What is Back Pain?
- One of society’s most common medical problems
- Can result from injury, illness or genetic predisposition
- Treatment depends on cause and location
Back pain ranges from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp pain. It can be debilitating and significantly reduce the quality of your life. Approximately 80% of the U.S. population will experience back pain at some time in their lives. An accident, fall or lifting something heavy can bring on back pain as can age-related changes to the spine. Pre-disposition to degenerative back problems also causes back pain.
Our Treatment Approach
Our back and spine specialists are experts in a variety of treatment options. Once your physician has an accurate diagnosis, an effective treatment plan will be created. Preferred treatment depends on what kind of pain you are experiencing, acute or chronic. Acute pain generally can be relieved with conservative treatment such as over-the-counter pain relievers, hot or cold packs, stretching and correct posture. Chronic back pain may or may not require surgery. Non-surgical treatments include hot or cold packs, exercise, prescription or over-the-counter medications, injections and complementary approaches such as acupuncture. If you have a herniated disk, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, vertebral fractures or degenerative disk disease, surgery may be the best option. Because our focus is on minimally invasive approaches, recovery times are generally quicker and patients often experience pain relief sooner rather than later.
Causes
Back pain can be caused by:
- Injury such as fracture or sprain
- Herniated disk or degenerative disk disease, spasms, muscle tension
- Aging
- Obesity
- Poor physical fitness
- Disease such as scoliosis, arthritis, spinal stenosis, infections, tumors and more
Symptoms
Back pain symptoms can include dull or sharp pain, numbness or tingling, severe pain that doesn’t improve with rest, pain after a fall or injury and pain plus any of these problems – trouble urinating, weakness, numbness in your legs, fever, weight loss when not on a diet.
