Your Options For Permanent Solutions For Back Pain

It might be considered a chronic condition if you’re experiencing back pain lasting more than three months. The pain can come in waves, bringing brief respite before bringing frustrating pain. Chronic back pain is frustrating if you don’t know what causes it. There are nonsurgical treatment options available to most patients. 

What are Your Options For Permanent Solutions For Back Pain?

Chronic back pain can be caused by age, but an injury can also cause it. The most well-known causes of chronic back pain are:

• Spinal arthritis: Over time, the cartilage inside the spine can thin. 
• Spinal Stenosis: The spinal canal can narrow, causing nerve pain.
• Injuries to the spinal discs
• Myofascial pain syndrome: Myofascial pain syndrome is unexplained muscle pain and tenderness.

It’s often difficult to pinpoint the cause of chronic back pain. If you’ve exhausted all your other options, it’s time to find a doctor to diagnose you correctly. It would be wise if you took your time to make a decision. And don’t go through extensive surgeries until you know what’s causing your pain. Surgery might not help, but it can also worsen the pain. If your specialist can’t find the source of the pain or a way to treat it, they may suggest reducing flare-ups. Through medication and other methods, your pain can be managed.

Physicians often use physical therapy to treat chronic back pain. The type of physical therapy you might be prescribed is different and tailored to your needs. Not everyone receives the same therapy. But you’ll also have to maintain your physical therapy regimen at home. Your physician might suggest retraining your posture, testing your pain tolerance, stretching, aerobics, strengthening your core, and meditation. Chronic back pain puts strain on you emotionally and physically. If your physician thinks you need it, they’ll refer you to a rehabilitation psychologist to combat irritability, frustration, depression, and the psychological aspects of chronic pain. 

Your diet may also be a factor in your pain. Diets high in trans fats, processed foods, and refined sugars are highly inflammatory. Talking to your physician about your diet can uncover whether it contributes to your pain. Maintaining a healthy weight can help lessen back pain by limiting the pressure on your spine.

When you experience chronic pain, you must understand your limitations. You’ll have to adapt to your new situation. When you’re mowing the lawn, you’ll need breaks. If you’re carrying groceries, you’ll have to make several trips. Consider the activities that worsen your pain and limit them, if possible. Limiting painful activities can help lessen your pain, but it can also prevent your condition from worsening. If you’re a smoker, try to quit. Nicotine can delay healing and worsen the pain.

Finding a Chronic Pain Specialist

At Delaware Valley Pain & Spine Institute, we strive to diagnose the underlying causes of chronic back pain and treat them. Whether through medication, physical therapy, or surgery, the physicians at Delaware Valley can help you find your best option. Call us and schedule a visit. The sooner your start treating chronic back pain, the easier it will be to diagnose and treat.