Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most common medical problems in the United States. This is due in part because we use our back for almost every movement we do throughout the day. There are a wide range of reasons why a person might experience Backache, and can include everything from a traumatic event, such as an injury, to an underlying health condition, such as age-related degenerative changes to the spine. Pain can also feel dull and achy, or can be sharp and burning, and can cause a minor disturbance to a person’s life or can completely cripple it. The Nevada Advanced Pain Specialists in the Reno, Sparks and Carson City areas can successfully determine each specific cause of Backache and recommend treatment options with the goal to provide both immediate and long-lasting relief. 

What is Back Pain?

Back pain is any physical discomfort occurring anywhere on the spine or back, and can range from mild to disabling. Behind colds, Backache is the most often reason why a person will seek help from a healthcare provider. Around 80% to 90% of all Americans will experience some form of back pain during their life. The good news is that while back pain is very common, the majority of cases can be treated with conservative or at-home treatment options. 

While anyone has an equal opportunity for experiencing back pain, there are certain risk factors that increase your chances. These include: 

• Lack of regular physical activity
• Being overweight/obese
• Excessive drug and alcohol use
• Use of tobacco and/or tobacco products
• Bad diet
• Stressful and poorly executed daily movements
• Having anxiety or depression
• Suffer from certain types of cancer or arthritis

Back pain can affect any part of the back, so it’s important to note if the pain is in the upper, middle or low back. The most common form of Backache is in the lower back. In addition to experiencing pain symptoms that range from mild to severe, a person suffering can also have to deal with a limited range of motion and soreness. Also, pain can be categorized by how long it lasts. An acute episode of back pain is one that happens suddenly and doesn’t last for that long, and is usually due to an injury. Chronic pain means that the pain has lasted for several months, and could have pain that repeatedly comes and goes, or pain that is always felt regardless of the intensity. 

What Causes Back Pain?

There are several different reasons why a person might experience Backache. These can include everything from mechanical issues to an underlying health condition. The pain can also be categorized as local, meaning that the pain is caused by and felt in the back area, or radiating, meaning that the pain originates in an area of the body other than the back but is actually felt in the back. The most common causes of back pain include: 

• wear-and-tear/overuse
• Traumatic injury
• Disc degeneration
• Osteoarthritis
• Muscle strain
• Mechanical issues, i.e. herniated disc
• Vertebral fractures caused by osteoporosis
• Spinal stenosis
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Sciatic pain

Additional and more serious causes of back pain include: 

• Cancer
• Tumors
• Vascular problems
• Infection
• Damage to nervous tissues
• Liver problems
• Pancreatitis
• Kidney stones
• Gallbladder inflammation
• Stomach ulcers

While Backache is common, if a person experiences pain in addition to weakness, fever, numbness or loss of bladder/bowel control, it’s important to seek immediate help from a healthcare provider as this could require immediate care or possibly surgery. 

How Do I Know What is Causing My Back Pain?

The best way to diagnose your specific cause of back pain is to partner with a pain management specialist. The first step is generally a comprehensive physical exam, a medical history review, and a family history review (which helps to identify any genetic factors that could cause Backache). It’s important to share with your provider anything that could prove helpful in diagnosing your Backache, including 

• What the pain feels like
• Where you feel the pain
• If you recently suffered a slip and fall or were involved in an accident
• If you’ve been able to successfully remedy the pain with at-home methods
• How long you’ve been experiencing pain
• How the pain affects your everyday activities
• What time of the day that you feel the most pain
• What activities aggravate your back

Imaging tests might also be needed to find the cause of pain. These could include X-rays, MRI, CT scan, bone scans, and an electromyography (EMG). Imaging tests help doctors to get a more in-depth look into a person’s body to determine if their Backache is caused by fractures to the bone, muscle tears, neuromuscular abnormalities, discs that have slipped out of place, and more. 

How is Back Pain Treated?

The two main goals of Backache treatment are to help the patient get out of pain and to improve their quality of life. Most providers will recommend conservative treatment options first, to hopefully achieve these goals in the most comfortable and minimally-invasive way as possible. Depending on the reason for back pain, treatment could be temporary (i.e. treating an infection) or could be more long-term (i.e. spinal degeneration). This is why it’s important to partner with a pain management specialist who can tailor a treatment plan specific to your cause of back pain. 

It’s also important to seek help if pain does not subside within a few days, or you know the pain was caused from a traumatic incident. Addressing the pain as quickly as possible helps to not only treat the cause of pain, but can also help to prevent the issue becoming more painful or more long-lasting. 

The most widely-used treatments for back pain include: 

• Rest: taking it easy for a few days can help the body to recuperate, especially if the pain can be attributed to an acute injury. However, too much rest can make the body stiff and could make pain worse. 
• Lifestyle changes: maintaining a healthy weight, low BMI, and taking part in a regular and healthy exercise regimen can all help to keep the body in shape. Having strong muscles help to support the back, and not being overweight reduces stress on your joints and organs. 
• Exercise: it might seem counterintuitive to exercise when you’re experiencing Backache, but light, low-impact exercise can help to strengthen the body and resolve pain. The best exercises are yoga and swimming, but any strengthening exercise can help, especially those focused around strengthening the core muscles. 

Physical therapy: an effective tool for treating both moderate to severe cases of Backache, physical therapy affords patients with tailored exercises to help their specific pain as well as their future lifestyle goals. Physical therapy can improve range of motion, increase flexibility, and strengthen the muscles in the back that help to provide support to the spine and soft tissue structures. 

• Alternative therapies: acupuncture is an integrative medicine technique that is becoming increasingly popular to treat common problems such as Backache. Chiropractic adjustments also help to realign the spine and provide both improved overall function and pain relief. 
• Over-the-counter and prescription medications: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often the first line of treatment for many symptoms of acute back pain. Over-the-counter options can include pain medicines like Tylenol or Ibuprofen, and prescription medications could include muscle relaxants and steroids. Opioids can be effective for short-term pain management but are not useful and are not recommended for long-term use. Another benefit of pain medications is that they let people more comfortably utilize other treatment options without pain, including physical therapy and exercise. 

Epidural steroid injections: an minimally-invasive injection of a corticosteroid and an anesthetic into the epidural space in the spine can help to relieve both pain and inflammation. Patients can expect pain relief that can last for a few weeks or a few months. 

• Radiofrequency ablation: ablating, or burning, the nerves that are believed to be sending pain signals to the brain can help to relieve pain symptoms. This is a minimally-invasive option for patients who would like to have more long-term relief but want to avoid surgery. 
• Spinal cord stimulator: this minimally-invasive treatment option involves an implanted device that sends low levels of electricity directly into the spinal cord to relieve pain. The current essentially replaces pain sensations with a tingling or buzzing sensation, and patients are able to control the level of stimulation as needed. This allows for long-term relief. 
• Surgery: if all other treatment options have failed to provide sustained relief, surgery is the next step. There are different surgical options available that can help to create more space within the spine, fix a slipped disc, remove bone spurs, or fuse the vertebrae of the spine together. The most common surgeries include laminectomy, foraminotomy, vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, and discectomy. While surgery for Backache is successful, it also has increased risks and chance of complications, which is why most providers opt for minimally invasive and conservative methods first. 

Can Back Pain Be Avoided?

While all back pain cannot be avoided, there are steps a person can take to reduce their risk of experiencing non-traumatic-related Backache. These include: 

• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Participate in a safe exercise regimen
• Stop smoking and using all tobacco products

Stretching regularly

• Seeking help for stress, anxiety and depression
• Practicing good posture
• Learning to lift with the legs and not the back (as well as not overexerting oneself!)
• Wearing the proper walking and running shoes

Will I Always Have Back Pain?

Unfortunately, there is no definite way to determine if you will always have Backache. The goal of treatment is to provide relief now and avoid any complications in the future. However, muscles and bones can continue to get sore. Maybe not necessarily in the same location or for the same reason, for which previous treatments were successful in treating, but additional traumas or health conditions can occur. It is important to note that beginning treatment as soon as an issue arises is a great way to treat the issue and avoid any additional or compounded complications. 

Partnering with a pain management specialist can help to recommend and perform the best treatment options for you and your current back pain, as well as recommend necessary steps to hopefully avoid any future back pain. Utilizing a multi-prong approach to Backache is one of the best ways to keep any significant pain symptoms at bay. This could include resting as soon as back pain is felt, then also taking pain medications (as needed) so that physical therapy or strengthening exercises are more comfortable. There’s no need to try and manage back pain alone! Trained medical professionals are capable of providing the necessary help and guidance to help patients get out of pain and potentially avoid pain in the future. 

Back pain symptom:

Back pain is a very frustrating and debilitating symptom that can greatly diminish a person’s quality of life. The good news is that there are a wide variety of conservative treatment options that a person can utilize and enjoy both a great amount of relief and an increase in daily activities. If you have tried to remedy your Backache on your own and have yet to find your needed amount of sustained relief, the Nevada Advanced Pain Specialists in the Reno, Sparks and Carson City areas are here to help. Please schedule an appointment today so that our team can perform an exam, learn about your symptoms and put together a treatment plan that works best for you and your ideal lifestyle goals.

If you’ve ever suffered from back pain, know that you’re not alone. An estimated 540 million people suffer from Backache at any given moment, with 80% of Americans experiencing back pain at least one time in their life. Back pain is one of the most common medical problems in the U.S., and there is no shortage of causes and treatments. This is why it’s so important to place your trust in the Nevada Advanced Pain Specialists team of pain management specialists in the Reno, Sparks and Carson City, areas who know not only how to expertly diagnose the cause of your particular back pain, but also the best way to treat your causes so you can experience a pain free life as quickly and for as long as possible. 

What Does Back Pain Feel Like? 

Back pain unfortunately occurs as a range of pain sensations. For those who have experienced a traumatic injury, either a car accident, fall, or lifting something too heavy for an exercise or otherwise, they know that Backache can be felt immediately and as a sharp pain. For others, Backache can be felt as more of a constant ache that can be felt in the back as well as down the leg(s). Back pain can also occur over time, possibly due to age-related degenerative factors in the back and spine, as well as arthritis disorders or varying medical conditions. 

Most often, men and women equally feel pain during their 20s to 40s. While most Backache resolves itself in a few days, some cases require medical attention or even surgical methods to resolve the cause of pain. While there are numerous reasons why back pain can be felt, the below factors contribute to the possibility of experiencing back pain,

as well as the possibility of delayed healing: 

• Unhealthy diet
• Lack of exercise
• Overuse of alcohol, drugs and tobacco products
• Being overweight or obese
• Overuse of the back muscles, including extreme physical exercise

While there is a very good chance that you or someone you know will experience Backache, each pain exposure will vary person to person. So while one might feel stabbing pain that limits their mobility, another person’s pain could be described as constantly dull and aching regardless of their level of activity. 

Back pain is generally described as three different types: 

• Acute: happens suddenly and lasts anywhere from a few days to a few weeks
• Subacute: pain that gradually increases over time and lasts anywhere from a month to a few months
• Chronic: pain that occurs quickly or slowly, and is felt daily for three months or longer
• That increases with lifting, bending and stretching
• That worsens when sitting for a while and then moving, as well as being stationary for long periods of time
• Comes and goes, regardless of movement or activity level
• That is felt throughout other parts of the body 
• That creates a feeling of numbness or weakness in the legs or feet, creating mobility issues
• That is felt most in the morning after waking up and could decrease with daily activity

Who Gets Back Pain?

Almost everyone you know, including yourself! Anyone, regardless of age, activity level and health history, has a great chance of experiencing some form of Backache at some point in their life. However, there are several factors that can increase a person’s risk of experiencing Backache, including: 

• Frequency and type of exercise: Spinal pain most often occurs in people who are not physically fit, meaning that weak back muscles and core muscles don’t adequately provide enough support for certain workouts, especially after periods of being inactive. Additionally, if a person attempts more strenuous exercise than used to, this could cause an injury that could lead to sudden back pain. 
• Being overweight: gaining weight or maintaining a more heavy weight than is suitable for your body, as well as leading an inactive life, could lead to additional stress placed on the back, which leads to Spinal pain. 

Stressful lifestyle: patients who are suffering with depression, poor sleeping habits and/or anxiety can experience more frequent and more severe Spinal pain. 

• Situational risk factors: if your job requires undo stress on your body, possibly due to physically-demanding lifting, stretching, pushing or pulling, or even a job that requires you to sit for extended periods of time, or you are forcing a workout regimen that might be too much for your body, this all could lead to back injuries. 
• Family history: heredity can play an important role in genetically-caused Spinal pain. 
• Age: while anyone can experience back pain, the chances of suffering from Spinal pain increase with age. 

While back pain is common, it’s important to not take it lightly. If your pain is severe,  lasts more than a few weeks, or gets worse over time, it’s important to reach out to your medical provider to ensure that there isn’t something more serious going on. The Nevada Advanced Pain Specialists team works with each individual patient to learn more about his/her lifestyle to accurately diagnose the cause of the pain, as well as to recommend a treatment that fits with each patient’s lifestyle and physical goals. 

What Causes Back Pain? 

Back pain can be caused by several different factors, which can occur independently or simultaneously to result in chronic Spinal pain. Spinal pain symptoms can affect lower, mid or upper back, and can include physical trauma, mechanical/structural causes or medical disorder. There could also be no specific cause for back pain, which is what makes diagnosing the source or sources of pain so important for finding the proper treatment. 

The majority of acute Spinal pain can be attributed to physical trauma, such as car accidents, stress or strain on the back muscles or spine, as well as work- and exercise-related injuries. However, there are several ways that mechanical/structural causes Spinal pain, which is most often pinpointed to developments in the spine, muscles, ligaments or tendons in the back that have led to a compressed nerve. These are described as local back pain. Then, there are causes of radiating back pain, which is pain from a problem in an organ that feels like, or spreads, to an area in the back, making the patient feel like the pain is actually caused from something in the back. 

Examples of local back pain most often include: 

• Ankylosing spondylitis (inflammation in the joints and ligaments of the spine)
• Arthritis 
• Degenerative spondylolisthesis (vertebral slip due to degenerative changes)
• Intervertebral disk degeneration (osteoarthritis of the spine)
• Radiculopathy (injury or damage to nerve roots)
• Sacroiliac joint dysfunction (pain due to sacroiliac joint)
• Spinal disk degeneration (cushioning of the spine wears away)
• Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)
• Spondylolisthesis (bones in the spine slip forward)
• Trauma/injury
• Tumor that grows/pushes on the spine
• Examples of radiating Spinal pain most often include: 
• Abdominal aortic aneurysms (the aorta weakens and bulges)
• Appendicitis

More

• Cancers (very rare)
• Fibromyalgia (chronic, widespread muscle pain)
• Myofascial pain syndrome (chronic muscle pain disorder)
• Infections (very rare)
• Gallbladder inflammation
• Kidney infection/kidney stones
• Liver problems
• Pancreatitis
• Pelvic inflammatory diseases 
• Perforating stomach ulcers

How is Back Pain Diagnosed?

The best way to diagnose your Spinal pain is to reach out to a medical provider. The anatomy of the back is complex, so it’s not as simple as “it hurts here” situation, with only one possible avenue for treatment. 

There are many different structures in the back that work together to help support the body and our ability to move, lift, twist, sit, stand, etc. Issues with any of these important structures can lead to pain. Firstly, we have our spine, which is made up of the cervical spine (upper), thoracic spine (middle), lumbar spine (lower), as well as the sacrum (base of spine/pelvis) and coccyx (tailbone). 

The parts of the spine and back include the vertebrae (bones that protect the spinal cord), spinal cord (nerves that run down the back through the vertebrae), intervertebral discs (pads between the vertebrae that help to cushion and absorb shock), ligaments (tissue that hold the vertebrae in place), tendons (tissue that connects muscle to bone) and muscles (fibers that support the upper back and spine and help the body to move). 

A pain management specialist will review your medical history as well as provide a comprehensive exam to evaluate all the aforementioned structures in the back and spine to evaluate the possible source of pain.

He/she might also ask you a series of questions, including: 

• When do you experience pain? 
• How long does the pain typically last? 
• Do you have any other symptoms? 
• What hobbies or exercises do you enjoy? 
• What at-home treatment methods have you tried?
• Does Spinal pain run in your family?

Additional diagnostic tools might include X-rays, MRI or CT scan to look deeper into the body to see if there is any damage and where. Because there are so many different opportunities for pain to develop, and so many opportunities for it to become worse if not treated, it’s important to have a medically-trained specialist who can expertly review all the moving parts to diagnose the best course of treatment available. 

What are Treatments for Back Pain? 

Depending on the source of pain, there are several options. The Nevada Advanced Pain Specialists team in the Reno, Sparks and Carson City areas will always recommend the most conservative methods first with a goal to help their patients find pain relief with minimally-invasive options. The goal with all Spinal pain treatments is to improve the patient’s ability to function and mobility, as well as to reduce the feeling of pain now and in the future. 

Conservative treatments might first include rest, relaxation, physical therapy and over-the-counter medications, with a goal to enjoy pain-free movement and the patient’s standard quality of life. If pain persists longer than a few weeks, or gets worse, more pain management procedures might be recommended. 

Available back pain treatments include: 

• Rest: usually the best first step, resting for a few days gives the back a chance to heal and recover. However, too much rest can make the back still and could make the pain worse. 
• Over-the-counter medications: providers might recommend muscle relaxants, anticonvulsants (if the cause of pain is believed to be from nerves), antidepressants (helps to relieve pain and helps the patient to sleep and recover), or pain medications. 
• Physical therapy and exercise: low-impact exercises like swimming could help to strengthen the back and core. Physical therapy also helps to stretch and relax the muscles, improve mobility and help with flexibility, all while speeding recovery with targeted muscle movements. 

Another treatments:

• Lifestyle changes: reducing risk factors (i.e. smoking, drinking) could help to avoid further injury, losing weight is proven to decrease strain on the back and spine, as well as reducing the frequency or duration of extreme exercising or heavy lifting could help to reduce the chance of experiencing Spinal pain. 
• Alternative therapy: massages, acupuncture, chiropractic therapy and yoga are great options for targeting certain muscle groups with a goal to ease tightness and strain. 
• Injections: also called interventional therapy, injections help to eliminate pain by blocking the pain signals from getting to the brain. Most often, the injection includes a steroid and a local anesthetic into nerves, joints or soft tissues, which helps to relieve the source of pain as well as stop the feelings of pain from being recognized. This is a great tool that allows patients to experience pain relief so that they can continue to utilize physical therapy without having to rely on taking medications.

What Should I Do For My Back Pain? 

While the majority of people who experience back pain can resolve their pain in a few weeks with at-home therapies, including rest, relaxation and over-the-counter medications (taken as prescribed), it’s important to reach out to a pain management specialist if any of the below symptoms are experienced: 

• Severe Spinal pain that does not improve with over-the-counter pain medication
• Tingling and numbness in the back, legs and feet
• A traumatic injury, such as a car accident or slip and fall
• Sudden weight loss, trouble urinating, fever or weakness in your legs

Tips

It’s important to partner with a pain management specialist who treats the whole patient, not just the one instance of pain. The Nevada Advanced Pain Specialists team is dedicated to providing each patient with complete relief, now and in the future. To do this, your specialist will ask questions about your pain, including level of pain, frequency and duration, as well as learn about your medical history and any family history that could contribute to the root cause of pain. Then he/she will recommend the best course of treatment that aligns with the patient’s lifestyle goals, beginning with conservative and minimally-invasive options first. 

Can I Reduce My Risk of Having Back Pain?

For back pain that isn’t caused by medical causes, there are ways to reduce your risk of experiencing back pain. These include: 

• Stretching and exercising regularly (and exercising at a level you can manage without over straining yourself)
• Good posture
• Maintaining a healthy weight and enjoying a balanced diet
• Seeking help for anxiety, stress and depression
• Quitting smoking and using tobacco products
• Wear low heeled and comfortable walking shoes

With overuse, daily wear and tear, or trauma, it is possible that the muscles and bones in the back can once again become sore. But, by recognizing pain as soon as it starts and beginning at-home therapies as soon as possible, you should be able to manage your pain and begin to feel relief. However, if pain persists, or gets worse, it’s time to call your doctor. 

What Should I Do About My Back Pain?

Back pain, while common, can often be a complex problem, which is why it’s important to seek help from a pain management specialist who knows the ins and outs of not only all types of back pain but also all the best treatment methods. If you are tired of living with back pain, your at-home methods aren’t providing relief, or you are worried that your back pain is getting worse, please call the Nevada Advanced Pain Specialists team in the Reno, Sparks and Carson City areas today and schedule an appointment for an evaluation with one of our expertly-trained pain management specialists. We look forward to helping you enjoy a pain-free life.