Learn About The Different Back Pain Specialists
When a back problem occurs, it’s typically a good idea to first consult with a primary care physician. This doctor will conduct an initial exam and, depending on the findings, he or she may refer you to a spine specialist.
If you are referred to a specialist for chronic back pain, it will likely be to one of the following:
Common Causes Of Chronic Back Pain
Chronic back painis usually age-related, but can also result from a prior injury. The mostcommon causes include:
- Arthritis of the spine the gradual thinning of the cartilage inside the spine
- Spinal stenosis narrowing of the spinal canal that may lead to nerve pain
- Disc problems, such as a herniated or bulging disc
- Myofascial pain syndromeunexplained muscle pain and tenderness
In some cases, its difficult to pinpoint the cause of chronic back pain.If your doctor has exhausted all diagnostic options, its time to seek asecond opinion from a back pain specialist, recommends Nava. Itsimportant not to make rushed decisions or undergo extensive medicalprocedures until the origin of the pain is found. Not only may they nothelp they could make the pain worse, warns Nava.
If the source of the pain is not known or cant be treated, your bestoption may be to work with your doctor on reducing the flare-ups and makingthe pain manageable with nonsurgical treatments.
Who Will Treat My Sciatica Pain
Choosing the right practitioner depends on the type of sciatica nerve pain you are experiencing. Back and leg pain specialists come from a variety of backgrounds, including orthopedics, neurology, traditional, alternative and complementary medicine.
Your primary care physician should be your first stop. He or she will likely advise rest, painkillers, or an oral steroid dose pack along with muscle relaxants, anticonvulsants or opiates. Your doctor may order an MRI to diagnose the source of the pain or rule out other conditions. If the pain does not improve, he may refer you to a neurologist.
Neurologists specialize in disorders of the nervous system, which includes the sciatic nerve. A neurologist may perform several addition diagnostic tests like an EMG or nerve conduction studies to localize the problem and determine treatment. Since sciatica is a nerve disorder, involving a neurologist in the diagnosis and treatment of the condition is beneficial.
When conservative methods fail to relieve pain symptoms, a patient may be referred to a neurosurgeon or orthopedic surgeon. Surgery is usually a last resort and used when there is rapid loss of leg function, the pain is completely unbearable, or there is evidence of imminent nerve damage.
For nonsurgical options, you may be referred to a physical therapist, chiropractor, or acupuncturist and biofeedback practitioners.
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Complementary And Alternative Techniques Include:
- Acupuncture is moderately effective for chronic low back pain. It involves inserting thin needles into precise points throughout the body and stimulating them , which may cause the body to release naturally occurring painkilling chemicals such as endorphins, serotonin, and acetylcholine.
- Behavioral approaches include:
- Biofeedback involves attaching electrodes to the skin and using an electromyography machine that allows people to become aware of and control their breathing, muscle tension, heart rate, and skin temperature people regulate their response to pain by using relaxation techniques
- Cognitive therapy involves using relaxation and coping techniques to ease back pain
Spinal injections include:Trigger point injections can relax knotted muscles that may contribute to back pain. An injection or series of injections of a local anesthetic and often a corticosteroid drug into the trigger point can lessen or relieve pain.
What Can Cause Lower Back Pain
Most acute low back pain is mechanical in nature, meaning that there is a disruption in the way the components of the back fit together and move. Some examples of mechanical causes of low back pain include:
Congenital
- Skeletal irregularities such as scoliosis , lordosis , kyphosis , and other congenital anomalies of the spine.
- Spina bifida which involves the incomplete development of the spinal cord and/or its protective covering and can cause problems involving malformation of vertebrae and abnormal sensations and even paralysis.
Injuries
- Sprains , strains , and spasms
- Traumatic Injury such as from playing sports, car accidents, or a fall that can injure tendons, ligaments, or muscle causing the pain, as well as compress the spine and cause discs to rupture or herniate.
Degenerative problems
- Intervertebral disc degeneration which occurs when the usually rubbery discs wear down as a normal process of aging and lose their cushioning ability.
- Spondylosis the general degeneration of the spine associated with normal wear and tear that occurs in the joints, discs, and bones of the spine as people get older.
- Arthritis or other inflammatory disease in the spine, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis as well as spondylitis, an inflammation of the vertebrae.
Nerve and spinal cord problems
Non-spine sources
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Why Go To An Orthopedic Doctor For Back Pain
Most us will experience back pain at some point in life. While most back pains resolve on their own or with conservative treatments, some need serious medical attention. Back pain may be a sign of a serious condition, and it will progressively get worse if left untreated.
If your back pain is not getting better and is limiting the activities you can engage in, see an orthopedic doctor. Why go to an orthopedic doctor for back pain? Why cant your primary care physician just treat it? Orthopedic doctors have specialized knowledge, training, and experience in diagnosing, treating, and preventing musculoskeletal pain. While a primary care physician can treat a plethora of health issues, an orthopedic doctor can do it better.
Chiropractor Or Doctor For Back Pain
Back pain is a frustratingly common occurrence in the United States, with nearly 80% of people experiencing back pain sometime in their life, according to the American Chiropractic Association.
If you find yourself experiencing soreness and pain long your spine, it would be best to contact a lower back pain doctor or chiropractor but which one is best for you?
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Pay Attention To Your Body Mechanics And Posture
Body mechanics are the way you use your body. Posture is the way you sit or stand.
- To prevent a return of low back pain, you will need to take extra care when you lift. When you must lift, bend your knees and flex from your hips. Don’t let your spine slump.
- Back Problems: Proper Lifting
What Kind Of Doctor Treats Back Pain
This depends on your condition or symptoms. If you have no obvious injury that would explain your pain, a good place to start may be to see a physiatrist a specialist in physical medicine. This type of doctor can diagnose back pain problems and determine whether physical therapy or other nonsurgical treatments may help you. A physiatrist may also refer you to an spine surgeon, pain management doctor or other type of back specialist if appropriate.
A spine surgeon who specializes in spine conditions can treat alignment problems and damage to bones or discs of the spine that may be causing back pain. The spine surgeon can also treat complex spine fractures and injuries to the nerves of the spinal cord. Some injuries or conditions may require treatment by an interdisciplinary team of orthopedic or neurologic spine surgeons, pain management doctors, neurologists and/or physical therapists.
In addition to physical damage caused by injuries or spine conditions, degenerative and autoimmune conditions can also create back pain. Rheumatologists treat low back pain and are especially interested in evaluating patients for possible inflammatory disease that can cause it, such as ankylosing spondylitis. Explore the content below to learn more.
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What Kind Of Doctor Do I See For Back Pain
There are many doctors to see for back pain, so it can be confusing to find the one who would most effectively solve your problems a back doctor vs. chiropractor.
Broadly speaking, the doctors who can help alleviate your spine problems fall into the following categories:
- primary care providers
- back pain doctors
- therapists.
When youre back gets seized up in a fit of debilitating pain, a primary care provider will be the first person you should call. This group would include lower back pain chiropractors, primary care physicians, and doctors of osteopathic medicine.
These doctors assess the causes and remedies to your spine and would help if you have multiple pain locations that expand outside your spine.
The second group spine specialists mainly deal with issues concerning spinal conditions. They deal with back pain but are trained to understand the intricacies of the central nervous system.
Should you need surgery on your spine, spine surgeons have the expertise to handle that fragile organ with little harm done to you. Physiatrists, neurologists, anesthesiologists, and rheumatologists also reside in this category.
Finally, Therapists help rehabilitate mobility and function after back injury or surgery. Should something go wrong in operation, and you need extra time to recuperate, a physical therapist, occupational therapist, and clinical psychologist in this field would be your best friend.
What Research Is Being Done
The mission of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is to seek fundamental knowledge of the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease. NINDS is a component of the National Institutes of Health , the leading supporter of biomedical research in the world.
As a primary supporter of research on pain and pain mechanisms, NINDS is a member of the NIH Pain Consortium, which was established to promote collaboration among the many NIH Institutes and Centers with research programs and activities addressing pain. On an even broader scale, NIH participates in the Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee, a federal advisory committee that coordinates research across other U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agencies as well as the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.
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Should You Go To A Doctor Or Chiropractor For Back Pain
The answer is always yes.
You should see a back pain doctor or chiropractor. In such a case, theres no difference between a back doctor vs. chiropractor any help is good.
Back pain could resolve itself easily with minor changes in your life, such as switching out your shoes for ones with more supportive souls or buying a firmer mattress.
Often, though, youll need a highly-trained lower back pain doctor to determine how best to treat your back pain. Perhaps theres something wrong with the discs in your back, or theres a pinched nerve somewhere.
You wont know until you have a doctor or chiropractor check your back out.
While you shouldnt ignore back pain, there are many reasons why someone wouldnt want to see a doctor for their spine.
First off, in the United States, back pain doctors or chiropractors tend to congregate in larger cities, meaning they might not be available in your area. Luckily, Beach Pain Center is located just east of downtown Fort Worth.
Secondly, it might cost too much to see them. Most insurance companies should cover you if you have back pain especially if youre growing older. But some might be more skeptical, as many have claimed back pain to acquire insurance benefits. The potential of having to cover medical costs out of pocket could be enough to determine anyone from receiving care.
Youll learn to manage it, but youll never learn to treat it until you go to a doctor or chiropractor.
Low Pain In The Back Triggered By Back Wear And Tear In Addition To Injury
Recurring significant hauling or an abrupt uneasy motions can worry back muscular tissue mass and also back tendons. Constant pressure on your back can set off uncomfortable muscular tissue convulsions if you continue to be in insufficient physical problem.
Disks work as extra paddings in between the bones in your spinal column. The soft product inside a disk can rupture or protrude as well as continue a nerve.
You can have a protruding or ruptured disk without back pain. Disk disease is typically uncovered incidentally when you have back X-rays for a few other factors.
Osteoarthritis can influence the lower back. In most cases, arthritis in the spinal column can trigger a tightening of the location around the spine, a problem called spinal stenosis.
If your bones end up being additionally weak and porous, your spine columns vertebrae can establish unpleasant splits.
Heres another thing.
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What Kind Of Doctor Treats Chronic Back Pain
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What Does A Chiropractor Do For Lower Back Pain
Theyll manipulate the muscles and bones in the spine to induce proper alignment, such as popping certain bones out of place or snapping bones back into place.
They might cause a significant amount of pain in the process, but most skilled chiropractors can help people feel much more energetic and aligned after a session. When deciding what to do about your back pain, choose the chiropractor to help , and revamp your life.
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More Advanced Care Options
Surgery When other therapies fail, surgery may be considered to relieve pain caused by worsening nerve damage, serious musculoskeletal injuries, or nerve compression. Specific surgeries are selected for specific conditions/indications. However, surgery is not always successful. It may be months following surgery before the person is fully healed and there may be permanent loss of flexibility. Surgical options include:
Implanted nerve stimulators
- Spinal cord stimulation uses low-voltage electrical impulses from a small implanted device that is connected to a wire that runs along the spinal cord. The impulses are designed to block pain signals that are normally sent to the brain.
- Dorsal root ganglion stimulation also involves electrical signals sent along a wire connected to a small device that is implanted into the lower back. It specifically targets the nerve fibers that transmit pain signals. The impulses are designed to replace pain signals with a less painful numbing or tingling sensation.
- Peripheral nerve stimulation also uses a small implanted device and an electrode to generate and send electrical pulses that create a tingling sensation to provide pain relief.
Who Should Treat Your Back Pain
Many types of medical professionals treat back pain, and each has different training, skills, and specialties. So how do you know which specialist is best for helping to alleviate your back pain? Heres an overview of different back pain specialists and which type or team may be right for you.
See:Specialists Who Treat Back Pain
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Who Gets Back Pain
Anyone can have back pain. You may be more likely to have back pain because of the following:
- Fitness level: Back pain is more common among people who are out of shape. You may also get back pain if you exercise too hard after not being active for a while.
- Obesity: If you are overweight or obese, it can put stress on the back and cause pain.
- Job-related risk factors: Jobs that require heavy lifting, pushing, pulling, or twisting can injure the back. A desk job may also play a role, especially if you slouch or sit all day in an uncomfortable chair.
- Age: You may have more back pain as you get older, particularly after you turn 45.
- Family history: Your genes play a role in some disorders that cause back pain.
For How Long Does Lower Back Distress Normally Last
Lower back pain can be categorized as extreme, subacute or consistent. Serious episodes of lower neck and back pain normally last from a couple of days to 4 weeks and also subacute lower back suffering lasts between 4 to 12 weeks.
However, according to the National Institutes of Health, pertaining to 20 percent of people with intense neck and back pain occur to develop persistent pain in the back specified as soreness that lasts 12 weeks or longer.
Even in these situations, there are a number of treatment alternatives to aid eliminate lower back ache signs.
When your back is absolutely removing you, you may fret something is seriously incorrect. The identical picks back suffering that appears nonstop.
The silver lining is that while back soreness is a significant hassle, it is rarely an instant clinical problem. Actually, a lot of the time you do not have to treat it.
Back ache normally handles on its own unless you have a substantial underlying issue. Lower Pain In The Back Can not Bend Down.
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