Everyone has a different reason for starting the journey to manage their pain. We can diagnose and work with your conditions to offer a treatment plan that fits you.
Chronic back pain is one of the most common types of chronic pain. In fact, back pain in general is the second most common reason someone visits their primary care doctor after the common cold.
Back pain is very frequently caused by issues with the vertebral discs. In between the bones of the spine are vertebral discs, which act as shock absorbers, allowing the spine to have a full range of motion and support the upper body. The vertebral discs are composed of a tough outer layer and a soft, inner layer. When the discs compress, either due to trauma or naturally from age, the outer layer can degenerate, and the inner layer can leak out into the spinal area. This can cause chronic back pain due to the pressure placed on spinal nerves, or the irritation caused by the caustic material of the inner layer. This condition is known as degenerative disc disease, but can be caused by arthritis, aging, or trauma.
Treatment for chronic back pain will depend on many factors, including medical history, cause of pain, location of pain, and treatments the patient has previously tried in an attempt to manage their pain.
At Tulsa Pain Consultants, the treatment plan will begin with an examination and medical history. Your pain management specialist may order diagnostic imaging like x-ray or MRI to confirm a diagnosis of the specific cause of your back pain.
Treatments may include extremely conservative measures like rest, ice/heat, and over-the-counter pain medications that are in the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) class of medication, like aspirin or ibuprofen. Physical therapy can help with chronic back pain by addressing weak core muscles or tight muscles. If the core can better support the spine, back pain will likely decrease. Or, if the quads or hamstrings are tight, the pelvis and hips can have limited movement, which also affects the spine.
If pain is more advanced, or conservative therapies have been tried and have not provided adequate pain relief, the team at Tulsa Pain may recommend interventional pain management procedures like injections and ablations. The injections may include epidural steroid injections or nerve blocks. Ablations are more permanent procedures that destroy the affected nerve, which then blocks the pain signal from traveling to the brain.
Regardless of the cause, back pain can be debilitating and no one should have to live in constant pain. Tulsa Pain Consultants will work with patients to determine the best treatment plan to manage chronic back pain.
