Causes of Back Pain

Back pain can affect someone suddenly and last for a few days to weeks. Back pain can also become chronic and last for months. Back pain can occur for many different reasons. Read below to determine what could be the cause of your back pain.

Ruptured or Bulging Disks
The soft tissue inside of disks in your spine can swell or burst and press on a nerve to cause back pain. This can be caused by a disk issue that can be determined with an X-ray.

Bad Posture
Consistently holding the body in an awkward position deforms the spinal cord and strains muscles, which leads to back pain. Using stretching exercises and taking care to hold the body in an upright, relaxed position while sitting and standing and prevent this.

Ligament or Muscle Strain
Persistent strain on the back caused by heavy lifting or even one sudden awkward moment can strain spinal ligaments and back muscles and cause pain. Constant back strain on an individual that is already in sub par physical condition can also cause back pain by way of muscle spasms.

Smoking
Smoking reduces the oxygen and blood circulation in the body, which constricts the muscles and can cause back pain.

Osteoporosis
An individual with osteoporosis can become susceptible to small fractures in the spine to cause back pain. Bones that become brittle due to this condition can begin to cause chronic back pain. 

Arthritis
Arthritis of the back narrows the space around the spinal cord, resulting in back pain. This form of arthritis often affects the lower back.

Irregularities in the Spine
At times some individuals may have a condition called scoliosis, which means that the spinal cord curves to one side. This condition, in severe cases, could lead to acute back pain.

Biological and Psychological Conditions
A body that carries too much excess weight can put stress on the back and cause pain. Anxiety and depression can also cause tension in the back, which leads to pain. An individual who rarely uses their back muscles due to inactivity can weaken the muscles, making it susceptible to pain, and back pain naturally occurs in adults over the age of 30.

How to Prepare for Pain Management Treatment

When you live with chronic pain, finally getting treatment can be a relief. You simply want to get to your appointment and get treated so you can start to live without the chronic pain that has plagued you for so long. However, before you go in for pain management treatment, there are some things you should do to ensure the appointment goes as quickly and smoothly as possible.

Review and Fill Out Forms

Most pain management centers will provide new patient packages on their website or send them to you in the mail so that you are able to fill out your paperwork before your appointment. It is highly advised that you take advantage of this because it will speed things up once you get to the center. Additionally, it will be easier for you to fill out the paperwork at home where you have all the information you may need. Filling the papers out completely is important to ensuring you get the best possible care.

Bring Medical Information With You

Make sure that you are completely prepared for the appointment by bringing all your medical history information that you have. This includes bringing a list of medications you may be taking, including anything over the counter, and any x-rays or other films you may have. Also, do not forget your insurance information. Forgetting this could delay your treatment or cause issues with your appointment.

Prepare a List of Questions

When you are at your appointment it is easy to forget any concerns you may have or any questions you had before you got there. That is why it is a good idea to write down any questions you may have so that you can refer to the list during your appointment. Consider asking questions that will educate you on understanding what is causing your pain and what your pain management treatment will entail.

Finally getting an appointment for pain management treatment can be wonderful. However, in order to make sure your appointment goes smoothly, you need to be prepared by filling out paperwork ahead of time, bringing all your medical information with you and preparing a list of questions.

What To Expect From a Pain Management Center

A pain management center is often the key to living life pain free. For someone who is struggling with chronic pain, it can be the only way to live a normal life. A center is able to offer a range of treatment options. If you have decided to go to a pain management center, it may help you to understand what you should expect.

Pain Management Is Misunderstood

The idea behind pain management is not just giving you some medication and hoping it will stop the pain. In most cases, pain is complex. It may have a point of origin, but it often is also influenced by other areas of your body. Therefore, the goal is to identify the problem and take a multi-faceted approach to treatment.

What Is a Multi-Faceted Approach?

A multi-faceted approach is using a variety of different methods to treat pain. Basically, the cause of the pain will be identified, along with any other factors that could be contributing to the pain. Then, treatment is designed for the different factors that are leading to the pain. This may mean that treatment involves taking medications, doing specific yoga exercises and following a specific diet. The idea behind this approach is to look at you as a whole person and not just one point of pain. The treatment will try to help you to heal overall so that the pain will go away, not just be hidden by the treatment you are given.

Teamwork Is Key

As part of the multi-faceted approach, you will likely see a variety of people at the pain management center. You may see a main doctor, who will run tests and go over your overall treatment plan, but you may also see specialists, like fitness experts, who are going to be a part of your pain management team.

Everyone has the same goal when you go to a pain management center: to help you manage your pain. Through identifying everything that is contributing to your pain and taking a multi-faceted approach to treatment, the team of people you work with will be able to help you be as pain free as possible.

Proven Remedies for Treating Chronic Back Pain

Are you suffering from back pain? Rest assured - you are not alone - about 80% of people across the United States will deal with this at some point in their lives. Luckily, most acute back pain is relieved within a few weeks with some relatively minor self-care steps. Here are some ways to alleviate your back pain without having to resort to drastic measures such as surgery.

Stay Active

Even if your body is achy and telling you it does not want to move, keeping it in motion is often what it needs to do. This should not be too strenuous, however - walking is one of the best activities. It helps by getting you out of a sitting position and maneuvering you into a neutral, upright stance.

Try Physical Therapy

This works well for many people dealing with this predicament. A professional can help you with a diverse treatment regimen, including ultrasound, heat or ice, muscle-release methods and more. As the pain decreases, the therapist can teach you movements that will enhance your flexibility, improve your posture and bring strength to your abdominal and back muscles.

Ask Your Doctor for an Injection

If you have tried several options and the pain is not abating, a doctor can give you an injection that works to decrease pain and lower the amount of inflammation surrounding the nerve. Many patients experience a significant reduction in pain via injection treatment.

Stretch Your Hamstrings and Piriformis Muscles

Muscles in your hips and upper legs can get tight from a variety of activities and are especially tight in people who sit for long periods of time. If this happens, your sacroiliac joints and lower back may be stressed, resulting in pain. Gentle stretching of these muscles, therefore, can help reduce the discomfort.

Position Yourself Carefully for Sleep

If you have back pain issues regularly, it is important to sleep in the proper position. Talk to your doctor, but generally if you are a:

•    Back sleeper - Place a pillow under your lower back and beneath your knees.

•    Side sleeper - Pull your knees up marginally toward your chest.

•    Stomach sleeper - This is typically not recommended for those with back pain, but if you must, rest a pillow under your hips.

Common Sources of Chronic Back Pain

Back pain is an issue that most people experience at some point during their lifetime. In many of these circumstances, the pain is focused in the lower back and it is non-specific: no primary cause is determined. Of these cases, about two to ten percent develop into chronic pain problems, affecting daily living for three or more months. If you have been dealing with this for a lengthy duration, and it is starting to interfere with daily life, contact a medical professional to see what your options for treatment could be. Some of the most often seen roots of this issue are:

A Bulging or Ruptured Disc

Discs - the spongy pieces of cartilage sitting between the spinal vertebrae for cushioning - can press on a nerve due to a bulge or rupture. Sometimes this happens and you may not even have pain. In these situations, discovery often occurs via spine x-rays taken due to another issue.

Muscle or Ligament Strain

When you twist, lift a heavy object, or do a sudden movement that leads to muscles or ligaments stretching and developing microscopic tears, this can create a strain that leads to pain. If your physical condition is poor, constant pressure on your back from normal stress can also lead to painful muscle spasms.

Skeletal Irregularities

Some spines have irregular curvatures and this can be a contributing factor for back pain. Scoliosis is one of these conditions which can result in back pain, but this typically only happens in severe cases.

Facet Joint Osteoarthritis

Also referred to as osteoarthritis of the spine or degenerative arthritis, this is a state that develops bit by bit over time. It happens when cartilage between spinal facet joints deteriorates. Initially your symptoms may appear intermittently, but they can gradually turn into a regular, unceasing low back pain. Sciatica may result from this ailment as well.