Is your back acting up lately? Back pain is common and affects a person’s quality of life. In fact, it is the primary cause of work limitations all over the world. Around 50-80% of individuals experience at least one episode of back pain in their lifetime.
It may only involve specific locations such as the lower back, neck area, and the upper back. Some experience pain in the entire back. Most cases resolve quickly without treatment. At some point, you’ll start to wonder if you’ll continue resorting to home remedies or it’s already time to consult a back pain doctor.
What Can Cause Back Pain?
Several things can cause back pain, from a strenuous workout to kidney stones. Other common reasons include:
- An injured disk (acts like a cushion between the bones of the spine)
- Strained muscle or injured muscle
- Broken bone due to osteoporosis
- Arthritis
- Scoliosis
- Sciatica
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Sacroiliitis
- Long periods of standing or sitting (usually seen in office employees)
Things to Consider When Deciding to Consult a Back Pain Doctor
Severity and duration of back pain
Most cases are acute, meaning the pain disappears after a few weeks. If the pain is intense or doesn’t improve after two weeks, it’s time to consult a back pain doctor. Take note if you also feel the following symptoms:
- Pain is intense or constant, especially in the evening or when lying down
- The pain spreads down to one side or both legs or if it extends below the knee
Other symptoms that come with the pain
Additional symptoms may accompany the pain, which may indicate an underlying issue that needs to be checked further.
- Numbness, tingling, or weakness is felt in one or both legs
- Loss of sensation, tingling, or numbness in an arm that wasn’t present before
- Having a hard time in passing or controlling passing stool
- Redness or swelling on the back
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
- Eye issues such as pain, blurred vision, or light sensitivity
Physical trauma
Seek emergency medical care if your pain starts after an accident or a physical event. You will be prone to malalignment or fractures, especially as you get older. The doctor will conduct a comprehensive exam to assess the pain and any injuries that may contribute to it.
No improvement is seen with the current treatment
Contact your doctor again if your current treatment plan doesn’t improve after three months. They may change the current plan or add another medication. Otherwise, they will refer you to a specialist, such as a back pain doctor for further examination and treatment.
Your primary care doctor will initially prescribe over-the-counter painkillers like NSAIDs or a heating pad. If your condition is serious or complicated, a back pain doctor may recommend advanced treatment options:
- Physiotherapy
- Osteopathic or chiropractic treatment
- Therapeutic injection
- Steroid injections that are administered with X-ray guidance and the patient is under sedation
- Surgical intervention
- Radiofrequency ablation to resolve pain coming from arthritic spinal joints
Surgical intervention will only be considered if the pain is chronic an unmanageable, and all other options have failed. The only exception would be if the case is a medical emergency.
A condition in which this exception is applicable is Cauda equina syndrome. It’s a condition caused by compression of the spinal nerve roots. If not treated, this may result in leg paralysis, incontinence, and loss of sensation of the sexual organs. This kind of back pain needs immediate medical care and can be classified as a medical emergency.
Things to Expect on Your First Appointment With a Back Pain Doctor
The doctor will get your medical history. They will ask questions about the intensity of the pain you feel. They will also check on how easy it is for you to stand, sit, or move around. This will help them determine where the pain is coming from. It’s also important to check what worsens the pain and if anything helps alleviate it.
Other tests may also be required, such as:
- CT or MRI Scans to identify problems in bones, tissue, disks, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels
- Xray to identify broken bones or arthritis
- Electromyography (EMG) to see how the muscles react to electric impulses from the nerves.
- Blood tests to check for infection
- Bone scan to find breaks or tumors due to osteoporosis
The Pain Treatment Institute Has Topnotch Back Pain Doctors in Texas
Back pain can hinder you from doing your daily activities. It can also become debilitating. In most cases, it resolves on its own. If your back pain seems to be worsening or not improving, it’s highly imperative to consult a back pain doctor.
The Pain Treatment Institute has extensive experience treating back pain. We use the best pain management care for our patients. If you are near one of our clinics in McKinney, Mesquite, Frisco, Plano, Rockwall, or Sherman, book an appointment with us today.
