What is Causing Your Back Pain
If you are searching “back pain doctor near me paramus” you have probably realized that you need help with your pain management. Back pain can have many causes and sometimes it can happen in an instant, simply by bending in the wrong way or picking up something you shouldn’t.
Strains
Lower back pain is most commonly caused by strained or pulled muscles or ligaments. Strains in your lower back can develop as a result of repetitive movements or they can happen very suddenly and unexpectedly.
When a muscle is stretched too far and tears, it damages the muscle and is referred to as a strain. Sprains, on the other hand, happen when the tearing affects the ligaments that connect the bone. While a sprain and a strain are different conditions, the treatment is the same.
What causes strains and sprains?
- Lifting heavy objects
- Sudden movements, like a fall, that place a lot of stress onto the lower back.
- Bad posture
- Sports injuries
Sprains and strains are often not serious and seldom cause pain that lasts for long, the pain experienced as a result of them is severe. If you are experiencing back pain as a result of one of these causes, it is best to seek medical advice from trained pain doctors, like our Havard trained team of doctors in Paramus, NJ. They will advise you on the latest treatment for your condition.
Chronic Lower Back Pain
Acute and chronic back pain can prevent you from performing your daily activities. Chronic back pain differs from a sprain or a strain in that it lasts for a much longer period. Chronic pain generally lasts for a period of longer than three months, during this time the pain does not lessen and can involve a disc or joint problem.
Chronic back pain can be caused by one of the following;
- Lumbar herniated disc. This happens when the soft center of a lumbar disc breaks through the hard outer layer. When this happens it starts to irritate the roots around it. The inflammation is caused by the proteins in the herniated disc and together with the nerve compression, this causes the pain.
- Degenerative disc disease. Intervertebral discs start out full of water but over time they lose hydration and when this happens, the discs are not protected as well and this is when tears and herniations can occur.
- Facet joint dysfunction. Joints are where two or more bones are joined and they are responsible for motion, Facet joints are the joints found in the spine. The capsular ligament that surrounds the bone in facet joints is made up of a dense collection of nerves. When this cartilage breaks down it can result in chronic pain.
- Sacroiliac joint dysfunction. These joints connect the sacrum, which is located at the bottom of the spine, to the pelvis. The function of this joint is to absorb shock between the upper and lower body. When these joints become inflamed or when there is not enough or too much movement they can become incredibly painful.
- Osteoarthritis. This condition is associated with aging and is a result of wear and tear of the discs and facet joints. It is a condition that progresses slowly but can be painful.
Treatment options
There are many minimally invasive ways to treat pain back. If you are looking for one of these treatments it is best to consult with a board-certified pain doctor who will conduct a complete medical history and based on their diagnosis, will suggest a course of treatment to help you manage your pain.
Lumbar Radiofrequency Ablation
This treatment is ideal for treating chronic back pain as a result of facet joint osteoarthritis and is an advanced treatment that offers long term pain relief.
During this treatment, heat is applied through a needle to the area of nerve endings that are generating the pain. This treatment aims to eliminate the nerves that are causing the pain impulses and in doing so it denervates the painful structure resulting in a reduction of pain.
Lumbar Facet Injection
This treatment is most commonly used in patients with pain associated with arthritis or who have mechanical lower back pain. They are also used to help the rehabilitation process of those who have a back injury or condition. By relieving the pain they allow you to continue with your physical therapy treatments.
Lumbar facet injections are injections of anesthetic that are injected into the area around the nerves of the small joints located along the side of each vertebra. These injections can be delivered to more than one joint if needed. Lumbar facet injections are used to determine the cause of back pain but they are also used to relieve back pain.
Lumbar Epidural
This is another minimally invasive treatment that is carried out at our clinics. It offers relief to those suffering from pain that has been caused by inflamed spinal nerves. It is administered as an injection to the epidural space between the bone and the protective sac. The relief from the epidural steroid injection can last for several months, allowing you to return to your regular activities.
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