Back pain is among the highest causes of disability worldwide. A substantial percentage of adults experience back pain at some point in their life, with about ten percent of the back pain cases progressing into chronic pain. Back pain is often treatable with physical therapy or medication, but you may require an advanced approach when the pain becomes chronic. Dr. Robert Ayer in Bethlehem and a team of highly skilled neurosurgeons at Apex Spine and Neurosurgery offer expert services for back pain treatment, as well as minimally-invasive surgery. If you are experiencing pain in your back, call or book an appointment online today.
What Is Back Pain?
This is a common pain complaint that affects almost everybody at some point in life. Back pain is caused by mechanical changes for most people, such as a herniated disc or pulled muscle that changes the back’s normal function. In some people, the pain goes away within a few weeks, while it turns long-lasting in others.
What Are the Symptoms of Back Pain?
Back pain affects everyone differently. It can sometimes cause painful stabbing, shooting, or burning sensations. Other times, it can cause a dull pain that radiates down your buttocks to your legs. Most back pain relatively responds to light exercise, rest, and over-the-counter medicines. If the back pain becomes chronic for more than two weeks, you should seek medical assistance immediately.
What Is Causing Your Back Pain?
Back pain might be caused by various reasons. Strained muscles cause back pain in most patients due to lifting heavy objects, overuse injury, or daily activities. Additionally, acute injury such as a lousy fall or car accident or even as you get older, you have a higher probability of experiencing lower back pain due to degenerative changes such as osteoarthritis. Other causes include injuries, degenerative disc disease, slipped discs, sciatica, bone spurs, pinched nerve, arthritis, herniated disc, narrowing of the spinal cord, compressed nerves, or compression fracture as a result of osteoporosis.
How Is Back Pain Diagnosed?
When you visit a medical provider for back pain, the physician will first review your medical history and inquire about your lifestyle. They will also do a physical exam to determine your range of motion and rate your pain on a scale of 1 to 10. If the doctor suspects musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoporosis or arthritis may be causing your back pain, he might order diagnostic imaging like MRI or X-rays. This will offer detailed images of your joints, bones, and soft tissues to help the doctor diagnose the root cause of your back pain.
What Are the Available Back Pain Treatment Options?
Back pain treatments depend on the severity of your symptoms and their effect on your ability to exercise, work, or do other routine tasks. The Apex Spine and Neurosurgery providers recommend conventional treatments such as quitting smoking, eating a balanced diet, rest, and weight loss. Other available back pain treatments include:
- Nerve blocks
- Radiofrequency-ablation
- Epidural injections
- Spinal-cord stimulation
Some patients might need surgery to get rid of their back pain.
In conclusion, if you have back pain, don’t allow it to get any worse. At Apex Spine and Neurosurgery, Dr. Ayer and the team provide a variety of effective treatments dedicated to treating the underlying cause of your back pain so you can get long term relief. To have your back pain consultation and treatment in and around Bethlehem, Georgia, call or book an appointment online today.
