Options for Treating Chronic Back Pain Without Surgery
Chronic back pain can affect every aspect of your life. As you get older, your body naturally ages and as a result of years of overuse, straining, bending, lifting, poor posture, and much more, you may develop back pain that keeps you from doing the things you once enjoyed. Back pain can also be the result of a ruptured disc, sciatica, or degenerative disorders like arthritis and osteoporosis. Back pain can also be from an old injury or previous surgery that didn’t heal properly.
Regardless of the reason, no one should have to live with chronic back pain. The good news is that there are a number of options for treating chronic back pain that don’t involve major surgery. The physicians at Innovative Pain & Spine Specialists in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska specialize in diagnosing and treating chronic back pain.
Understanding Chronic Back Pain
Back pain is the leading reason why individuals see a physician. The pain can vary in intensity and frequency, from a continuous aching feeling to a sudden, stabbing pain.
Chronic back pain is pain that lasts for three months or longer. Approximately 20 percent of people living with back pain develop chronic back pain. It’s important to know when to seek medical advice to minimize further damage and reduce the incidence of living with chronic back pain for the rest of your life.
At Innovative Pain & Spine, our team of pain medicine specialists treat each patient individually and determine the best treatment options that will give that person the greatest outcomes for relief from the pain.
Here are some options our physicians use in the treatment of chronic back pain that don’t require major surgery, general anesthesia, or hospitalization.
An epidural steroid injection can help reduce pain stemming from the spine and its associated nerves. Injections can be performed at different levels of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine and may provide relief from pain for weeks to months. In some cases, patients may need more than one injection to obtain maximal pain relief.
Facet joint injections are used to treat arthritis of the spine. Injections work by reducing the inflammation and irritation in the joint that connects one vertebrae to another.
Kyphoplasty is a treatment used to relieve pain associated with compression fractures of the vertebrae. It is a minimally-invasive procedure used to protect against further collapse or compression of the spine, to reduce or stop the pain caused by a spinal fracture, and to stabilize the bone.
Radiofrequency denervation is a procedure that is used to interrupt the pain signals stemming from the facet joints of the spine, the hinge-like joint between each vertebrae. The facet joints link the vertebrae together and are innervated by medial branch nerves. Patients can experience back pain if a facet joint becomes arthritic.
A sacroiliac joint injection is a procedure that reduces low back and buttock pain stemming from inflammation of the sacroiliac joint. The sacroiliac joint connects the pelvis to the sacrum, the area above the tailbone that helps to balance the weight between the upper body and legs when you stand or walk.
Spinal cord stimulation is used to help manage pain stemming from the back or from the arms or legs. Low-voltage stimulation transmits an electrical current to the spinal nerves to interfere with the pain signals being sent to the brain. A small, battery-powered device is used to transmit the electrical current to small wires placed behind the spinal cord. A minimally-invasive procedure is performed to implant the device and is done in an outpatient setting.
Trigger point injections to treat myofascial (muscle) pain of the low back where bundles of muscle fibers can become tight, knotted, and unable to relax.
Surgery doesn’t have to be your first option.
The Innovative Pain & Spine physicians may deem it appropriate to use one type of treatment or a combination of various treatments to achieve optimum relief of chronic back pain. Other therapies may include medications, physical therapy, acupuncture, or chiropractic care. Together, our providers work with you to create an individualized treatment plan with the goal of restoring your physical and emotional well-being.
If you have been living with chronic back pain, now may be the right time to get an evaluation and find out what treatment options may help you on the path to recovery. Our physicians offer advanced pain management services in Lincoln and Omaha. Learn more about the various treatments available at innovativepainnebraska.com