Can You Relieve Chronic Back Pain Without Surgery?
It seems like the pain will never end.
A refreshing night’s sleep is just a dream thanks to your back pain. Even during your workday, the ache continues, making it difficult to concentrate on anything.
Chronic back pain occurs when you experience spinal pain consistently for 12 weeks or longer. According to the National Institute of Health, about 20 percent of those with acute (short-term) low back pain eventually go on to develop chronic (long-term) back pain.
But does the solution always require surgery? The answer may surprise you. In fact, there are several ways that our specialized orthopedic doctors in Horry County can help relieve your chronic back pain.
We’ll take a look where you can get nonsurgical relief for chronic back pain, as well as some of the common causes of these conditions.
Non-surgical Relief from Chronic Back Pain
We take a conservative approach to medicine. This means that we will treat your pain with non-surgical methods before determining if surgery is the only alternative.
Some examples of non-surgical relief for chronic back pain include:
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy and rehabilitation can strengthen your back through correcting/improving your posture, strengthening your core and increasing your flexibility. Typically, these are done through exercises—but these have to be carefully crafted by your physical therapist to meet your specific needs and address your individual problems.
Meditation
You may be surprised how much mindfulness and meditation can help you.
Yoga, tai chi, and other relaxation practices can help ease the psychological distress that often results from chronic pain.
Research is still ongoing on the connection between meditation/mindfulness and pain relief.
Injections
Steroid injections, nerve blocks and other similar treatments can go a long way toward helping relieve your chronic back pain. While these aren’t intended as long-term solutions, our spine specialists near you use them to help you get back to everyday activities without pain.
Nutrition
If your chronic back pain is due to inflammation, particularly if you eat a lot of sugar and processed foods, you should speak with your doctor to see if you can benefit from a nutritionist. These professionals can outline an effective eating plan to help you make healthy choices you need without sacrificing the flavor you enjoy.
Weight Loss
While weight loss may not completely relieve your chronic back pain, it can help. If you have extra weight, it puts additional strain on your spine, which can make your back pain even worse.
Common Sources of Chronic Back Pain
Causes That Aren’t Related to Diseases
Sometimes, simple adjustments can go a long way toward alleviating your discomfort. This is because chronic back pain isn’t always due to a disease. If you continually lift objects that are very heavy, wear a poorly fitted backpack or even sleep in a bad position, you could develop back pain.
In cases such as these, we can help you make the minor changes that will create a big difference.
Injuries
Sprains and strains are often culprits when it comes to back pain. Sprains are ligaments that have been torn or overstretched. Strains are tears in the tendon or the muscle. Injuries also can result from contact sports, car accidents or falls.
Causes Related to Diseases
Disc Degeneration
Your spine has discs that “cushion” it, and over time, these discs can wear down. It’s usually due to the natural process of aging, and it affects millions of Americans every year.
Spondylosis
This is due to the regular “wear and tear” of the spine throughout a lifetime. It occurs in the discs, joints and bones as people age.
Arthritis
Arthritis of the spine, or other inflammatory diseases can cause extensive pain.
Nerve Compression
Issues such as sciatica (pressure on the sciatic nerve) or stenosis (the narrowing of the spinal column) can place pressure on various nerves throughout your spine. The result may be a burning or shock-like pain.
If You Need Back Surgery, Our Nationally Recognized Orthopedic Surgeons Near You Are Ready to Help
When it comes to treating back pain, we will try all nonsurgical methods of relief before surgery is considered. However, there are cases where surgery is warranted.
And if that’s the case, you’re in good hands.
Our orthopedic services are ranked #1 in the state by CareChex, an organization that monitors health care quality. Our spinal surgery services are ranked in the top 100 in the United States, and our spinal surgery and spinal fusion services are ranked the #1 hospital in the market.
With leaders in spinal surgery, our spine center offers effective and safe methods to treat and manage your back pain.
The result? You can return to the life you love.
You don’t have to live with chronic back pain. We’ll show you how. Contact us by requesting an appointment.
