When should I seek medical care for back pain?
Because back pain is so common, many people assume that it’s just something they have to endure until it gets better. Unfortunately, for some people, back pain doesn’t improve. For others, it gets worse. You need medical care if you have:
- Back pain for more than a week
- Intense back pain
- Back pain after an injury, like a sports injury
- Back pain that persists when lying down
- Back pain that moves down one or both of your legs
- Back pain with numbness, tingling, or muscle weakness in one or both of your legs
- Back swelling
- Back redness
- Back pain along with unexplained weight loss
If your back pain happens alongside bowel or urinary issues, severe stomach pain, an unexplained fever, or sudden loss of feeling, seek emergency medical care immediately. Similarly, back pain after any catastrophic accident, like a car wreck, requires immediate emergency care.
What causes back pain?
Back pain may occur because of:
- Sprains and strains
- Herniated disc
- Spinal stenosis
- Degenerative disc disease
- Fractures, including traumatic and osteoporotic fractures
- Facet joint dysfunction
- Osteoarthritis
- Slipped vertebrae
- Deformities like scoliosis
Many causes of back pain are age related. For example, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis-related fractures are all more common in older adults. But, injury, trauma, and overuse can cause back pain at any age.
How is back pain treated?
Back pain treatment usually starts with physical therapy, habit changes, and short-term medication. If you struggle with your weight, it’s important to know that extra weight stresses your spine and could keep you from healing. Castle Hills Family Practice can help you with a medical weight loss program, which also boasts bodywide health advantages.
If your back pain continues, a minimally invasive procedure, like cortisone injections, could be a good way to manage pain. While these injections don’t yield permanent relief, they can decrease inflammation and control pain for as long as a few months. During that time, you can continue with nonsurgical approaches, like physical therapy, to encourage healing in your back.
Surgery is a last resort for back pain that doesn’t improve with more conservative treatments. Generally, surgery is only used to treat structural issues that can’t heal on their own.
After you feel better, Castle Hills Family Practice provides preventive care to help you avoid another bout with back pain. Learning some new tips and tricks like improving your posture, wearing back support at work, and changing your diet can all help you stay pain-free.
Call the Castle Hills Family Practice office nearest you or book your appointment online now.
