Back pain affects millions of Americans every year. Causes and symptoms may vary with each individual person and condition, but all who live with this type of pain find themselves hindered to some degree, whether that be in the form of lost work hours, difficult and/or painful surgeries, or missing out on important life events with family and friends.
Thanks to the latest innovations and state-of-the-art technologies, there are now many effective treatments and solutions to help end the suffering for those with back pain, quite often without need for invasive surgery and long recovery times.
The key to a successful treatment plan is a complete understanding of the history and symptoms of a patient, obtained by way of thorough consultation and examination by a qualified pain management physician. The topics below represent components that pain doctors must consider and utilize in order to help patients live a more pain-free lifestyle.
Back Pain Causes & Symptoms
According to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), back pain is a condition that affects an estimated 80% of Americans at some point in their lives. And while it’s a common and widespread ailment, the potential causes and pain experience are unique to every patient.
Causes for back pain are widely varied, ranging from simple, everyday activities such as sitting at a computer desk or sleeping in a certain position, to acute trauma, disease, or even the normal aging process. And the associated pain may present itself as dull, throbbing aches to sharp, shooting pains, or debilitating loss of physical function.
It is important to understand the causes and symptoms of back pain in order to help prevent back pain conditions, or to seek appropriate treatment for relief if back pain is already at issue.
The Anatomy of Back Pain
The back contains an intricate network of vertebrae, muscles, ligaments, tendons, blood vessels and more, which all function together to protect the spinal canal and enable physical support and movement.
Pain management and sports medicine physicians undergo extensive training and certification to fully understand the various sections of the spinal anatomy, what purpose they serve for the body and what ailments may arise from each component.
It is with this understanding that pain doctors can effectively diagnosis the causes of back pain, based on patient symptoms; what type of pain is experienced and in which regions the pain presents itself. In doing so, physicians may effectively isolate areas of ailment and recommend appropriate treatment for relief.
Upper Back Pain vs. Lower Back Pain
The back serves to support the body in many ways, with different physical functions being dependent upon different segments of the back. While all sections of the spine act to protect and support the spinal cord and nerves, specific regions of the back play numerous roles in overall physical activity and well-being.
The upper part of the back, for instance, can serve to support the head, provide stability or facilitate arm movement, whereas the lower part of the back may be more important to bearing weight, stabilizing joint movement or enabling flexibility for daily activities.
Additionally, the various sections of the spinal anatomy can be susceptible to differing pain conditions and symptoms, as well as requiring individualized treatment options based on location and intricacy.
Back Pain Treatments
Developing customized treatment plans for individual patients is a crucial step in relieving pain. It is important for pain management specialists to provide unique solutions for each patient’s situation, and to conduct thorough examination and history review in order to effectively diagnose and treat their pain conditions.
Thanks to innovative research and cutting-edge technologies, there are now more pain treatments available than ever before, and those treatments are increasingly more effective and life changing.
An awareness of the latest treatment options empowers patients to make better informed decisions regarding their pain management process, affording them a greater knowledge of which solutions are available for treating their individual pain conditions.
Are you tired of living with back pain?
At Florida Pain Relief Centers, our expert pain management physicians have decades of experience in treating pain conditions that cause patient suffering and decrease quality of living. Our pain doctors provide compassionate, individualized care to help relieve your suffering and restore you to a more pain-free lifestyle.
If you’ve had enough of the suffering and want more information about our minimally invasive, proven procedures and treatments for minimizing or eliminating your pain, call us today at 800-215-0029 or click the button below to set up a consultation online.