Back pain is a common ailment experienced by nearly everyone at some point in their lives. Back discomfort, whether from helping a friend move a couch or from a more serious disease or accident, is a common cause of impairment that most people try to ignore or live with in some way. Taking some ibuprofen may help you feel better in the short term, but it will not actually solve the underlying problem, so it is important to contact a spine specialist Macon, GA.
Back Pain Causes
Reasons for minor back discomfort include overexertion (hard yard labor), bad posture, being overweight, having a weak core, or being inactive. Most cases of back strain will heal on their own with the correct mixture of ice, rest, anti-inflammatory drugs, exercise, and physical therapy.
Back discomfort can be caused by a number of things, from a simple strain to something more serious like osteoporosis, spinal stenosis, or a ruptured disc.
SIigns the time has come to see a spine doctor
- Chronic pain is defined as any discomfort that persists for 12 weeks or more, regardless of whether or not the underlying cause has been addressed.
- The discomfort prevents you from enjoying life to its fullest. Do you have to miss work? Can not work out like you used to? Is it difficult to move about after waking up?
- Weakness or numbness in the feet or legs, with or without associated bowel or bladder problems. Possible causes include disc herniation or nerve compression.
- You feel unsteady on your feet, can not walk far without discomfort, or are bothered by persistent back pain in any position.
- You can not comfortably do basic motions like bending over or twisting to the side, or standing up straight.
In addition to looking at your past health records, your spine doctor may recommend:
- X-rays to detect any bone breaks, arthritis, or misalignment.
- Imaging via a CT scan or MRI to check for a herniated disc or other musculoskeletal problems.
- An infection could cause your pain, so we need to check your blood.
- Scans of the skeleton to look for cancers or other abnormalities.
- Imaging the nerves to look for compressions.
Methods for reducing back pain
After a thorough examination, you and your doctor can formulate a treatment strategy tailored to your needs. Before resorting to surgery, patients often try noninvasive methods to alleviate their symptoms, such as physiotherapy, modifications to their way of life, injection-based procedures, and anti-inflammatory and pain drugs. Some patients may benefit from additional complementary therapies in addition to conventional medicine.
If none of these methods prove effective, your doctor may recommend surgery to alleviate discomfort and reverse irreversible damage.