Conditions
Back Pain
What is back pain?
Back pain can be caused by many factors such as: degeneration (osteoarthritis), muscle strain, mechanical problems (herniated disc), vertebral fractures associated with osteoporosis, tobacco, alcohol and drugs, poor diet, lack of regular physical activities and other more serious causes such as cancer, infection, or damage to nervous tissues. Main symptom of back pain is an ache or pain anywhere in the back, sometimes radiating all the down to the buttocks and legs. Some back issues can cause pain in other parts of the body, depending on the nerves that are affected. Please see below for more information regarding causes, risk factors, symptoms and treatment options.
What causes back pain?
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Sciatic
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Herniated disc
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Disc disease
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Spinal stenosis
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Arthritis
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Osteoporosis
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Age
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Lack of exercise
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Smoking
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Improper lifting
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Injury
Risk factors
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Poor physical fitness
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Older Age
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Obesity and excess weight
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Smoking
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Strenuous physical exercise or work, especially if done in correctly
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Poor posture
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Genetic factors
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Medical conditions, such as arthritis and cancer
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Occupational activities
Symptoms
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Inflammation or swelling on the back
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Persistent back pain (lying down or resting does not help)
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Pain radiating down the legs, below knees and feet
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Numbness or weakness in the legs
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Pain that is worse after prolonged sitting
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Pain that is worse after waking up and better after moving around
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Dull, aching pain that remains within the low back
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Urinary incontinence/difficult urinating
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Fecal incontinence, or loss of control over bowel movements
Treatment
Treatments range from conservative treatment to surgery. Our goal is to provide you with the best treatment plan to reduce pain, but these treatments do not change the underlying source of pain. Medical treatments are often used in combination such as: medications, physical therapy programs, and injection therapy.
Treats radiating pain; deposit the medication, typically steroids in the epidural space of the spine.
+ Nerve root block injections
Targets a specific spinal nerve and deposit medication around the nerve at the point where it exits the intervertebral foramen (bony opening between adjacent vertebrae).
+ Facet joint injections
Treat pain stemming from a specific facet joint.
Deposit medication around the medial branches of spinal nerves. The medial branch is a nerve that sends pain signals to the brain from an arthritic facet joint. An injection directed around the medial branch can relieve neck and lower back pain.
+ Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
Treats pain by lesioning medial branch nerves of the facet joints.
