Back Pain
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Texas Pain & Orthopedics
Pain Management, Sports Medicine and Regenerative Orthopedics located in Pflugerville, TX
Back pain can stop you from working, rob you of sleep, and prevent you from enjoying life. If you’re tired of ineffective back pain treatments, Ike Malik, MD, of Texas Pain & Orthopedics in Pflugerville, Texas, can help. Dr. Malik is a board-certified pain management physician, and Texas Pain and Orthopedics offers advanced interventions for patients with back pain. No matter how long-standing or severe your back pain is, Texas Pain & Orthopedics can offer you relief. To find out how, call the office today or book an appointment online.
Back Pain Q & A
What causes back pain?
Acute back pain is typically due to injuries affecting the vertebrae, connective tissues, discs, and nerves in your spine. It can result from traumas like falls, auto accidents, and sports injuries. In many cases, awkward movements and actions like lifting heavy weights using the wrong technique trigger acute back pain. Many times pain has no obvious cause and this can be very frustrating to deal with.
Chronic back pain can develop from poorly healed injuries. Repetitive movements are also a cause of back pain that worsens over time. But the most common reason for having chronic back pain is spinal deterioration that occurs as you age. We call this degenerative changes of the spine and joints. Examples include:
- Spinal stenosis
- Facet joint arthritis
- Degenerative disc disease
- Spondylosis
- Spondylolisthesis
- Vertebral compression fractures
Herniated and bulging discs often cause back pain. The problem may arise from trauma to your spine or degenerative disc disease. One other possibility is a spinal abnormality. Scoliosis, in which your spine curves to the left or right, is common, especially as one ages.
What are the symptoms of back pain?
The primary symptom of back pain is the discomfort your injury or disease causes. This pain may be sharp and stabbing or more like a deep aching. It might come and go or be there constantly.
However, pain isn’t the only problem spinal conditions can cause. A great deal of back pain is due to radiculopathy — nerve compression that can trigger symptoms like:
- Tingling or “pins-and-needles”
- Burning sensations
- Weakness
- Loss of function
- Numbness
Sciatica is an example of lumbar (lower spine) radiculopathy. This common back problem stems from pressure on the large sciatic nerve that extends from the bottom of the spine into your pelvis, then splits into two, with one part of the nerve going down each leg.
Sciatica can cause shooting or electric-shock pain and other symptoms, often worse in your hip or buttock and leg than in your back.
Dr. Malik diagnoses the cause of your back pain after performing a physical exam and running tests. These might include X-rays, an MRI or CT scan, an electromyogram (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS)
How is back pain treated?
Dr. Malik prepares a treatment plan for you based on your diagnosis and the effects of your back pain. Treatments that could form part of your plan include:
- Physical therapy
- Activity modification and rest
- Narcotic and non-narcotic medications
- Epidural steroid injections
- Peripheral joint injections
- Nerve blocks
- Botox for both migraine and spasticity of central origin
- Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty (for vertebral compression fractures)
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Spinal cord stimulation
- Peripheral nerve stimulation
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections
- Stem cell therapy
Most patients recover from back pain using the least invasive treatments. Dr. Malik has considerable expertise in using cutting-edge science and technology to help people with severe or persistent back problems.
To find out how he can help relieve your back pain, call Texas Pain & Orthopedics today or book an appointment online.
