When you have back pain, the doctor aims to improve your range of motion and restore your feeling well-being.
Your options for treatment will depend on the location of your pain and whether it is acute, intense, quick, and brought on by a specific event, or chronic, lasting more than six months and possibly continuing even after an illness or injury has healed. Then, you should consult a back pain doctor Clifton.
Common Causes of Chronic Back Pain
Chronic back pain is usually age-related but can also result from an injury. The most common causes include:
● Arthritis of the spine is the progressive loss of cartilage in the spine.
● Narrowing of the spinal canal that can cause nerve discomfort is known as spinal stenosis. Issues with the disk, including a bulging or ruptured disk
● Myofascial pain syndrome: soreness and pain in the muscles without a known cause
Sometimes, it is difficult to pinpoint the cause of chronic back pain.
Diagnosis and Tests
Unless you can't move because of an injury, your doctor will probably test your range of motion, check how your nerves are working, and press on your back to pinpoint the problem area. Tests on your blood and urine may be necessary to rule out more issues, such as kidney stones or infections.
Imaging tests are typically used by doctors to check for neurological issues such as weak or numb arms or legs if you have persistent discomfort, or if you were hit in the back while simultaneously having a fever:
● X-rays can help pinpoint broken bones or other problems with your spine and can also find problems in connective tissue.
● An MRI or CT scan can show your doctor what's happening with soft-tissue damage, such as a herniated disk.
● An electromyogram (EMG) helps find nerve and muscle damage.
Firstly, you should take a home treatment after you do not feel a change in your pain, then consult with back pain specialists Clifton.
Surgery
For most chronic back pain treatment, this is a last resort.
You may need surgery when you have a herniated disc or pinched nerve protruding from your spinal cord.
Discectomy. Sometimes, a disc, the cushion separating your vertebrae, can slip out of place, pressing on a spinal nerve and causing back pain.
Rhizotomy: surgically cutting a nerve prevents it from sending pain signals to your brain. Surgery can correct symptoms caused by severely damaged nerves and rubbing surfaces in a spinal joint. Still, it doesn't solve other problems, such as a herniated disc.
Microdiscectomy — Microdiscectomy is performed with an operating microscope through a small incision. It has become the standard surgical procedure for lumbar disc herniation. Sometimes, discectomy is part of a larger surgery that includes laminectomy, foraminotomy or spinal fusion.
Laminectomy. This is the most common surgery. In this procedure, a surgeon removes parts of the bone, bone spurs or ligaments in your back. This relieves pressure on spinal nerves and may reduce pain or weakness, but the procedure may make your spine less stable.
Spinal fusion is the most common surgery for chronic non-specific back pain with degenerative changes. The doctor will fuse the spine's bones, called vertebrae, together. This limits the movement between them and how far your nerves can extend, but it likely won't limit your activity.
In what situations is back surgery a smart idea?
If you suddenly start experiencing any of the following "red flag" symptoms, it might be time for surgery if the symptoms are found to be related to your spine condition:
● New or worsening bowel/bladder issues
● Weakness in limbs
● Gait and balance problems
● Evidence of increased reflexes
● Surgery can also be an option for chronic back pain treatments. If a cause is confirmed by imaging and other treatments, have not helped.
The best back pain specialists will only recommend surgery if the patient has tried conservative treatments and has not succeeded. Consider consulting with multiple surgeons to make the most informed decision about the options available for chronic pain sufferers who are resistant to treatments.
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