What are the causes of back pain?
There are many causes of back pain, from fractured vertebrae to simple muscular strains. Some of the conditions Dr. Flanagan treats most often at Naples Regenerative Institute include:
- Facet joint arthritis
- Bone spurs
- Sciatica
- Degenerative disc disease
- Bulging and herniated discs
- Pinched nerves
- Vertebral compression fractures
- Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)
- Radiculopathy (nerve compression or irritation)
Many chronic back problems relate to nerve compression or radiculopathy. For example, the shooting pain that typically travels down one leg when you have sciatica results from pressure on the sciatic nerve at the base of your spine. This pressure often comes from a bulging or herniated disc, which in turn might occur as a result of degenerative disc disease.
Radiculopathy can also cause problems like tingling, prickling, or “pins-and-needles” sensations, weakness, loss of function, and in severe cases, incontinence.
What should I do if I have back pain?
If your back pain is severe, it can be useful to rest, but prolonged immobility is unlikely to help. Instead, it’s better to stay active but avoid significant worsening of your back pain. Using ice sparingly can reduce swelling, and heat can help ease the pain and encourage healing.
To keep yourself moving, try doing some range-of-motion exercises using just your body weight. You can continue to walk if it’s not too uncomfortable, then to increase your fitness, start doing short periods of jogging and eventually running. It’s also important to be aware of your posture and make sure your ears line up with your shoulders while your hips line up with your knees and ankles.
What treatments can help with back pain?
If your back pain doesn’t get better after a few days of self-care or you’re in a lot of pain, Dr. Flanagan offers effective, non-surgical treatments, including physical therapy. You may need medication for the worst of the pain, but Dr. Flanagan’s expertise means that your need to use pain-killing medicines should soon decrease or disappear.
To encourage healing and tissue regeneration, Dr. Flanagan recommends stem cell therapy or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy. He also offers:
- Epidural injections
- Nerve root blocks
- Facet joint injections
- Facet joint nerve blocks
- Sacroiliac joint injections
- Intradiscal injections
- Sympathetic plexus blocks
- Cluneal nerve blocks
- Spinal and peripheral stimulation
The injections contain a local anesthetic for rapid, short-term pain relief or a low-dose steroid medication for the longer-term reduction of inflammation and pain. Some injectables use a combination of the two.
Other potential back pain treatments include minimally invasive kyphoplasty for vertebral compression fractures, and radiofrequency ablation for persistent back pain that isn’t responding to other methods.
Find an effective non-surgical solution to your back pain by calling Naples Regenerative Institute today or book an appointment online.
