Back pain can be so devastating. It can come and go or continue for several months. Back pain is so common that almost eighty percent of adults are expected to come upon some form of it one day. It is a problem that can affect anyone regardless of their gender, age or race. As backache is so prevalent, there are walk in pain clinics near me everywhere in New York and other states. You only have to locate a suitable pain doctor online and go get examined at their pain clinic.
Where does pain start in the back?
One thing you should note is that back pain starts in the lower back (lumbar spine), neck (cervical spine) or upper and mid-back (thoracic spine) area. The latter is less common because the thoracic spine is more stable and well supported by the rib cage. Sometimes a combined sort of pain is felt and it is known as thoracolumbar pain. Based on the actual cause, given kinds of pain may indicate a health condition like osteoporosis or arthritis. By seeing a great pain doctor therefore, you can find out the exact cause of your backache and learn how to cure it.
How back pain is described
Pain affecting your spine can be described as a dull ache or an abrupt, sharp and consistent pain. While symptoms may be localized to a certain area of your back, sometimes it can shift to your upper or lower limbs. For that reason, you need to select one of the top walk in pain clinics near you and get a through examination and diagnosis. There are times when backache comes together with neurologic symptoms like tingling, weakness or numbness. In such a case, it is advisable to meet a suitable pain doctor the soonest possible.
Another way that pain in the back is described is either chronic or acute. When you have acute pain, it means that your back starts hurting abruptly and intensely. This type of pain takes a short time. On the contrary, chronic back pain is persistent and long-term. It must be checked by a pain doctor who is well-trained and well-versed with the spinal area and its health issues. A reliable NY spine and pain surgeon you can trust is Dr. Michael Nguyen. He is highly educated and experienced and boasts a lovable personality.
With chronic pain you can expect periods of less pain and discomfort and episodes of endless pain. Sadly, chronic backache can be a lifetime problem. If you notice bowel and/or urine incontinence, extreme weakness, tingling or numbness, consider it an emergency situation. Call or visit one of the best walk in pain clinics near me immediately. This will allow the physicians to trace the real cause of these symptoms without wasting time.
How comes you have back pain?
There are several causes of spinal pain that need to be identified by a qualified pain doctor. Sometimes the pain is right in the muscle or ligament and other times it is affecting a joint or bone. The most common cause of acute backache is a muscle strain. This is because there are several things you do every day that can overstretch a back muscle. This can be poor posture when lifting a heavy load, unsafe twisting or bending when playing a sport or a back injury caused by other strenuous physical activities. Other common causes of spinal discomfort are:
- Whiplash neck injuries – If you are feeling pain in your neck (cervical spine), chances are that you recently got involved in an auto accident that caused a whiplash injury. This sort of injury happens when the head is compelled to suddenly move forward or backward beyond its natural range of motion. Due to this forceful movement, muscles and ligaments in the neck can contract, tighten and hurt. Pain can also radiate to the upper back area or shoulders. The only sure way to know if you have a whiplash neck injury is to get in touch with some of the leading walk in pain clinics near me the soonest possible.
- Spondylosis – This is also referred to as spinal osteoarthritis. It is one of the worst degenerative disorders that mostly affect spinal discs and joints. Osteoarthritis can lead to the loss of spinal structure and function. While aging is the primary cause of spondylosis, it can start early in some people due to other issues. While the lumbar spine area is more prone to this condition, it can also affect the thoracic and cervical spines. A pain doctor should know about back pain that is starting later in life as it could be due to spondylosis.
- Loss of bone density (osteoporosis) – This condition mostly attacks the thoracic spine and thoracolumbar areas of the spine. Due to the loss of bone mineral density, the bones become weak and prone to fractures. Osteporosis is the leading cause of vertebral compression fractures, a stooped posture, and humped back. While the disease affects both men and women, it is the females who suffer the most after reaching menopause. Besides medical help that can be offered at some of the top walk in pain clinics near me, osteoporosis can be managed via a proper diet, exercise and making other lifestyle changes like quitting smoking and alcohol abuse.
- Disc herniation – A herniated disc is also called a protruding or ruptured disc. When the gel-like core (nucleus pulposus) breaks through the protective disc wall (annulus fibrosus) or if this protective disc wall shatters, the result is disc herniation. This takes time to turn intointo a complete herniation, meaning that symptoms can be seen suddenly or slowly. There are four stages of disc herniation: disc protrusion, prolapsed disc, disc extrusion, and sequestered disc. The last two stages indicate complete disc herniations.
- Sciatic nerve pain – This is known as sciatica pain. It is the type of back pain that travels along the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the human body. Sciatica pain is usually sharp, burning, dull or shooting. It rarely starts in the lower back; instead, it begins in the buttock and travels through the back of thigh prior to reaching the leg. If there is a herniated disc in your lower back, sciatica pain can be felt. While it rarely affects both buttocks and legs, it can sometimes. People who sit down for several hours are at risk of developing sciatica pain. Once the root cause is treated the pain goes away. If you feel this sort of pain, locate one of the most trusted walk in pain clinic near me online and set an appointment date with their physician.
- Spinal stenosis – Being a common cause of back pain, spinal stenosis is a severe condition. It occurs when the foramen (tiny neural passageways) space narrows. If nerve roots from the spinal cord are trapped due to the narrowing of the foramen, they can swell and reduce the forminal space further. Spinal stenosis rarely produces symptoms when one is young. Pain and other symptoms are felt when one gets older than fifty years. If you feel pain, numbness, burning and/or tingling, have your symptoms studied by a good pain doctor in your area. There could be herniated discs, bone growths (bone spurs), or perhaps a spinal tumor compressing the foramen. The only way to know if you really have spinal stenosis is to have your back examined by a qualified back pain specialist who works for one of the most reliable walk in pain clinics near me.
- Compression fractures – These fractures are rather common and can range from mild to severe vertebral breakage. A sudden fall or perhaps carrying a bulky load can apply extreme force to the spine, leading to vertebral bone breakage. This sort of breakage is called a compression fracture. On the other hand, a breakage that involves the entire vertebral body is known as a burst fracture. Compression fractures can be identified medically at some of the best walk in pain clinics near me and there is no reason to wait.
- Scoliosis – If the spine curves sideways to the right or left, then one has a condition called scoliosis. While the condition mostly develops in kids, there are adults who feel back pain because of it. Being a complicated 3-dimensional disease, scoliosis must be diagnosed by some of the most educated and knowledgeable NY spine and pain Scoliosis causes abnormal curving of the spine, forcing the nearest vertebrae to rotate. If this affects the thoracic spine area, the rotation of the vertebrae can cause ribs to protrude more on the opposite side of the curvature. While scoliosis is a less prevalent cause of back discomfort, it is still affecting some people.
- Osteomyelitis – This refers to an infection of the bone due to bacteria. Osteomyelitis mostly grows in the vertebrae bones and if not found, it can spread to the intervertebral disc spaces. If you feel severe backache that is consistent and intense when you move, lose weight, sweat, swell or run a fever, chances are that you have osteomyelitis. So have yourself seen by a great pain doctor in NYC.
- Spinal tumor – If you are suffering from cancer elsewhere in the body and are feeling pain in your back, it could be that it has spread to the spinal area. Still, there could a cancerous tumor that has emerged in your spinal area. To make sure you don’t have cancer, therefore, go to any of the reputable walk in pain clinics near me and seek help.
While back pain is a good sign that you have a spinal condition or injury, it doesn’t always mean that. Some back discomfort is not even considered a medical emergency and tends to disappear on its own when simple home remedies are applied. To know whether your bad back is anything to worry about, have a proper diagnosis carried out by the best pain doctor. This diagnosis should entail a meticulous physical and neurological examination and the doctor will ask about your medical history and current health status. It is imperative to be able to tell the physician about the history of your spinal pain. So you should be able to answer these questions when you go to one among the the top walk in pain clinics near me:
- When did the pain start?
- What were you doing when the pain emerged?
- Was the pain abrupt and intense or was it dull?
- Does the pain travel to any other body part, including your legs or hands?
- What makes the pain worse or tolerable?
- For how long have you felt this back pain?
- Have you received any kind of back treatment?
Answering all the above questions and any others correctly and thoroughly is important as it will help your doctor decide how to best treat you. The pain doctor will be interested in checking your back posture, range of motion of the affected spinal area, and any health condition affecting that area of the back. In addition, they will assess the vertebral alignment, identify muscle strain and other tender points and feel your spinal curvature. If the pain doctor suspects an abdominal issue that is straining your lumbar spine area, he or she may palpate the stomach area.
There will also be neurological tests carried out at one of your favorite walk in pain clinics near me to check your muscle strength, reflexes, sensory changes, motor changes and pain distribution. If the back surgeon suspects nerve damage, he or she might perform further tests (Nerve Conduction Velocity and Electromyography-EMG) to detect how your nerves are conducting impulses. But, if the pain doctor detects other back pain causes such as compression fractures, bone infection, arthritis, tumor or disc herniation, he or she will carry out typical imaging tests like CT scans, MRI scans and X-rays. If necessary, these can be combined with a CBC (complete blood count) test, urinalysis and an ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation) test.
How will your NY spine and pain doctor treat your back?
Treatment will be offered based on the cause of your spinal pain. Normally, walk in pain clinics near me doctors suggest non-surgical back pain cures before they do surgery. This is because backache seldom requires surgical treatment. If drugs for reduction of pain and inflammation, physical therapy and therapeutic exercise do not help, a surgical process may be suggested. The best surgical technique will be picked based on where the root source of pain is along the spine, its nature and severity. If there is severe spinal dysfunction, loss of bowel and bladder control, a lot of pain involving the back and leg and neurologic symptoms, surgery may be the best treatment method.