Sciatica Doc in Paramus Explains 5 Key Facts About Back Pain

The most common causes of back pain are:

Strains and injuries

Back pain often happens as a result of a strain, injury, or muscle tension. These can be caused by improper lifting, heavy lifting, or making an abrupt movement.

Structural issues

Structural problems can affect various parts of the back, leading to discomfort. These issues include ruptured or bulged discs, sciatica, arthritis, abnormal spine curvature, and osteoporosis. All of these can cause sciatica symptoms, making it easy to confuse one condition with another. A proper medical examination is recommended for accurate diagnosis.

Movement or posture

When working at a desk all day, adopting a slumped seating position might lead to increased back and shoulder issues over time. Back discomfort can also be caused by certain daily activities or bad posture. These include twisting, over-stretching, pushing, lifting, moving heavy objects, prolonged sitting or standing, or driving for extended periods.

Other medical conditions

There are some medical conditions that appear rarely, but they can still lead to back pain. These include cauda equina syndrome, infections of the spine, pelvic inflammatory disease, sleep disorders, and shingles.

Fact #2: Certain risk factors can increase the chances of getting back pain

Back pain can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or physical condition. However, certain factors can increase the risk of discomfort or cause the pain to persist for longer.

Some of the risk factors to look out for are:

• Specific occupational activities that put pressure on the spine
• Pregnancy, due to the baby’s additional weight
• Living a sedentary life, which can cause muscle stiffness
• Ageing, as certain back conditions can appear after the age of 60
• Smoking or excessive drinking
• Excess weight, which puts additional pressure on the back
• Physical exercise that is too exhausting or done incorrectly
• Hormonal changes that happen after menopause in women
• Stress and anxiety, which can cause muscle tenseness

Fact #3: Back pain is often accompanied by other symptoms

An aching or soreness anywhere in the back, and occasionally all the way down to the buttocks and legs, is the most common sign of back pain. Depending on the nerves involved, some back problems might produce discomfort in other places of the body.

The discomfort usually goes away without treatment, but if it is accompanied by any of the following symptoms, you should consult a doctor:

• Sudden weight loss
• Fever
• Inflammation or swelling
• Pain that does not decrease with rest
• Pain caused by recent trauma or injury to the back
• Urinary incontinence or difficulty urinating
• Numbness in the pelvic area

Fact #4: Treatment options can vary based on your symptoms

Back discomfort normally goes away with rest and home treatments, but medical care may be required in certain cases. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, are commonly used over-the-counter pain relievers. A hot compress or an ice pack applied to the affected area may also help to relieve pain. Resting after heavy activities can assist, but moving around can aid with stiffness, discomfort, and muscular weakness.

Back discomfort that does not respond to over-the-counter pain relievers may require the use of a prescription NSAID. Narcotics such as codeine or hydrocodone may be administered for brief periods of time. The doctor must closely monitor the treatment.

Steroid injections are used as a form of minimally invasive treatment for back pain. They are injected into the epidural space, which surrounds the spinal cord and aid in the reduction of inflammation surrounding nerve roots. Injections may also be utilized to numb the places where the pain is supposed to be coming from.

Fact #5: Correcting every day habits can prevent back pain

Addressing some of the risk factors is the most important step in lowering the likelihood of experiencing back pain:

• Regular exercise aids in the development of strength and the management of body weight. Low-impact aerobic workouts are especially effective.
• Make sure you get enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet since they are essential for bone health.
• When compared to nonsmokers of the same age, height, and weight, smokers have a considerably greater rate of back discomfort.
• The likelihood of back discomfort differs significantly between obese and normal-weight People who bear their weight in their abdomen rather than their buttocks and hips are likewise more vulnerable.

If your back pain does not go away in a few days, it is a sure sign you should book an appointment with a sciatica doc in Paramus. Dr. Michael Nguyen and Dr. George Hanna lead a team of pain specialists ready to assist you in finding the best-suited treatment for your conditions. Don’t hesitate to contact us and to schedule an appointment at one of your clinics in New York or at our Paramus clinic on Route 17, near the Paramus Park Mall.