How to Treat Spinal Pain?

Updated on August 14, 2020

Various treatment options for spinal and lower back pain are tailored to fit the individual patient’s demand. These include at-home care administration, alternative care, medical remedies, or surgery. 

The efficacy of treatment depends on the patient’s diagnosis as some medicines work for one and may not work for you. In contrast, most people find relief with a combination of treatments for their back pain. 

If your back pain lasts longer than three months, doctors categorize it as chronic back pain. Finding the right specialist to take care of the pain by dealing with the root cause is vital. A specialist like Joshua S. Rovner, from Progressive Spine and Orthopaedics in New Jersey, provides insights to common chronic spinal issues, helps you understand the cause and possible treatments to this ailment. 

Back Pain Causes, Remedies, And Treatment

Before jumping over into a decision that you might regret in the future, it’s vital to understand where and what possible cause of the pain is. Once your doctor has exerted all efforts to determine the reason, it won’t hurt to ask for a second opinion or check a certified back pain specialist. 

Furthermore, surgery must not be the top priority until you have pinpointed the culprit of the pain. With all efforts to determine the cause, you can ask your physician non-surgical remedies too. 

Chronic Spinal Pain Common Cause

While back pain is associated with age-related issues or recent injury, these are the common causes of back pain: 

  • Spinal stenosis – It’s the case of narrowing of your spinal canal, which leads to nerve pain.
  • Myofascial pain syndrome – It’s an unexplained muscle tenderness and pain. 
  • Spine Arthritis – The moderate thinning of cartilage inside your spine.
  • Disc problems, including bulging disc or herniated disc.

Effective Back Pain Remedies You Should Consider

Various factors trigger the joint pain you’ll feel on your lower back. It includes strenuous activities such as lifting heavy items, gardening, or simply picking up an object on the floor. Factors about dealing with prior injury or accidents can also be a cause. 

With early intervention, you can prevent the pain from severely developing and avoidance of medication or surgery. 

  • Maintain A Good Posture
  • Visit a Back Specialist
  • Exercise Moderately
  • Limit Your Bed Rest
  • Improve Flexibility
  • Core Strengthening
  • Ice or Heat Application
  • Ditch Braces 
  • Check Sleeping Position
  • Consider Relaxation Techniques 
  • Talk Therapy To Deal With Stress

How Do You Relieve Back Pain?

Finding the best and effective treatment for your back pain is vital to your overall health and well-being. Here’s how you can treat back pain, whether via surgery or non-surgical method.

Non-Surgical Treatments

  • Physical Therapy

Proper exercise is the core treatment for chronic back pain. With your spine specialist or physician’s guidance, you can work on this treatment. Keep in mind, though that not all exercise perfectly fits everyone. 

Every exercise that you plan to do must be tailor-fit to meet your individual needs and diagnosis. 

  • Lifestyle Modifications

Once you have chronic back pain, it’s essential that you have to be aware of the changes, accept limitations, or let your body adapt to the changes in your lifestyle. If you are aware of the cause of your back pain, you can avoid them later on. 

Modifying your lifestyle can help you heal faster. Research shows that if you quit smoking, which accenture’s pain or delays healing, it can help improve lower back discomfort.

  • Meditation

Spinal pain strains your emotional and physical health. Frustration, depression, irritability, or other psychological factors affect how you deal with chronic pain. You can check a specialist to help you meditate and focus your mind with pain management.

  • Diet

Being mindful with your diet can help you deal with chronic pain. There are some foods, especially those with higher levels of trans fat, processed food, or refined sugars, are highly inflammatory. 

With a healthy diet, it can help you reduce pain by maintaining a good weight and relieves spine pressure at the same time.

  • Alternative Treatments

Considering a few alternative treatments for your back pain is vital such as electrical nerve stimulation, laser therapy, bio feed therapy, massage, non-surgical treatments for the spine, and acupuncture.

Furthermore, you can always check with a spine specialist about other proven and effective alternatives for back pain remedies. 

  • Injection-Based Treatments

Injection-based treatments for chronic spinal pain includes nerve ablations, epidural steroid implementations, nerve blocks, and more. These treatments are commonly used when the cause of your back pain is known or if other available treatments are unresponsive to the suffering. 

  • Pharmacologic Treatment

Pharmacological remedies such as muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatory medications, analgesics, and more can reduce spinal pain. Though they have side effects if used for a longer time.

When Do You Need Surgery?

While you want to avoid surgery, there are exceptions to it, and some symptoms may need urgent treatment.

  • Balance problems and gait
  • Limb weakness
  • Progressing or new bladder or bowel issues
  • Increased reflexes (brisk)

Conclusion

Understanding the cause, remedies, and possible treatment of chronic pain can help you deal with it effectively. In comparison, there are different approaches on how to treat back pain. It still depends on the needs and individual diagnosis of a patient. Furthermore, if you are suffering from mild to severe pain, it’s advisable to check with your physician right away.

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