Back Pain

If you suffer from back pain, you are not alone. Millions of people suffer some type of back pain during their lives. Simple daily life may cause a sprain or strain of your back and cause you temporary back pain. But many suffer constant and chronic pain that radiates to other parts of their bodies, impedes movement and flexibility and makes life miserable. Help is available. If you have tried many forms of treatment with little or no success, we may have what you are looking for. We offer outpatient procedures that are minimally invasive with short recovery time. Get a free MRI Review to see if you are a candidate for these procedures and start living pain free.

Your Back

Your back is part of your spinal column. It starts at the base of your skull and runs down to your pelvis. Your spinal column is made up of 33 bones medically referred to as vertebrae and is divided into five sections.

Sections of the Back

1. The Neck or Cervical Spine. This is made up of 7 vertebrae and are individually labeled C1-C7 consecutively. This area begins at the top of your spine and ends at your shoulders.

2. Mid-back or Thoracic Spine. Comprised of 12 vertebrae and covers most of the rear of your chest area and runs from your shoulders to your waist. Labeled T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, T8, T9, T10, T11, T12.

3. Low-back or Lumbar Spine. Contains 5 vertebre. Labeled L1, L2, L3, L4, L5.

4. Sacrum or Pelvis. 5 vertebrae. Located between your hipbones.

5. Coccyx or Tailbone.

Back Components

Your spine also contains facet joints, these are on the back or posterior side of your vertebrae. These joints are what help you move.

Another bone structure of your back is called the pedicle. Pedicle are on either side of your vertebrae; they make up a part that is called the walls for your spinal canal.

Separating each of your vertebrae are discs. These act as pads or shock absorbers between each vertebrae. Without discs or if your discs are damaged, your bones could rub together producing extreme pain.

All of your vertebrae and discs are shaped so that they form a structure that provides a protective cover that houses your spinal cord and its various spinal nerves. This is also known as your spinal canal. Nerves exit the spinal canal at various points along the spine and run to other parts of your body, where they provide you with tactile senses.

Additionally, your back also contains muscles, ligaments, tendons and blood vessels. All of these components work together to help you move. Back pain can occur with injury to any of these components. For instance, muscle, ligament or tendon injury can result in a sprain or strain and produce short term pain. Injury to bones, discs or nerves can be more serious and may create long term pain in your back or other even other areas of your body.

Back Pain Conditions

There are many ways to feel back pain, and this depends on what is causing your pain and where it is affecting your spine. Your back pain may be acute or chronic. Acute pain lasts short term, which could be four to six weeks. Chronic pain is persistent, long-term pain that may last years on end.

You may experience back pain that is sudden and sharp. It may be also be dull. Your pain may occur when you move. It may cause numbness in your arms or legs. If you have pain whether, tingling, numbing or shooting in your leg, it is often referred to as sciatica which is caused by a pinched nerve.

If your pain continues to get worse, affects your day to day activity or if you feel numbing or tingling in your arms or legs, see your doctor immediately.

Causes of Back Pain

Because there are a variety of causes of back pain, it's vital to know the exact cause of your pain; your doctor will help you determine cause(s). Your back pain may not be related to a specific injury but the pain will let you know something is wrong. Some common causes of back pain include aging, daily life, posture, accidents, injuries, obesity.

In aging our ligaments thicken and our discs dry out, this may create symptoms that could mean degenerative disc disease. As we age or through regular wear and tear discs can bulge or herniate. Accidents cause immediate pain and obesity puts additional stresses on your spine and low back and can cause additional disorders including osteoporosis (weak bones), osteoarthritis (joint pain), rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disease), degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis.

Tests For Back Pain

If you have had persistent back pain and go to see your doctor or spine specialist there are some exams that you will take.

First, the oral exam. The specialist will ask you a series of questions such as when did the pain begin? What have you done so far to try an alleviate your back pain? Does your pain travel or radiate to other parts of your body such as down your leg? Next they will perform a physical and neurological examination. The physical exam, will be to observe your posture, range of motion and overall physical condition. They will examine your spine, its curvature and alignment including feeling for muscle spams.

In the neurological exam, your spine specialist will test your reflexes, muscle strength, other nerve changes, along with your specific pain and whether the location of your pain travels from your back to your arms or legs.

You may also take some imaging tests such as an X-Ray, CAT scan or MRI. These tests may reveal fractures, bone spurs or bulging discs among other things. Additional tests may be required such as a bone scan, Discogram or Myelogram.

Back Pain Treatment

Depending upon your injury there may be a variety of treatment options available to you for your back pain.

With sprains and strains, rest and ice along with time will naturally heal your pain. Your doctor may prescribe pain medication. You may try physical therapy, chiropractic or acupuncture, and you might even try other new age solutions. However, if after attempting a variety if not all of these treatments your back pain persists, you may require surgery.

Back Surgery

Nobody wants to have back surgery, but after you have tried all other treatments for your back pain it may be your last option and if you still have this pain you will probably go anywhere and do whatever it takes to get rid of it.

Many surgery procedures can be done using a minimally invasive set of techniques. These are typically outpatient procedures, make small incisions, leave little scar tissue and enable a faster recovery. Surgery procedures may include Foraminotomy, Laminotomy and Micro-discectomy.

If you have any of the following conditions:

AND have had an MRI performed in the past 2 years, we can give you a free MRI Review to see if you are a candidate for our signature 5-day process. Let us help you get rid of your back pain!