Local School Districts Keep Common Core Standards, The Latest From Discover Magazine, 5 Steps To End Back Pain

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• Expert: 5 Steps To End Back Pain

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  Back pain is the second most common neurological ailment in the U.S., ranking behind headaches.

  While the condition is widespread, back pain itself is a very broad label and not a true diagnosis, according to back pain expert Dr. Jack Stern. As a result, Stern said treatment options often focus more on symptoms than actually preventing the pain in the first place.

  In his new book, “Ending Back Pain,” Stern offers guidance to finding a specific diagnosis and following a more personalized regimen to counter the pain:

  1. Decode the reason for your pain.

  Stern compares the different parts of the back to different parts of the digestive system, with different functions and compositions. He suggests drawing on paper where exactly the pain is and asking questions like: “What are the characteristics of my pain?” and “What makes it better or worse?”

  2. Prepare to work with health care professionals.

  Stern stresses that physicians will not immediately know what is wrong and will have to problem solve using as many clues as possible. He suggests that an MRI will not point to a specific answer for the pain, and instead only serves as one clue among many, along with patient history and a good description of the symptoms. He said that patients need to advocate for themselves and that creating a timeline and record of the pain can be useful when approaching a physician.

  3. Ensure proper diagnosis.

  According to Stern, patients are often diagnosed with nonspecific back pain, which essentially means that the doctor does not know what exactly is causing the pain. He offers descriptions of the different types of back pain so that patients can better understand their pain when working with a doctor.

  4. Embrace various pathways to healing.

  Stern encourages patients to be open to a host of treatment options, including: acupuncture, physical therapy, yoga, and massage. He also suggests that back pain can be related to psychological state and that sometimes it can be important to look above the neck to treat pain.

  5. Live a life that supports a strong healthy back.

  Stern said the most important factors in achieving a healthy back are: 1) Maintaining good posture; 2) Staying mobile and active; 3) Savoring sound sleep; 4) Adopting a positive attitude; and 5) Eating well.

  Stern stresses that a person’s lifestyle and condition are unlikely to change overnight and that moderate steps are key to finding a solution.

• Local School Districts Keep Common Core Standards Despite Governor Walker's Call To Abandon Them

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  Local school officials say they are against Governor Scott Walker’s recent call to abandon Common Core Standards. An administrator from the Clinton Community School District explains why his district is sticking with Common Core standards.

• Science News: Reconstructing Soldiers' Faces, Medical Equipment Hacker, 20 Things You Didn't Know About Cats

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  A plastic surgeon left his lucrative private practice to join the Army and help victims of IED explosions. His innovations to facial reconstruction technology are groundbreaking and are the subject of this month’s Discover Magazine cover story. An editor discusses this and some of the other top science stories of the month, including an engineer who hacks medical equipment and things you didn’t know about cats.

• 5 Steps To End Back Pain

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  Back pain is the second most common neurological ailment after headaches. A neurosurgeon offers us five ways to diagnose, understand, and treat back pain.