Chronic back pain makes life hard. Meds might not help much and have bad side effects. But interventional pain management is different. It helps you heal faster and is safer than surgery. At Sonoran Spine, we use many ways to ease pain without cutting you open. Patients from Tempe, Gilbert, and North Scottsdale visit us. Our team’s top goal is your care and getting you better.
Key Takeaways
- Chronic back pain can significantly impact your quality of life
- Interventional pain management offers a non-surgical approach to pain relief
- Sonoran Spine’s team of experts has over 20 years of experience
- Range of nonsurgical procedures available in Tempe, Gilbert, and North Scottsdale
- Dedicated to providing exceptional care and service to each patient
Understanding Lower Back Pain
Most adults face back pain at some point in their lives. About 80 percent of us get a jolt of lower back pain. It can be just a small ache or a short acute pain. But if it turns into chronic back pain, it can stop you from doing what you love.
After about three months, chronic back pain sets in for some. A rare 20 percent of folks with an acute low back pain get stuck with chronic low back pain. It often starts with mechanical issues. These include disc herniation, spinal stenosis, or muscle/ligament injuries. Knowing the cause is key to finding the right treatment.
Types of Back Pain
Back pain shows itself in many ways. It might ache, burn, or feel like it’s stabbing you. Where and how it hurts gives hints about why. Sciatica, for instance, makes pain shoot down the leg. It’s often due to a disc herniation putting pressure on a nerve.
Common Causes of Chronic Back Pain
Chronic lower back pain has many possible sources:
- Disc problems like herniation or wear and tear
- Spinal stenosis, where the spinal canal gets too narrow
- Muscle or ligament overuse or injury
- Arthritis, osteoporosis, and similar issues
- Spinal flaws
Figuring out what’s causing your back pain is vital. It helps in making a plan with your doctor. The plan aims to treat your pain effectively.
Why Seek a Lower Back Pain Specialist?
Medication helps a bit, but it comes with risks and doesn’t fix what’s really wrong. Surgery has its dangers too. That’s why seeing a lower back pain specialist is wise. They will find the real issue and suggest the right care, including safe treatments like interventional pain management.
Limitations of Over-the-Counter Treatments
Drugs like ibuprofen just hide the pain. They don’t get to the main issue. Also, they can hurt your stomach, your liver, and more. A spine specialist or orthopedic surgeon offers treatments that really work for a long time.
Risks of Surgery
Surgery is risky, with dangers like infections and nerve damage. It’s not the first step, but sometimes it’s needed. A good lower back pain specialist tries other ways first. They know how to keep you safe from surgery’s bad side too.
Interventional Pain Management
Interventional pain management helps with pain diagnosis and treatment. It covers many treatment types, including those without surgery. Its main goal is to reduce or control pain to improve a person’s life.
What is Interventional Pain Management?
Interventional pain management uses many advanced methods to fight chronic pain. It mixes knowledge from different medical areas like anesthesiology and physical therapy. This leads to plans that meet each patient’s needs.
Benefits of Interventional Pain Management
Interventional pain management has big advantages. It leads to faster healing and less risk than open surgery. Techniques like spinal cord stimulation help relieve pain for a long time without a lot of recovery time.
Types of Interventional Pain Management Treatments
Interventional pain management has many treatments for your symptoms and conditions. These treatments are less risky than surgeries. They have short recovery times.
Nerve Blocks
Nerve blocks stop pain signals to the brain. This method is focused. It helps with conditions like complex regional pain syndrome.
Spinal Cord Stimulation
Spinal cord stimulation uses gentle electric currents. It stops the brain from feeling pain. This helps with back and neck pain.
Injections
Injections put medicine right where it hurts. They use a numbing agent and steroid. For example, they ease inflammation and pain from bad joints.
Corticosteroid injections in knees, shoulders, or hips help arthritis. They make moving easier.
Radiofrequency Ablation
Radiofrequency ablation heats and stops a painful nerve. It can give relief from lower back and neck pain.
Conditions Treated with Interventional Pain Management
Pain management helps with many spinal issues and chronic pain. It treats arthritis, disc herniation, scoliosis, and more. If normal treatments haven’t worked, this can help make life better.
A 2011 study showed spinal cord stimulation can be very effective. It helps with back pain when other treatments fail. Also, using advanced imaging in treatment can be very useful. It helps doctors do procedures to fix spine disorders better.
| Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| Arthritis | Chronic inflammation and deterioration of the joints, including the spine, which can cause pain and stiffness. |
| Disc Herniation | A bulging or ruptured spinal disc that puts pressure on the nerves, leading to back pain and sciatica. |
| Spinal Stenosis | Narrowing of the spinal canal that compresses the spinal cord and nerves, resulting in back pain and reduced mobility. |
| Sports Injuries | Acute or chronic back pain sustained during physical activity, such as muscle strains, ligament sprains, or vertebral fractures. |
The team at Sonoran Spine uses the newest treatments. They create unique plans for every patient. This focuses on easing pain, getting function back, and making life better for people with back pain.
Finding a Lower Back Pain Specialist Near You
Struggling with lower back pain? The right specialist can help you find relief. Luckily, many options are available locally to explore.
Primary Care Physician Referral
Your primary care physician can be a great start. They might refer you to an orthopedic specialist or a pain management clinic. These places are good at giving treatments that are just right for your pain.
Orthopedic Specialists
Orthopedic doctors know a lot about the spine and back problems. They’ll check your back carefully and might order tests. After they find what’s wrong, they’ll suggest treatments, like therapy or shots. This can help manage your pain better.
Pain Management Clinics
At pain management clinics, a team works together to tackle pain. This team includes doctors, PA’s, and nurse practitioners. They use different methods to treat the cause of your pain and make you feel better.
| Specialty | Focus | Treatments |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Care Physician | General medical care | Referrals to specialists |
| Orthopedic Specialist | Musculoskeletal system | Diagnosis, physical therapy, injections |
| Pain Management Clinic | Chronic pain conditions | Comprehensive interventional treatments |
Finding the right specialist is crucial. They should have the know-how and tools to make a treatment plan just for you. This is the first step to feeling better.
Preparing for Your Appointment
When you see a back pain doctor, be ready. Bring any medical records you have. This includes past tests, images, and notes about your symptoms and pain history. Tell the doctor when your back started hurting and what makes it better or worse. Sharing these details can lead to a better diagnosis and treatment plan.
Gathering Medical Records
Having your medical records in hand is a smart move before your appointment. This means bringing your past test results, images, and notes on what you’ve felt and gone through. This info helps the doctor get a clear picture. They can then create a plan just for you.
Documenting Symptoms
Take some time to write down your symptoms before the visit. Jot down when the pain began, exactly where it hurts, how bad it is, and what makes it feel better or worse. This record can be a big help for your doctor. It guides them in figuring out what’s causing your pain. And what to do about it.
Non-Surgical Treatment Options
Your lower back pain specialist might start with non-surgical treatments. Physical therapy improves how you move, making your body stronger and more effective. This can help reduce your back pain. Braces, belts, and other supportive devices also help by keeping your spine stable and easing pressure on sore spots. These methods are often good for handling chronic back pain with less risk than surgery.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is key for tackling back pain without surgery. A specialist will set up an exercise plan just for you. It might have exercises to make your spine stronger, help you be more flexible, and move better. Doing these exercises can help you deal with chronic back pain and get moving again without surgery.
Bracing and Supportive Devices
Along with physical therapy, your doctor might suggest using braces, belts, or supportive devices. These items support your back, reducing spine pressure, and assist in healing over time. A back brace, support belt, or a special cushion can change your back pain relief a lot. The specialist will choose the best non-surgical treatment for you.
Surgical Interventions for Lower Back Pain
Sometimes, surgery is needed for chronic lower back pain. The Sonoran Spine team are experts in minimally invasive surgery. This includes procedures like Selective Endoscopic Discectomy (SED), leading to quick recovery and lower risks.
Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
These surgeries make small cuts and use special tools. The expert team causes less harm and blood loss. This means patients get better faster.
Disc Replacement Surgery
Disc replacement surgery can help with certain spinal issues. It takes out a bad disc and puts in a new one. This makes the spine more flexible, improving life quality.
Sonoran Spine aims to do surgeries that are as gentle but as strong as possible. They specialize in methods that fit each person’s pain. Their focus is on getting you back to normal without big surgeries.
Lifestyle Changes for Lower Back Pain Management
Lifestyle changes can help you manage lower back pain. They work great with medical advice. These changes can give you relief from long-term discomfort.
Exercise and Strengthening
Doing regular exercises and strengthening muscles can improve your posture and back pain. Low-impact exercises like walking and swimming are good. They don’t stress your lower back too much. Strengthening exercises for your stomach, back, and hips also help.
Ergonomic Adjustments
Your daily routines and work setup can hurt your lower back. Using a good office chair and sitting up straight can make a big difference. Taking breaks to stretch is important. These changes can help prevent and manage back pain.
Weight Management
Extra weight, especially around the midsection, is bad for your back. Eating right and staying active keeps your weight in check. This eases the pressure on your spine. The FDA says eating lots of veggies daily can help your back.
Work with your back pain specialist. Add these changes to your life to curb the pain. By combining medical help with a healthy lifestyle, you can feel better. You’ll move better, be more independent, and have a higher quality of life.
Lower Back Pain Specialist – Expertise and Experience
The team at Sonoran Spine are lower back pain specialists. They have more than 20 years of expertise and experience. They are known for diagnosing and treating hard spinal problems.
They work hard to give the best quality and service. They use the latest interventional techniques. And they aim to find the best, least tough ways to help their patients.
People come from all over the Southwest and beyond because of their great care. Patient testimonials show how good they are at what they do.
Conclusion
Lower back pain can make it hard to do what you love every day. It might stop you from joining in activities. Or it could make simple things a lot less fun. But, common medicines you buy might not solve the real pain issue. Surgery is also risky. It might not be the best choice for everyone.
Here at Sonoran Spine, we focus on the newest ways to help with back issues. We aim to fix, not just patch up your back. Soon, you might be back on your feet again. Our team is ready to offer the best care for your back. We will create a special plan just for you. This way, you can enjoy life more and be active again.
