“Why Does My Back Hurt?” – West Orange Back Dr Answers
May 12, 2021
Back pain symptoms can be highly varied, and no two people will experience them in the same way or with the same intensity. That is because back pain can be caused by a large number of ailments. In many cases, back pain can be caused by external factors, such as an uncomfortable chair, a poor mattress, or a bad pillow. For some patients, the pain comes in the form of spasms, which can be as mild as a light punch, or they can leave the individual unable to move or perform daily tasks. Still, there are other issues that can affect your spine as well, including infections, so it is always best that you get medical advice, especially if your symptoms amplify and turn into chronic pain.
Thankfully, most back pain conditions can now be improved with minimally invasive procedures, meaning you won’t have to go through yet another painful experience until you find relief.
If your back is giving you troubles for more than a week, this is a sure sign you should visit a pain center as soon as possible. And if you are already looking for a pain Dr near you, in West Orange, you have come to the right place. At Pain Treatment Specialists, you can book an appointment with one of our trained physicians and, following a thorough physical examination, receive proper treatment for your condition. Dr Laura Lombardi, Dr George Hanna, and Dr Shane Volney are happy to help you recover.
We know back pain can be a debilitating affliction, and you probably want to know as soon as possible what causes it. This is why Dr Laura Lombardi, one of the best pain specialists in West Orange, NJ, is here to explain the most common reasons your back may hurt.
A sprain or strain
The words sprain and strain are sometimes used interchangeably, but they do mean two different things. Put simply, a sprain is described as an injury to a ligament. Ligaments have the job of supporting the spine, as well as the facet joints. A strain, on the other hand, is an injury to a muscle or a tendon. Tendons are fibrous bands of tissue that bind muscle to bone.
Both spinal sprains and strains may occur as a result of a trip and fall incident, poor body mechanics (improper lifting, for example), a car accident, or a variety of other factors. These are typically very painful and can restrict movement temporarily. In more serious cases, patients may need physical therapy to completely eliminate discomfort.
Compression of the spinal nerve
The longest and, unsurprisingly, most well-known nerve in the body is the sciatic nerve, which starts at the lower back and goes all the way through the hips and legs. Still, there are other ramifications and nerves in the spine as well. When the root of one such nerve gets squeezed, pinched, or compressed, it will quickly become inflamed and will begin transmitting pain signals to the brain.
There are some conditions that can cause nerve compressions, including herniated disks, bone spurs, or thickened ligaments, but it can also be a result of sleeping, sitting, or standing in an uncomfortable position. If the pain does not seem to go away shortly, it is advised you see a doctor and discuss the most suited pain management options.
Herniated disc
A herniated disc happens when the protective exterior layer of the disc, called the annulus fibrosus, breaks, and the nucleus spills through the rupture. In many of these cases, the rupture will compress a spinal nerve root, resulting in back pain.
Depending on how severe the rupture is, how much it pushes on the nerve, as well as the location of the disc herniation in the lower back, individuals can also experience buttock, thigh, or leg pain. Back pain is usually vague and may not have a precise spot. Leg pain, on the other hand, usually follows particular patterns that correspond to specific nerve root discomfort. This helps specialists determine where in the spine the rupture has occurred.
The patient may be diagnosed with sciatica. The term sciatica refers to a group of symptoms that occur when the sciatic nerve is compressed. Sciatica is also widely used to describe discomfort in the lower back, buttocks, and thigh, but true sciatica is characterized by pain that follows a particular nerve root pattern.
Degenerative disk disease
Degenerative disc disease happens due to many age-related spine issues. It is not, in fact, a disorder, as it is more of a term used to describe the changes that spinal components go through as they age, happening due to changes that happen on a cellular level. Another example of such changes are wrinkles and grey hairs.
When we get older, water volume in the intervertebral disks decreases, which causes these discs to change their shape and size. This change can affect the space that already exists between the two discs, narrowing nerve passageways.
Because the discs and facet joints work together, too much pressure applied on the spinal discs can be transmitted to the facet joints, resulting in a number of issues that cause back pain.
Other conditions
Albeit uncommon, there are also some severe causes of back pain that may result in significant health issues – spinal infections and spinal tumours.
Bacterial or fungal infections of the spine are a rare source of back pain. They may affect the intervertebral disks, spinal bone, spinal cord, or the region that surrounds the nerve roots, causing severe pain if not addressed as soon as possible.
Spinal tumors can be either benign (do not cause cancer) or malignant (can cause cancer). They are characterized as irregular growths, known as neoplasms, and may be either primary, meaning the tumor has developed inside the spine, or metastatic, meaning it has spread from another part of the body.
If you are looking for a pain specialist, don’t hesitate to contact Pain Treatment Specialists as soon as possible. Come and visit us at our West Orange, NJ Pain Center near the Essex Country Club where the best back doctors are ready to help. You can also give us a call at (855) 383-7054 or book an appointment online today!
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Meet Our Team of Back Pain Specialists
All of our Pain Doctors in New Jersey are Harvard Trained and Board Certified in Pain Management
Back Pain Doctor Clifton & West Orange NJ
Dr. George Hanna
Dr. Hanna is a Harvard Trained back specialist in New Jersey and New York. He serves as Medical Director of Pain Management.
Back Pain Doctor Clifton & West Orange NJ
Dr. Laura Lombardi
Dr. Lombardi is a Harvard Trained back pain treatment doctor, currently seeing patients in Clifton and West Orange, New Jersey.
Back Pain Doctor Clifton & West Orange NJ
Dr. Shane Volney
Dr. Volney is a Harvard Trained back treatment doctor seeing patients in the NJ areas of Clifton & West Orange, and in NYC.
Back Pain Doctor Clifton & West Orange NJ
Dr. Michael Nguyen
Dr. Nguyen is Harvard Trained and Board Certified in Pain Management. His pain center accepts major medical insurances and Medicare.
Dr. George Hanna
Dr. Laura Lombardi
Dr. Lombardi is a Harvard Trained back pain treatment doctor, currently seeing patients in Clifton and West Orange, and Paramus New Jersey.
Dr. Shane Volney
Dr. Volney is a Harvard Trained back treatment doctor seeing patients in the NJ areas of Clifton & West Orange, and in NYC.
Dr. Michael Nguyen
Dr. Nguyen is Harvard Trained and Board Certified in Pain Management. His pain center accepts major medical insurances and Medicare.