Lower back pain can be caused by a number of different issues, and it can interfere with many areas of daily life. Sometimes it can get better with self-care remedies, such as rest and over-the-counter pain medication. However, persistent or debilitating back pain may require medical intervention to effectively treat your pain.
The lower back is composed of muscles, ligaments, bones, and nerves. It not only supports the weight of the upper body, but also allows us to perform a variety of movements such as bending, lifting, and twisting – which can make the back vulnerable to a variety of injuries and conditions that cause pain.
Common causes of lower back pain include:
- Muscle strain
- Ligament sprain
- Herniated disc
- Arthritis
- Sciatica
- Hairline fractures in the vertebrae (due to overuse or osteoporosis)
- Nerve compression (pinched nerve)
- Spinal stenosis
Let’s talk about some of the ways in which you can treat your lower back pain, and where you can go here in Melbourne for outstanding treatment that helps you finally achieve relief that lasts.
Self-Care Remedies for Back Pain
Minor or moderate back pain can often be effectively treated with self-care remedies such as:
- Rest
- Heat and cold therapies
- Over-the-counter pain medication
- Gentle back exercises and stretches
When to See a Doctor for Lower Back Pain
If you have been taking a lot of over-the-counter medicine to achieve relief from your back pain, you are likely concerned about liver damage. A pain management specialist can treat persistent pain in your lower back, and you do not need to worry about getting addicted to heavy pain medicine – there are many different options.
These professional treatments can not only provide long-term relief (lasting for weeks or months at a time), but they can also help you avoid the need for back surgery in the future. Your doctor may recommend one or more of the following to treat your low back pain:
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy can help reduce back pain, muscle spasms, and swelling. Your treatment will be customized according to the type of your back pain, any underlying conditions you may have, and your body type.
Physical therapy utilizes different techniques, especially exercises and stretches. These help to reduce back pain, strengthen back muscles, improve spine flexibility, and restore function. The extra support you will develop in your back and spine can also help to prevent future injuries and damage.
Pain-Relief Injections
Corticosteroid injections in the back aim to provide long-lasting pain relief by reducing inflammation at the specific source of the pain. Your doctor may perform this injection by using fluoroscopy (a type of real-time X-ray) or ultrasound in order to accurately guide the injections, since the spine is such a delicate area.
There are several types of injections that can help relieve lower back pain, including:
- Epidural injection– Medication administered into the epidural space surrounding the spinal cord. This treatment can be used to address pain in the lower back, upper back, and neck.
- Facet joint injection– A treatment delivered into the spine to relieve pain and inflammation originating from the facet joints, which are where the vertebrae intersect with each other.
- Sacroiliac joint injection– A steroid injection used to treat low back pain or hip pain associated with the sacroiliac (SI) joint, which connects the spine to the pelvis.
- Nerve block – An anesthetic delivered near problematic spinal nerves to block them from sending pain signals to the brain.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a regenerative treatment that involves extracting and isolating a concentration of platelets from your own blood to promote your body’s natural healing process. This treatment aims to reduce inflammation, repair soft-tissue damage, and thwart pain.
Radiofrequency Ablation
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) utilizes radio waves to heat and destroy nerve endings associated with back, neck, and hip pain. Special needles are used to deliver the electromagnetic current to the problematic area. Treatment works by preventing pain signals from being generated and sent to the brain.
Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation
Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulators use low doses of electricity to alter pain signals. This works by targeting nerves that carry sensory information from specific areas of the body to the spinal cord, and from there to the brain.
Vertebroplasty/Kyphoplasty
These minimally invasive spine procedures are performed to treat painful fractures in the spine by injecting a thin layer of bone cement into the fractured vertebra. This helps to strengthen and stabilize the spine, and relieve pain.
Back Pain Remedies in Melbourne, FL
If you are suffering with lower back pain, see the medical team here at Central Florida Spine & Pain to get the lasting relief you need. We offer a range of effective therapies to relieve your symptoms.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, contact our caring staff today by calling us at (321) 802-5021. You can also fill out our appointment request form online now. We look forward to serving you!
