Back Pain Specialist

What is back pain?

Back pain is very common, affecting most people at least once in a lifetime. While most back pain goes away with rest and at-home care, some cases do not.

Back pain can be considered acute or chronic. Acute back pain lasts no more than six weeks, while chronic back pain lingers more than three months. Sudden or short-term back pain may be caused by an injury or heavy lifting. Your pain may be related to a nerve problem or a mechanical issue, such as a ruptured disc.

What are the symptoms of back pain?

Common signs of back pain include:

• Shooting or stabbing pain
• Pain radiating down your leg
• Muscle aches
• Pain that feels better when you lie down
• Pain that gets worse with lifting, bending, standing, or walking

Pain in your low back may feel achy, like a burning sensation, or even numb.

What causes back pain?

Back pain is typically related to an underlying health condition. Common causes include:

• Osteoporosis
• Arthritis
• Ruptured or bulging disks
• Strained muscles or ligaments

Low back pain is often caused by an injury or degeneration in your spine.

How is back pain diagnosed?

The team begins by examining your back and evaluating your ability to stand, walk, sit, or raise your legs. They may ask whether the pain interferes with routine activities or ask you to rate your pain on a scale from zero to 10.

They may recommend a test called Electromyography (EMG) if they think that your nerves are being compressed by herniated disks or spinal stenosis, a condition that narrows your spinal canal.

How is back pain treated?

The team creates a treatment plan to relieve your pain and restore healthy functioning in your back and spine. Depending on the reason for your back pain, they may recommend one of the following treatments:

• INTRACEPT®: a minimally invasive procedure for back pain coming from the lower lumbar spine bones for patients with Modic Type-I and Type-II changes. Intracept ablates the basivertebral nerve to relieve chronic low back pain with a great safety profile and long-lasting results.
• Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression (MILD):  minimally invasive outpatient surgery to remove bone spurs and thickened calcified pathologic parts of ligaments and restore space in your spine in cases of spinal stenosis
• Kyphoplasty: minimally invasive treatment for compression fractures
• Facet injections: injections into the small facet joints in your spine to stop pain signals
• Facet radiofrequency ablation: involves a small electrical current that prevents your nerve from sending pain signals
• Sacroiliac joint injections: injections into the sacroiliac joint to stop pain signals
• Sacroiliac joint radiofrequency ablation: involves a small electrical current that prevents your nerve from sending pain signals
• Sacroiliac joint fusion: minimally invasive outpatient surgery to stabilize your joint and relieve pain
• Prolotherapy: series of injections to treat chronic back pain

For more information on alternative treatments for back pain check out the articles "Turmeric for Back Pain: Does Curcumin Help Sciatica & Herniated Discs? " and "10 Proven Health Benefits of Turmeric Curcumin Supplements".

If you’re ready for a solution to your back pain, call today to book a consultation with Enhance Center.