Spine Condition
General Back Pain
One of the common conditions of the spine is general back pain, which is quite common in individuals of any age. The origin can either be the muscles, ligaments, discs, joints, or bone within the back and may be chronic (long-term) or acute (lasting only a few weeks).
Causes of Back Pain
- Sprain of a ligament, or excess weightlifting, or bending of muscles
- The combined effect of sitting and standing at a desk or incorrect ergonomic work placement
- Only a portion of the degenerative disc disease is part of the normal aging process
- Herniated or bulging discs that push on the nerves of the spine
- Stiffness and localized pain are the products of facet joint arthritis
- Narrowing of the spinal canal and spinal stenosis
- Falls or other accidental injuries that cause trauma to the whole body
When should you take treatment ?
Not every back pain will be in need of an urgent medical intervention. Nevertheless, early diagnosis and general back pain treatment may help in avoiding the outcome of the condition turning into a worsened one and a quicker recovery of the normal activity and functioning.
You need to see a spine doctor in case of the following:
- Pain that covers more than 2-3 weeks
- The pain that increases over time or gets in the way of activities
- Laws that are numb, tingling or weak legs
- Radiation to the buttocks, thighs, or feet pain
- Lack of ease in standing, walking, or posture reasons
- Inability to control the urge to urinate or bowel (direct to emergency)
Non-Surgical Care
A non surgical plan of treatment will first be devised before resorting to surgery and this plan will be based on your need; it might involve the use of ice or heat therapy, physical therapy among other conservative methods. Depending on the condition, such treatments can bring effective relief in most instances. Nonetheless, in case the back pain persists even after proper non-surgical treatment, we will then consider surgical means in order to iron out the whole problem.
Non-operative management will entail the following types of treatments or, in many cases, a combination of all of them.
Non-Surgical Treatments
- Massage Therapy
- Chiropractic treatment
- Epidural steroid injections
- Facet joint injectionLumbar support brace (only used when necessary to have some comfort)
- Cortisone injections
- Radiofrequency ablations
- Trigger point injection therapy
- Prescription medications
- Cream Topical and patches
- To the affected area it should be put cooled using ice pack or moist heat
- Relative rest and activity change which aggravate symptoms
- Specific, physical rehabilitation
- Environment adjustments
- Acupuncture
When Should Surgery be done?
Surgery is taken into consideration after non-surgical solutions have been found ineffective. Depending on whether the patient feels relief in several weeks or months after receiving conservative care, it may be so in some cases. Also, those with structural spinal disorders, which include a herniated disc or an enlarged spinal canal area pushing the surrounding nerves together, may require surgery.
Surgery can be suggested as well to individuals with severe or deteriorating neurological conditions or in cases of patients who live with chronic pain, which greatly affects their quality of life. Minimally invasive surgery can be done in these situations. It is possible to administer a procedure such as lumbar discectomy or laminectomy without particularly removing the nerve and regaining spinal stability, which has been proven to result in shorter healing times and recoveries with fewer complications than would occur through a traditional open surgery.
Quality Treatment of the General Back Pain with Professional Help
What To Expect During Your Appointment
Back pain can only be successfully treated with accurate diagnosis. When you visit Rishi Sheth, MD, you will find:
- A close examination of your symptoms and history of illness
- Physical exam, spine, and neurological evaluation, a thorough physical examination and spine as well as neurological assessment are done.
- X-ray, CT scans or MRI test as diagnostic means are to be utilized, should the need arise
- The correct discussion of the cause of your soreness
- An individualized treatment strategy tailored to meet your needs and how you live your life
Rishi Sheth, MD takes every patient through a thorough process to make them aware of their condition and make them comfortable with the care plan.