Is Lower Back Pain Treatable?

If you have been injured at work, slipped or fallen, or been a victim in a car accident, you may be experiencing chronic pain or discomfort in your lower back. Chronic lower back pain can interrupt your sleep, make work difficult and not allow you to carry out activities of daily living.

Lower back pain can be caused due to a variety of reasons –

· age-related wear and tear

· injury while lifting a heavy object

· sports injuries

· car crash

· degenerative disease, such as arthritis

· overuse injuries

· poor posture

Lower-back pain may range from mild to severe. Often, acute lower back pain is caused by overuse, injury, or poor body mechanics when lifting heavy objects.

Acute pain is usually caused due to muscle strain in the lower back.

If the pain stems from damage to the lower back structures, such as the vertebral discs, it can turn into chronic pain. Chronic pain is usually the result of structural damage in the lower back (lumbar spine) to structures like –

· the vertebrae (small spinal bones)

· facet joints

· intervertebral discs

· ligaments

· spinal cord and peripheral nerves

· internal organs in the pelvis

Back pain is the leading cause of disability in adults. Tens of millions of Americans experience frequent back pain.

Adults with low back pain are often in worse physical and mental health than those who do not have low back pain. They have limited activity due to a chronic condition and are more likely to be in poor health and psychological distress compared to people without low back pain.

Acute back pain and accompanying symptoms can usually be resolved at home with ice packs the first 48 hours, and later heat. Rest and activity modification also help. Some people find relief with over-the-counter pain medication.

However, chronic low back pain can be an indicator of a serious condition and requires immediate medical attention is required, especially when accompanied by other symptoms such as, high fever, numbness and incontinence or if the pain symptoms don’t resolve within 4 weeks.

Common conditions underlying chronic low back pain include:

· Arthritis, Facet Joint

· Sacroiliac Joint Disease

· Spinal Stenosis

· Fibromyalgia

· Degenerative Disc Disease

· Disc Herniation

· Facet Joint Osteoarthritis

· Sciatica

· Poor Posture

· Stress

· Body Fractures

· Osteoporosis

· Spondylolisthesis

· Ankylosing Spondylitis

· Infections

If you are experiencing chronic back pain, you should see a pain management doctor right away. Pain management doctors specialize in treating pain and the underlying condition causing it.

If you are looking for pain management in Chicago, call one of the leading pain management clinics in Illinois, Illinois Pain Institute at 800–340-PAIN Today! Illinois Pain Institute is Chicago’s leading and longest-established, multi-site pain management practice. Our doctors specialize in the accurate diagnosis and precise treatment of neck pain, back pain, herniated discs, sciatica, headaches, pelvic pain, musculoskeletal pain, and many other painful conditions.