in old age and chronic inflammation not due to any special cause. While the cause of most cases of lower back pain or disability can be found, there are some cases of low back trouble and many cases where trouble is higher up, the cause of which is difficult to find. This biopsy method by enabling the physician to find the cause enables him also , to prescribe the necessary treatment However, the commonest causes should always be sought first. |