Searching for a Back Pain Doc near You in New Jersey?

The most common reasons patients experience nighttime back pain include:

• Strains or sprains: These are the most common reasons for nocturnal back pain and can happen due to an injury, poor sleeping posture, or a bad mattress, which can cause the muscles or ligaments to overstretch, leading to back, hip, or even neck pain.
• Osteoarthritis of the spine: Because the body is, for the most part, inactive during sleep, discomfort due to wear and tear of the spinal joints can accentuate.
• Sciatica: Herniated discs often cause sciatic pain, which can get worse during the night, as the bulging discs continue to put pressure on the sciatic nerve.
• Ankylosing spondylitis, spinal tumours, and spinal stenosis are some of the more serious diseases that trigger nighttime back pain. It is also likely that the cause of your discomfort is unconnected to spinal problems and has to do with illnesses such as kidney stones or endometriosis. Pregnancy can also put pressure on the sciatic nerve and cause low back discomfort when resting.

2. When should I be worried enough to call the doctor?

Nocturnal back pain does not always require a visit to the doctor. However, if the discomfort keeps you from resting properly and starts affecting your everyday life, pain doctors recommend you seek proper medical help.

Nighttime back pain is often accompanied by common symptoms such as muscle stiffness and limited range of motion. These symptoms often appear when the pain is caused by a strain, and you certainly don’t need orthopaedic surgery for that. Minimally invasive treatment should be enough to help you get rid of the pain.

People suffering from nighttime back pain should visit a doctor if:

• Your back pain was caused by an injury and now persists
• Your pain continues to grow in intensity even after a few days
• Other symptoms, such as weakness in the legs, incontinence, and muscle numbness appear
• Pain is accompanied by fever, redness, swelling, and other signs of infection

3. What should I expect if I book an appointment with a back doctor?

While procedures may vary from one back pain specialist to another, our back doctor will usually start with a discussion of your medical history, to try and identify if there are any signs of what may cause the pain. Then, they will move on to the physical examination.

During the appointment, your back doctor will want to know as much as possible about your symptoms, so make sure you are not leaving out any vital information. Try to remember when the symptoms first appeared, how they changed as the days passed, and what seems to worsen or alleviate them.

If the physical examination is not enough to put a sure diagnosis, the specialist will likely recommend additional screenings or image tests to get a more conclusive result.

4. What are my treatment options?

Treatment for nighttime back pain might vary according to the diagnosis. If the problem is minor, the specialist will most likely prescribe pain relievers before bedtime. Hot and cold therapy, pain medications, mild exercise, and minimally invasive procedures are also often recommended.

While minimally invasive treatment does prove effective in most cases, if the condition is more severe, the doctor may recommend spine surgery to get rid of the problem entirely.

If discomfort only happens during the night and not every time you lay down, some adjustments in your sleeping habits may be recommended as well. This includes changing your sleeping position or getting a new pillow and mattress.

5. Is there anything I can do to prevent nighttime back pain?

They say the best type of treatment is prevention, so if you want to avoid nighttime back pain, there are some simple steps you can take. The team at Pain Treatment Specialists recommends the following:

• Keep an eye on your diet – excess weight can lead to low back pain
• Correct your posture – poor posture affects spinal alignment
• Learn about ergonomics – the right chair and desk can do miracles for your back
• Wear the right shoes – lack of support can lead to back problems
• Be active – a sedentary life is one of the leading causes of disc herniation

If your back pain is preventing you from being active, you should schedule an appointment with a back specialist as soon as possible. You can find our Harvard-trained back specialists at our conveniently-placed clinics in Paramus on Route 17, near the Paramus Park Mall, in Clifton, NJ, on Route 46 E, past the Ford dealership, in West Orange, near the Essex Country Club, and in Woodland Park clinic, on McBride Avenue, right next to Woodland Park Dialysis Center.