Back Pain Specialist

What is back pain?

Back pain is discomfort in your upper, middle, or lower back. You might have back pain caused by an injury or a disease like arthritis. Back pain can feel like:

• Dull or aching pain
• Sharp discomfort
• Shooting pain
• Numbness
• Tingling
• Pain with movement

You can also suffer stiffness and a limited range of motion.

If your pain is severe or ongoing, see the team at Associated Physicians Group, PLC for an evaluation.

What are the risk factors for back pain?

Common things that cause or can lead to back pain include:

• Ligament or muscle strains
• Ruptured or bulging discs
• Osteoporosis
• Arthritis
• Lack of exercise
• Poor strength
• Older age
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Cancer
• Anxiety or depression
• Improper lifting techniques

You might injure your back in a car accident, playing sports, or falling down. Ways to reduce your risk of developing back pain include getting regular exercise, eating nutritious foods, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking. You should also avoid using poor form when lifting heavy objects.

How does my doctor find the cause of back pain?

The specialists at Associated Physicians Group, PLC determine the cause of back discomfort by discussing your symptoms and medical history. They do a physical exam to evaluate your pain levels at rest and with movement.

Your doctor could order blood tests, bone scans, nerve testing, X-rays, an MRI, or a CT scan (or another imaging procedure) to develop an effective back pain treatment.

How is back pain treated?

Common back pain treatments include:

Home remedies

Things you can do at home to relieve your back pain include:

• Using ice or heat backs
• Resting your back
• Wearing a back brace
• Doing back stretches as directed by your doctor or physical therapist

If you’re overweight, weight loss can often reduce your pain.

Physical therapy

Physical therapy stretches and exercises help strengthen tissues in your back, reduce nerve pressure, improve posture, and ease back pain.

Medications

Medication can reduce the pain and inflammation associated with a back injury or diseases like arthritis and osteoporosis.

Manual manipulation

Manual manipulation that’s often effective for back pain relief includes chiropractic adjustments and massage.

Injections

Steroid, trigger point, and regenerative medicine injections can reduce back pain and inflammation, speed up healing, and give you a better quality of life.

Radiofrequency ablation

Radiofrequency ablation uses a fine needle and radio waves to damage targeted nerves and block their pain signals from traveling to your brain.

Nerve stimulators

Nerve stimulators placed under your skin deliver electric signals to nerves to block pain signals.

Surgery

Back surgery is a last resort, used only if other treatments haven’t worked. Your surgeon can remove, repair, replace, or insert tissues into your spine to give you long-lasting relief.

Don’t let back pain prevent you from staying active when several treatments available at Associated Physicians Group, PLC can help. Call the office to schedule an appointment today.