Most people experience some form of back pain in the course of their lives. In fact, back pain is one of the most common medical complaints. Most back pain is considered acute back pain, which is temporary and typically goes away without treatment. However, chronic back pain is completely different. In today’s blog post, learn more about the many chronic back pain treatment options available through modern, interventional health care.
What is Chronic Back Pain?
Chronic back pain is back pain that has persisted for at least twelve weeks. While acute pain usually occurs suddenly and is caused by a specific event, chronic back pain is usually linked to an underlying condition. This type of back pain can have many causes, ranging from improper healing following an injury to an inflammatory disease. Most commonly, chronic back pain is pain located in the lower back, or the “lumbar” region. Older patients are more susceptible to degenerative diseases, such as Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease, Lumbar Spinal Spinal Stenosis, and Lumbar Spondylosis. These conditions are often the culprit behind chronic back pain.
While there are many causes for chronic back pain, the good news is that modern, interventional pain management offers a variety of back pain treatment options.
How is Chronic Back Pain Treated?
At Segura Neuroscience & Pain Center, our doctors will first diagnose the cause of your chronic back pain before creating a treatment plan. X-Ray imaging, CT scans, and MRIs are often used in the diagnostic process. Once properly diagnosed, the doctor will discuss treatment options.
Non-Surgical Back Pain Treatment Options
Many patients begin treating their back pain through self-management techniques, such as physical therapy or prescription medication. However, for more severe pain, patients may respond well to injections to alleviate pain associated with a chronic back condition.
Steroid injections are a common type of non-invasive back pain treatment that involve the treatment of pain with an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid. Unlike systemic oral medications, injections can treat pain directly at the source. For instance, Facet Joint Injections are used to treat the joints on either side of the spinal column, while Lumbar Transforaminal Steroid Injections are used in the epidural region to treat pain radiating from the lower back to the legs. However, it is important to remember that treatment with injections is often temporary in nature, and may need to be repeated for lasting results.
Medial Branch Blocks involve the injection of an anaesthetic solution to “block” pain signals from travelling to the brain. These numbing injections not only provide temporary relief, they can also help pinpoint the source of back pain when used diagnostically. Non-invasive back pain treatment options bring relief to a majority of those suffering from chronic back pain.
Surgical Back Pain Treatment Options
If non-surgical methods of treatment are not enough to resolve your back pain, a surgical option may be necessary. However, many of the newly-developed surgical techniques are designed to make the surgical treatment of back pain easy and minimally-invasive.
Spinal Cord Stimulators are similar to pacemakers and work by delivering small electric pulses that masks pain signals before they reach the brain. These devices are controlled wirelessly via a remote control, allowing the patient to control their level of pain relief as needed.
The Vertiflex Superion Implant is another minimally-invasive treatment for chronic back pain. This implant treats lumbar spinal stenosis by acting as a spacer between vertebrae, relieving pressure on inflamed nerves. The Superion implant is a great alternative to more invasive surgeries, like spinal fusion.
Pain Pumps are a good option for patients who have responded well to pain medications, but require more direct long-term treatment. Pain pumps can constantly deliver medication directly to the source of pain. The pump itself is programmed by the doctor to deliver a set amount of medication based on the patient's specific condition and level of pain.
Radiofrequency Ablation involves the use of heat to disable nerve endings. Hindering the function of the nerve endings is another way of blocking pain signals from reaching the brain. In this procedure, an electrical current is used to burn problematic nerves, preventing them from sending pain signals.
Misconceptions About Back Pain Management
The most common misconception about pain management revolves around the use of pain medicine, or narcotics, like opioids, to treat chronic pain. Fortunately, modern pain management has evolved significantly from what it is commonly believed to be. While these may be utilized in certain situations the majority of chronic pain management involves using non narcotics and minimally invasive procedures, or injections, to diagnose and treat pain generators.
Explore Your Back Pain Treatment Options
If you’re suffering from chronic back pain, don’t be afraid to seek treatment. Schedule a consultation at the Segura Neuroscience and Pain Center, and one of our expert physicians will recommend a back pain treatment option based on your unique needs. Rest assured, our team of doctors will make every effort to help you return to a pain-free life.
This website is not intended to provide specific medical advice, medical diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services to you or to any other individual. Through this website and links to other websites, Segura Neuroscience & Pain Center provides general information for educational purposes only. The information provided in this site is not a substitute for medical or professional care. You should not use this information in place of the advice of your physician or other healthcare provider. Segura Neuroscience & Pain Center is not liable or responsible for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or product you obtain through this website.