Do you have back pain? You are not alone. Millions of people suffer from chronic back pain, which is the leading cause of disability in America. Back pain is a sophisticated condition with many causes, which means there are lots of treatment options out there for you to explore. In Houston, you have back pain management centers that you can visit. The medics have options of treatments at their disposal which they can use. What’s essential is booking an appointment with a specialist in back pain in Houston, TX.
Understanding Back Pain
There are different causes of it, and this is why treatments vary on that basis. It can have a debilitating effect on your life if not treated before it turns chronic. The spine consists of bones called vertebrae, discs, nerves, muscles, and ligaments, and each of them is responsible for the pain you are feeling.
What Causes Back Pain?
Back pain can be caused by several reasons, some of which include:
- An injury to the ligaments, bones, or discs in the spine
- Soreness from your workouts
- Muscle strain
- Poor body mechanics such as bad posture or carrying heavy weight
- Poor sleeping habits
- Poor core strength from being out of shape
- Obesity as excess weight puts strain on the back
Symptoms of Back Pain
Some common symptoms which you may experience include:
- Sharp or burning pain in your back that comes and goes.
- Shooting pain that occurs when you cannot recall any specific event that caused an accidental injury.
- Aching pain that tends to happen in the early hours of the morning when you are still sleeping.
- You may experience stabbing or shooting sensations when touching your skin.
- Tingling effect in your legs and feet.
- Numbness
What are the Treatments?
Your doctor will come up with a treatment plan depending on the cause of your back pain. There are many approaches to treating it, and your doctor’s recommendation would depend on the specific symptoms you have. Some of them include prescription medications and over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, and physical therapy. Pain injections (epidural steroids) are also significant in relieving pain.
Your specialist also considers minimally invasive procedures such as neuromodulation devices. They use electric impulses to block the pain and stimulate the nervous system to decrease the pain signals.
What Can I Do at Home?
If you suffer from back pain, there are several things that you can do at home, including physical exercises, and in the long run, it will help reduce pain. Some of them include aerobic exercises and yoga.
A core strengthening plan with a good diet for healthy bones and muscles helps avoid stress on your back. In addition to that, you can get a massage from time to time.
A chronic back pain sufferer will often need to avoid certain activities such as lifting, bending, and sitting for long periods. The good news is there are specialists with the capacity to help you out. They start with conservative treatments such as physical therapy and steroid injections.
