Millions of Americans suffer from chronic or acute back pain and these conditions are the main cause of disability in people under 45. There are many different reasons that can make you experience back pain and only a board-certified back pain specialist can diagnose and treat your condition effectively.
If you are looking for a Harvard-trained back doctor in West Orange, NJ, you’ve come to the right place. Dr. Laura Lombardi, Dr. George Hanna, and Dr. Shane Volney are here to offer medical advice and to answer your most pressing questions about back and neck pain.
Why Does My Back Hurt?
Back pain can develop suddenly or slowly, the pain can be dull or sharp, and the symptoms are experienced differently by each patient. In many cases, the pain is triggered by a specific incident such as direct trauma, a motor vehicle accident, or a fall. It is also quite common for the pain to be triggered by one or more of the following circumstances:
- Unhealthy working habits
- Stress
- Poor posture
- Lack of physical exercise
- Limited flexibility
- Improper body mechanisms
Do any of these pain triggers sound familiar? As soon as you realize what unhealthy habits might be the cause of your discomfort you can start to make changes and work towards getting rid of the pain.
It is worth mentioning that in recent years, poor posture has become the leading cause of neck and back pain. By improving your postural awareness and by changing your daily habits, you can prevent and even cure a debilitating back disorder. If your pain is persistent, it’s highly recommended to try physical therapy before you try a more radical approach. You can also schedule an appointment with our pain management specialists in our West Orange, NJ state-of-the-art pain center.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Back Pain?
According to our Harvard-trained back doctors, there are several types of problems that can cause back pain: emotional problems, lifestyle problems, spine-related problems, accidents and injuries, and other health-related problems. Let’s take a look at each category:
Emotional problems that cause back pain – Negative emotions can have a huge impact on your overall health and can even trigger back pain. Stress can cause muscle tension in your back and anxiety and depression can make your symptoms feel worse.
Lifestyle factors that trigger back pain – As mentioned above, there are many lifestyle factors that can trigger back pain including unhealthy eating habits, being overweight, having a sedentary lifestyle, prolonged sitting, poor posture, lifting heavy weights, frequent bending and twisting, not enough sleep, smoking, and even wearing high heels.
Spine-related problems – It is very common for patients to experience neck and back pain due to a spine-related issue such as a herniated or a slipped disc, a bulging disc, a degenerative disc disease, sacroiliac joint inflammation, spinal stenosis, cervical radiculopathy, spondylolisthesis, etc.
Accidents and injuries – A lot of patients who suffer from severe back pain were involved in an accident or a fall that resulted in muscle sprains, fractures, or spasms.
Other medical conditions – Back pain can appear for many different reasons and it’s highly recommended to seek medical advice if you think that you might suffer from one of the following conditions: arthritis, osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, scoliosis, tumors, kidney stones, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, etc.
Pregnancy is another common cause of neck and back pain. Studies suggest that 50% of pregnant women will suffer from lower back pain over the course of their pregnancy.
Regardless of the underlying causes that trigger your back pain, our back pain specialists – Dr. George Hanna, Dr. Laura Lombardi, and Dr. Shane Volney can recommend customized minimally-invasive treatments. Come meet our Harvard-trained professionals in our West Orange pain management clinic and get rid of your back pain!
How to Prevent Back Pain?
Back and neck pain can’t always be prevented but there are certain lifestyle changes that you can make to decrease your chances of suffering from back-related problems in the future. Additionally, these changes will also relieve your pain, especially if it was triggered by one or several unhealthy lifestyle habits.
You can reduce your chances of developing back pain by making these positive changes in your diet and lifestyle:
- Stop smoking
- Eat healthily
- Lose weight
- Avoid spending too much time in front of the computer without stretching your back
- Try to maintain a good posture while working
- Be careful when lifting heavy objects (use your legs instead of your back)
- Don’t twist and bend suddenly and avoid repetitive activities that strain your back such as shoveling snow.
- Get enough sleep
- If you are stressed, depressed, or anxious, visit your health clinician and work towards fixing these problems.
If you suffer from chronic or acute back pain, schedule an appointment with Dr. George Hannah, Dr. Laura Lombardi, or Dr. Shane J. Volney of Pain Treatment Specialists. Our Harvard-trained back doctors will analyze your medical history, will ask you about your symptoms and lifestyle, and will accurately diagnose the underlying conditions that lead to your back pain. They will also recommend a customized non-surgical treatment based on your needs and preferences that will effectively treat your pain such as COOLIEF SI Joint Cooled RF, Radiofrequency Ablation, SI Joint Injections, Lumbar Epidurals, and Lumbar Facet Injections.
At Pain Treatment Specialists, our main goal is to help each and every one of our patients lead healthy and happy lives free of back pain and we try to achieve this without prescribing narcotics or back surgery. Come meet our board-certified back pain specialists in our West Orange, New Jersey clinic, near the Essex Country Club.
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