Treat Inflammation At Pinnacle Pain And Spine
At Pinnacle Pain and Spine we treat all types of back pain issues and inflammation is no exception. Meet with our team so that we can give you the proper diagnosis as well as treatment plan to reduce inflammation and treat your back pain. You can be sure that our team will provide you with the most effective way to getting back to living well.
Exercise To Loosen Muscles
Although it may seem counterintuitive to exercise when lower back pain is causing you grief, the right kind of movement can help eliminate the discomfort. Its always important to consult your physician before you engage in exercise when you have pain, but this conversation is well worth having if youre suffering.
First, you should keep in mind that not all exercise is beneficial in combating back pain. Try to avoid toe-touch exercises and sit-ups, which may add to the stress on your spine instead of relieving it. Leg lifts are another exercise to stay away from when you are hurting. If your core is not strong, leg lifts could be too demanding on your body if youre already experiencing pain.
Several types of exercises can be useful when you need to relieve back pain. Partial crunches can aid in strengthening your core without applying too much pressure to the area. Slow and controlled wall-sit exercises may also be useful. Other repetitions to consider include bringing each knee to the chest in succession, pelvic tilts, and swimming.
What Is Back Pain
Pain in your back can be an annoying ache, or it can get so bad that its unbearable. Back pain is the second most common reason why people visit their healthcare providers . Many people miss work because of it. Around 80% to 90% of people in the United States will have back pain at some point in their lives.
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How Does Rfa Work
The procedure will be performed in a specialized procedure suite under the guidance of a fluoroscope, a specialized type of x-ray. You will lie f dwn n n x-r tbl and the skin over your low back will be sterilized with a cleaning solution. The injection area is then numbed with a local anesthetic to minimize any discomfort during the procedure.
Using fluoroscopic guidance, your pain doctor will advance a small needle to the small facet joints of the spine, which often develop arthritis and cause pain. Th specialized type of x-ray allows your back pain dtr to watch th ndl placement n rl-tm to ensure optimal placement of thermal energy and nerve inactivation.
Your physician will perform several tests to confirm that the needle is not near any nerves that perform important functions, such as strength or sensation. Only pain generating nerves are targeted. Once optimal needle placement is confirmed, the area is numbed with a local anesthetic and thermal energy is delivered. Thermal energy inactivates the nerves transmitting pain signals from the facet joints to provide long lasting pain relief. Because the area is numbed, you may feel some pressure but will experience very minimal discomfort.
Age And Gender Issues
Age and gender are important factors to consider when diagnosing low back pain. In a young patient, a benign tumor of the spine called an osteoid osteoma may be the culprit. Inflammatory bowel disease in young people can be connected with spondylitis and sacroiliitis . Low back pain from disc disease or spinal degeneration is more likely to occur as people get older. Conditions such as abdominal aneurysm or multiple myeloma are also considered in older individuals.
Osteoporosis and fibromyalgia are much more common triggers of back pain in women than in men. Osteoporosis is a progressive decrease in bone density that leaves the bones brittle, porous and prone to fracture. Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder that causes widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and multiple tender points in the neck, spine, shoulders, and hips.
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How Do I Know If Back Pain Is Serious
Any time youre experiencing back pain that lasts longer than two weeks with no improvement, we strongly recommend you seek care. If you have sudden back pain or chronic back pain with certain symptoms, or if you have a history of cancer, the pain could be a sign of something more serious. These symptoms include:
- Unexplained fever
What Causes Degenerative Discs And Herniated Discs
Why is the lower back a target area for pain? “Generally speaking, the lower back is subject to a lot of mechanical stress and strain,â says Gunnar Andersson, MD, PhD, professor and chairman emeritus of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. âThe reason is the weight of the upper body, which always puts loads on the lower back.”
Supporting all that upper body weight is the spine, which is made up of more than 30 small bones called vertebrae stacked one on top of the other. A spongy piece of cartilage, called a disc, sits between each vertebra. It acts as a shock absorber, preventing the bony vertebrae from grinding against one another.
With age, these cushioning discs gradually wear away and shrink, a condition known as degenerative disc disease. Discs can also tear or become injured. Sometimes the weakening of a disc can put pressure on its jelly-like center. Wisneski describes this process as similar to a bubble forming on your car’s tire.
“You hit a bump in the road, then all of a sudden that tire goes pop,” he says. In the case of your back, that pressure can lead to a herniated disc , in which the center of the disc bulges.
A herniated disc in the lower back can put pressure on the nerve that extends down the spinal column. This commonly causes pain to radiate to the buttocks and all the way down the leg. This condition is called sciatica.
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How Your Back Works
The spine, which is also called the backbone or spinal column, is one of the strongest parts of the body and gives us a great deal of flexibility and strength.
Its made up of 24 bones, known as vertebrae, one sitting on top of the other. These bones have discs in between and lots of strong ligaments and muscles around them for support. There are also the bones in the tailbone at the bottom of the back, which are fused together and have no discs in between.
On either side of the spine, running from top to bottom, are many small joints called the facet joints.
The spinal cord passes inside the vertebrae, which protect it.
The spinal cord connects to the brain through the base of the skull and to the rest of the body by nerves that pass through spaces between the bones of the spine. These nerves are also known as nerve roots.
As you grow older, the structures of your spine, such as the joints, discs and ligaments, age as well. The structures remain strong but its usual for your back to get stiffer as you get older.
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Hydrotherapy And Physical Therapy
Hydrotherapy is a form of physical rehabilitation that can encourage movement and uses temperature and pressure to encourage blood flow throughout the body. This can reduce pain in the hips.
Standard physical therapy treatments can also help reduce hip pain in patients with arthritis, strains, tears, tendinitis, and other less severe hip problems.
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What Is Arthritis Back Pain
Arthritis is caused by inflammation of the joints and it affects every single joint in the human body. Once diagnosed with arthritis, a person can only slow down the effect and reduce the symptoms. This situation cant be cured.
Almost 28% of the US adults are affected by this condition. Arthritis causes immobilization and reduces flexibility.
Depending upon the body part affected, there are over 100 different types of arthritis. Some of the most common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis, Polymyalgia rheumatic, fibromyalgia, Enteropathic arthritis, Cervical spondylosis that affect various parts of the body.
One of the common arthritis is spinal arthritis that specifically affects the spine. One of the common symptoms is an intense back pain.
Other types of arthritis such as osteoarthritis, neck arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis can also cause back pain. So, it is important to properly diagnose your symptoms before taking treatment.
*All individuals are unique. Your results can and will vary.
What Will This Summary Tell Me
This summary will answer these questions:
- What is low back pain?
- How is low back pain treated?
- Nonmedicine treatments such as heat, exercise, and massage
* Your health care professional may include your primary care doctor, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, bone specialist , nerve specialist , a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist , physical therapist, or other therapist.
Note
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How Is Back Pain Diagnosed
Your health professional will first assess your back pain. They may ask questions including:
- When did your back pain begin?
- What activities were you doing differently to normal before your back pain started?
- How would you describe the pain? Is there tingling or numbness?
- What makes the pain better or worse?
If your pain doesnt settle after a few weeks or starts getting worse, ask your doctor or other health care professional about other management options. You may be referred for tests if there is reason to suspect a more serious cause for your back pain.
In most situations, imaging such as X-ray, CT or MRI scans are not helpful unless there is an obvious injury or strain.
Unnecessary tests can be expensive, and many investigations will show changes in your spine that reflect the normal passage of time, rather than damage to your spine.
What Causes Back Pain
There are many common causes of back pain, including muscle deconditioning, improper posture, muscle overuse, injury, aging and genetics. And in most cases, chronic back pain isnt caused by a single event. Its most likely a combination of many causes that contribute to the pain.
You might not know the exact cause of your back pain, and thats okay! It’s not necessary to diagnose the cause of back pain in order to treat it. Home remedies and other treatments for back pain can effectively relieve your pain regardless of the cause.
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Best Pain Reliever For Back Pain
When those first twinges of back pain surface, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are often the drug of choice.
NSAIDssuch as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxenare some of the most popular pain medications. The way NSAIDs work is by blocking an enzyme called cyclooxygenase, which prevents your body from making prostaglandin, a chemical which causes inflammation.
Reduce the inflammation and you reduce pain as well.
Acetaminophen isnt an anti-inflammatory, but it is commonly used to treat pain and fevers. Experts arent entirely sure how it works, but its believed to block the same enzyme that NSAIDs do.
All things considered, the best pain reliever for back pain is the one that allows you to resume your everyday activities with the least amount of side effects. All pain medications come with a risk of unpleasant side effects, ranging from indigestion to liver and kidney damage.
But what if youve been taking steady doses for weeks and the pain isnt getting any better? Should you switch to something stronger?
Heat Therapy And Cold Therapy To Help Back Pain
Heat therapy and cold therapy are two sides of the same coin. Heat therapy uses warm water or heating pads to relieve muscle pain, while cold therapy uses ice or cold water. In certain situations, using heat therapy and cold therapy can help relieve pain and promote healing.
For new or acute pain like pain caused by a fall or other pain that shouldnt last beyond six weeks cold therapy can be a great way to reduce swelling, decrease inflammation and numb pain.
For chronic pain pain thats expected to last or has lasted for more than six weeks heat is usually the temperature of choice for soothing pain and stimulating the healing process.
You might benefit from both hot and cold therapy. For instance, after exercise, immediate cold therapy can reduce muscle soreness. After 24 hours, switching to heat therapy can help your muscles heal faster.
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What Should I Know About Back Pain
Back pain is a very common problem and will affect many of us at some point during our lives.
The good news is that in most cases it isnt a serious problem, and it might just be caused by a simple strain to a muscle or ligament.
As far as possible, its best to continue with your normal everyday activities as soon as you can and to keep moving.
Being active and exercising wont make your back pain worse, even if you have a bit of pain and discomfort at first. Staying active will help you get better. Taking painkillers can help you do this.
Patients Respond Well To:
Radiofrequency ablation is safe and minimally invasive.
Radiofrequency ablation can be used in conjunction with other types of injections to address pain coming from different areas of your back.
Radiofrequency ablation n b hghl effective t reducing n, thrb improving your quality of life.
Facet nerve blocks can reduce your need for oral pain medications, which often have side effects and can cause liver or kidney damage.
Radiofrequency ablation generally provides 6 months or longer of pain relief and can be repeated if your pain returns.
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Strengthen Your Back With Exercise
Exercise regularly to maintain stability, range of motion and a heathy weight. Well talk about targeted back exercise in just a bit, but its important to know that exercise of any type can help you build muscle strength.
Many people with chronic back pain see improvement with physical activity. If you sit most of the time at your job, be sure to get up every hour and move around. If your old go-to exercises arent as enjoyable because they make your back hurt, explore alternatives.
Exercises that are soft on your joints, like water aerobics and yoga, are popular exercises for people with back pain. Look for low-impact exercises offered at your local community center or gym. Your local public school may also offer open swim times or other community classes.
Short Term Vs Long Term Solutions With Sciatica
Unfortunately, most advice and medication offered for sciatica only produces short term results which is better than no results, but is still not the ideal solution. It is a known fact that sciatica tends to worsen over time, thus making any short term pain relief a burden over the long stretch. To truly escape the wrath of sciatica, one must permanently rid themselves of it and the pain that comes with it. To do so, one must make an impactful change or have a medical procedure done.
The reason you want to avoid short-term solution is because it tricks your brain into thinking you are making physical progress when in fact you are not. Believing you are making progress when the opposite is true is very dangerous and can have enormous consequences. It is always best to attack the problem at its root and make sure that you are actually treating the sciatica and not just numbing the pain for a couple of hours.
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A Knee Pillow That Thousands Of Side
Promising review: After reading all the positive reviews, I decided to give this pillow a try. I am a side sleeper and like to hike my bent leg pretty far up, which I imagine really puts my spine out of alignment. Needless to say, I am tossing and turning with severe low back pain all through the night and well into the next morning. The first night I used this pillow, it was like a miracle. The only time I woke up was to turn over to my other side with my pillow still between my knees. This is my third night of using the knee pillow and probably the best three nights of sleep I have ever had. I have the ability to get out of bed the next morning with no back pain. I had no problem adapting to this pillow. It is soft, comfortable and stays put. I have already told my sister about this pillow. Thanks for such a great product from a great company! Victoria
Get it from Amazon for $29.95.
Ways To Ease Low Back Pain
Just because it’s possible to inherit low back pain doesn’t mean the matter is completely out of your control. “It’s how we’re born and how we take care of ourselves,” Wisneski says.
If you sit in an uncomfortable chair all day, work a jackhammer, or regularly twist your body into uncomfortable positions, your lower back will suffer for it. Smoking — the bad habit that increases the risk of dozens of diseases — can also lead to backaches. One study found that smokers are nearly a third more likely to have low back pain compared to nonsmokers.
Try these five tips to prevent or ease lower back pain:
- If you smoke, get help to kick the habit.
- Practice good posture whenever you sit or stand. When lifting something, lift with your knees, not with your back.
- Do exercises to strengthen the muscles that support your back — especially the abdominals, hips, back, and pelvic area. Developing strong core muscles can make a big difference in how you feel. “When my abs are in good shape and I’m well worked out, I’m the least susceptible,” Snyder says.
- Fight the urge to crawl into bed whenever your lower back acts up. “Our bodies are meant to be used,” Wisneski says. “If you have pain, sometimes you develop a âdisease of disuse.â”
- See your doctor and get treated for low back pain early on, so you can stay moving and keep active.
Show Sources
Gunnar Andersson, MD, PhD, professor and chairman emeritus, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago.
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