Ways to Minimize Debilitating Lower Back Pain and Prevent a Reoccurrence

Lower back pain can be uncomfortable, stressful, and debilitating. It could result from strenuous physical activity, medical activity, or an injury. The condition can affect people of all ages. However, your risk of developing the condition increases when you age because of degenerative disk disease and previous occupation. The expert neurosurgeons' team at Jeff Pan, MD, takes integrative approaches in diagnosing and treating low back conditions in Edison. These specialists will recommend various physical therapies and advise you on proper body mechanics to lessen your painful symptoms before recommending complex procedures. There are several low back conditions likely to cause you pain and your doctor will devise a treatment plan based on your symptoms.

When should you contact your doctor when you have low back pain?

Most back pains will not need medical intervention to fade. Sometimes a home treatment and self-care are what you need to improve your symptoms gradually. However, you should not hesitate to contact your doctor when your low back pain does the following:

• It gets severe and fails to improve when you rest
• Is persistent
• Causes numbness, tingling, and weakness in your legs
• Extends below your knees to both legs
• It causes you to have unexplained loss weight

Can you prevent back pain?

You could prevent back pains or minimize re-occurring risks by enhancing your physical state and learning proper body mechanics. Therefore, to maintain your low back's health, your doctor could advise you to:

• Exercise. Your doctor will suggest low-impact activities that do not strain your back. The exercises will strengthen your back, allowing your muscles to function effectively.
• Have a healthy body weight. When you are overweight, you strain your back muscles. Your doctor will advise you to trim down to minimize the pressure you exert on your back muscles.
• Improve your muscle strength. Exercises that strengthen your lower back and abdominal muscles condition the muscles to work dependently to strengthen your back.

Quit smoking. Smoking increases your low back risks. Additionally, your risks increase with the number of cigarettes you smoke per day.

In avoiding movements that strain or twist your back, your care provider will advise you to:

• Maintain a good posture to minimize the strain on your back muscles.
• Use a seat with proper lower back support and armrests, and frequently change your sitting position.
• Avoid lifting heavy loads. However, if you must, bend at the knees and maintain a straight back.

How will your doctor treat your low back pain?

Lower back pains usually get better within a few weeks of home treatment. Your care provider will advise you to participate in activities you can tolerate and avoid activities that might trigger the pain. The professional will also discourage you from avoiding activities for fear of pain, as it could weaken your muscles. When home remedies fail to improve your symptoms, your doctor will recommend therapies and stronger medications. Your treatment options could include:

• Medications
• Physical therapy
• Cortisone injections
• Radiofrequency neurotomy
• Nerve stimulation
• Surgical procedure

Physical therapy is typically the first treatment option your doctor will recommend when you have lower back pains to strengthen your back muscles and increase flexibility. However, not all back pains resolve with exercises. Contact your spine specialist today to learn various other options to relieve you of the debilitating low back symptoms.