At your appointment, the back doctor will run a physical assessment on your back and test your mobility in various positions like standing up or walking with your legs raised. As well as asking you to rate your pain from 0 to 10, your doctor may also discuss how well you are coping with your discomfort.
With these tests, you can find out where your pain is coming from, how far you can go before you have to stop because of pain, and if you have muscular spasms. As a bonus, they can help rule out more significant reasons of back discomfort as well.
One or more tests may be ordered if your doctor suspects a specific condition is causing your back pain:
-
X-ray - Bone alignment and damaged bones are seen on these photos. Arthritis and broken bones are also visible on these images. These pictures will not reveal any issues with your discs, muscles, or spinal cord on their own.
-
Scans such as an MRI or CT scans - With these scans, pictures are generated that can indicate herniated discs, as well as abnormalities with bone, muscle, and tissue (including tendons, nerves, and ligaments).
-
Blood test - An infection or some other problem may be the source of the discomfort, and these tests might help identify it.
-
Skeleton scan - If you have osteoporosis, your doctor may use a bone scan to check for tumors or compression fractures.
-
Nervous system research - Using electromyography (EMG), you may see how your muscles respond to electrical signals from your nerves and muscles themselves. Nerve compression due to herniated discs or spinal canal constriction can be confirmed using this test (spinal stenosis).
The following treatments may be recommended by your doctor if you have certain types of back pain:
-
OTC pain medicines - Analgesics, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB), naproxen sodium (Aleve), and other NSAIDs, can help reduce back discomfort. Only follow the instructions on your prescription label when using these medications. If used excessively, it can have negative consequences. If over-the-counter pain medicines do not work, your doctor may prescribe NSAIDs.
-
Muscle relaxant drugs - Muscle relaxants may be prescribed by your doctor if over-the-counter pain medicines fail to relieve mild to severe back discomfort. Dizziness and sleepiness are side effects of muscle relaxants.
-
Topical analgesic - These products use creams, salves, ointments, or patches to deliver pain-relieving chemicals to your skin.
-
Narcotics - Short-term usage of opioid medications under the direct supervision of your doctor is permitted, such as oxycodone or hydrocodone. For persistent pain, opioids are ineffective, therefore your prescription will often only include enough pills for a week's worth of treatment.
-
Antidepressants - In addition to their ability to treat depression, several antidepressants, such as duloxetine (Cymbalta) and tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline, have been demonstrated to reduce persistent back pain.
Therapy for the Body's Ailments
A physical therapist may teach you stretching and strengthening exercises for your back and abs, as well as help you with your posture. Practicing these methods on a regular basis can assist to reduce the likelihood of pain reoccurring. Physical therapists can also teach you how to alter your motions when you're experiencing back pain to keep the pain from escalating while you're still participating in sports or other physical activities.
A variety of medical procedures, including surgery
-
Cortisone injections are one treatment option for back discomfort. If nothing else works and your pain extends down your leg, your doctor may administer an injection of cortisone, an anti-inflammatory drug, along with a numbing agent, into the region surrounding your spinal cord (epidural space). However, the pain relief provided by a cortisone injection usually only lasts a month or two.
-
Electroconvulsive therapy are done using a fine needle, a small incision is made in your skin, and the tip is placed near the source of your pain. The needle is irradiated with radio waves to cause damage to the adjacent nerves, which disrupts the brain's ability to receive pain signals.
-
Nerve stimulators that are surgically implanted can block pain as it sends electrical impulses to certain nerves.
-
In the event that you suffer from unrelenting discomfort that radiates to your legs or from nerve compression-induced growing muscular weakness, surgery may be beneficial. Spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the spine) and herniated disc pain that hasn't responded to conventional treatments are good candidates for these procedures.
Book your appointment with our back doctors at Neuroscience Specialist to ensure that your diagnosis and treatment are done the best way.
**Disclaimer- Information presented here is not intended to be qualified medical advice. Nothing expressed herein creates a doctor-patient relationship.