Back Pain

If you’ve ever suffered from back pain, know that you’re not alone. An estimated 540 million people suffer from back pain at any given moment, with 80% of Americans experiencing back pain at least one time in their life. Back pain is one of the most common medical problems in the U.S., and there is no shortage of causes and treatments. This is why it’s so important to place your trust in the California Pain Consultants team of pain management specialists in the Escondido, El Centro, La Mesa, San Diego, Chula Vista areas who know not only how to expertly diagnose the cause of your particular back pain, but also the best way to treat your causes so you can experience a pain free life as quickly and for as long as possible. 

What Does Back Pain Feel Like? 

Back pain unfortunately occurs as a range of pain sensations. For those who have experienced a traumatic injury, either a car accident, fall, or lifting something too heavy for an exercise or otherwise, they know that back pain can be felt immediately and as a sharp pain. For others, back pain can be felt as more of a constant ache that can be felt in the back as well as down the leg(s). Back pain can also occur over time, possibly due to age-related degenerative factors in the back and spine, as well as arthritis disorders or varying medical conditions. 

Most often, men and women equally feel pain during their 20s to 40s. While most back pain resolves itself in a few days, some cases require medical attention or even surgical methods to resolve the cause of pain. While there are numerous reasons why back pain can be felt, the below factors contribute to the possibility of experiencing back pain, as well as the possibility of delayed healing: 

• Unhealthy diet
• Lack of exercise
• Overuse of alcohol, drugs and tobacco products
• Being overweight or obese
• Overuse of the back muscles, including extreme physical exercise

While there is a very good chance that you or someone you know will experience back pain, each pain exposure will vary person to person. So while one might feel stabbing pain that limits their mobility, another person’s pain could be described as constantly dull and aching regardless of their level of activity. 

Back pain is generally described as three different types: 

• Acute: happens suddenly and lasts anywhere from a few days to a few weeks
• Subacute: pain that gradually increases over time and lasts anywhere from a month to a few months
• Chronic: pain that occurs quickly or slowly, and is felt daily for three months or longer

While back pain most often stems from the back, either from one specific spot or the entire back, the feeling of pain can be experienced throughout the body. Many patients even report feeling pain in their legs, buttock or abdomen. Regardless of the main source, cause or particular level of pain, most patients report experiencing pain: 

• That increases with lifting, bending and stretching
• That worsens when sitting for a while and then moving, as well as being stationary for long periods of time
• Comes and goes, regardless of movement or activity level
• That is felt throughout other parts of the body 
• That creates a feeling of numbness or weakness in the legs or feet, creating mobility issues
• That is felt most in the morning after waking up and could decrease with daily activity

Who Gets Back Pain?

Almost everyone you know, including yourself! Anyone, regardless of age, activity level and health history, has a great chance of experiencing some form of back pain at some point in their life. However, there are several factors that can increase a person’s risk of experiencing back pain, including: 

• Frequency and type of exercise: Back pain most often occurs in people who are not physically fit, meaning that weak back muscles and core muscles don’t adequately provide enough support for certain workouts, especially after periods of being inactive. Additionally, if a person attempts more strenuous exercise than used to, this could cause an injury that could lead to sudden back pain. 
• Being overweight: gaining weight or maintaining a more heavy weight than is suitable for your body, as well as leading an inactive life, could lead to additional stress placed on the back, which leads to back pain. 
• Stressful lifestyle: patients who are suffering with depression, poor sleeping habits and/or anxiety can experience more frequent and more severe back pain. 
• Situational risk factors: if your job requires undo stress on your body, possibly due to physically-demanding lifting, stretching, pushing or pulling, or even a job that requires you to sit for extended periods of time, or you are forcing a workout regimen that might be too much for your body, this all could lead to back injuries. 
• Family history: heredity can play an important role in genetically-caused back pain. 
• Age: while anyone can experience back pain, the chances of suffering from back pain increase with age. 

While back pain is common, it’s important to not take it lightly. If your pain is severe,  lasts more than a few weeks, or gets worse over time, it’s important to reach out to your medical provider to ensure that there isn’t something more serious going on. The California Pain Consultants team works with each individual patient to learn more about his/her lifestyle to accurately diagnose the cause of the pain, as well as to recommend a treatment that fits with each patient’s lifestyle and physical goals. 

What Causes Back Pain? 

Back pain can be caused by several different factors, which can occur independently or simultaneously to result in chronic back pain. Back pain symptoms can affect lower, mid or upper back, and can include physical trauma, mechanical/structural causes or medical disorder. There could also be no specific cause for back pain, which is what makes diagnosing the source or sources of pain so important for finding the proper treatment. 

The majority of acute back pain can be attributed to physical trauma, such as car accidents, stress or strain on the back muscles or spine, as well as work- and exercise-related injuries. However, there are several ways that mechanical/structural causes back pain, which is most often pinpointed to developments in the spine, muscles, ligaments or tendons in the back that have led to a compressed nerve. These are described as local back pain. Then, there are causes of radiating back pain, which is pain from a problem in an organ that feels like, or spreads, to an area in the back, making the patient feel like the pain is actually caused from something in the back. 

Examples of local back pain most often include: 

• Ankylosing spondylitis (inflammation in the joints and ligaments of the spine)
• Arthritis 
• Degenerative spondylolisthesis (vertebral slip due to degenerative changes)
• Intervertebral disk degeneration (osteoarthritis of the spine)
• Radiculopathy (injury or damage to nerve roots)
• Sacroiliac joint dysfunction (pain due to sacroiliac joint)
• Spinal disk degeneration (cushioning of the spine wears away)
• Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)
• Spondylolisthesis (bones in the spine slip forward)
• Trauma/injury
• Tumor that grows/pushes on the spine
• Examples of radiating back pain most often include: 
• Abdominal aortic aneurysms (the aorta weakens and bulges)
• Appendicitis
• Cancers (very rare)
• Fibromyalgia (chronic, widespread muscle pain)
• Myofascial pain syndrome (chronic muscle pain disorder)
• Infections (very rare)
• Gallbladder inflammation
• Kidney infection/kidney stones
• Liver problems
• Pancreatitis
• Pelvic inflammatory diseases 
• Perforating stomach ulcers

If you are experiencing back pain that continues to get worse, or begins to radiate throughout other parts of your body, it’s time to reach out to your pain management specialist. It’s especially important to note any additional problems associated with your back pain, including fever, weakness, tingling, numbing, loss of bladder/bowel control, and weight loss because these might be signs you’ll need immediate care and possibly surgery. 

How is Back Pain Diagnosed?

The best way to diagnose your back pain is to reach out to a medical provider. The anatomy of the back is complex, so it’s not as simple as “it hurts here” situation, with only one possible avenue for treatment. 

There are many different structures in the back that work together to help support the body and our ability to move, lift, twist, sit, stand, etc. Issues with any of these important structures can lead to pain. Firstly, we have our spine, which is made up of the cervical spine (upper), thoracic spine (middle), lumbar spine (lower), as well as the sacrum (base of spine/pelvis) and coccyx (tailbone). 

The parts of the spine and back include the vertebrae (bones that protect the spinal cord), spinal cord (nerves that run down the back through the vertebrae), intervertebral discs (pads between the vertebrae that help to cushion and absorb shock), ligaments (tissue that hold the vertebrae in place), tendons (tissue that connects muscle to bone) and muscles (fibers that support the upper back and spine and help the body to move). 

A pain management specialist will review your medical history as well as provide a comprehensive exam to evaluate all the aforementioned structures in the back and spine to evaluate the possible source of pain. He/she might also ask you a series of questions, including: 

• When do you experience pain? 
• How long does the pain typically last? 
• Do you have any other symptoms? 
• What hobbies or exercises do you enjoy? 
• What at-home treatment methods have you tried?
• Does back pain run in your family?

Additional diagnostic tools might include X-rays, MRI or CT scan to look deeper into the body to see if there is any damage and where. Because there are so many different opportunities for pain to develop, and so many opportunities for it to become worse if not treated, it’s important to have a medically-trained specialist who can expertly review all the moving parts to diagnose the best course of treatment available. 

What are Treatments for Back Pain? 

Depending on the source of pain, there are several options. The California Pain Consultants team in the Escondido, El Centro, La Mesa, San Diego, Chula Vista areas will always recommend the most conservative methods first with a goal to help their patients find pain relief with minimally-invasive options. The goal with all back pain treatments is to improve the patient’s ability to function and mobility, as well as to reduce the feeling of pain now and in the future. 

Conservative treatments might first include rest, relaxation, physical therapy and over-the-counter medications, with a goal to enjoy pain-free movement and the patient’s standard quality of life. If pain persists longer than a few weeks, or gets worse, more pain management procedures might be recommended. 

Available back pain treatments include: 

• Rest: usually the best first step, resting for a few days gives the back a chance to heal and recover. However, too much rest can make the back still and could make the pain worse. 
• Over-the-counter medications: providers might recommend muscle relaxants, anticonvulsants (if the cause of pain is believed to be from nerves), antidepressants (helps to relieve pain and helps the patient to sleep and recover), or pain medications. 
• Physical therapy and exercise: low-impact exercises like swimming could help to strengthen the back and core. Physical therapy also helps to stretch and relax the muscles, improve mobility and help with flexibility, all while speeding recovery with targeted muscle movements. 
• Lifestyle changes: reducing risk factors (i.e. smoking, drinking) could help to avoid further injury, losing weight is proven to decrease strain on the back and spine, as well as reducing the frequency or duration of extreme exercising or heavy lifting could help to reduce the chance of experiencing back pain. 
• Alternative therapy: massages, acupuncture, chiropractic therapy and yoga are great options for targeting certain muscle groups with a goal to ease tightness and strain. 
• Injections: also called interventional therapy, injections help to eliminate pain by blocking the pain signals from getting to the brain. Most often, the injection includes a steroid and a local anesthetic into nerves, joints or soft tissues, which helps to relieve the source of pain as well as stop the feelings of pain from being recognized. This is a great tool that allows patients to experience pain relief so that they can continue to utilize physical therapy without having to rely on taking medications.

If these options do not provide the patient with the desired level of pain relief, more advanced minimally-invasive treatment options might be recommended, and could include nerve blocks and spinal cord stimulation. There is also the option of spinal fusion or discectomy for patients who continue to experience severe chronic back pain. 

What Should I Do For My Back Pain? 

While the majority of people who experience back pain can resolve their pain in a few weeks with at-home therapies, including rest, relaxation and over-the-counter medications (taken as prescribed), it’s important to reach out to a pain management specialist if any of the below symptoms are experienced: 

• Severe back pain that does not improve with over-the-counter pain medication
• Tingling and numbness in the back, legs and feet
• A traumatic injury, such as a car accident or slip and fall
• Sudden weight loss, trouble urinating, fever or weakness in your legs

It’s important to partner with a pain management specialist who treats the whole patient, not just the one instance of pain. The California Pain Consultants team is dedicated to providing each patient with complete relief, now and in the future. To do this, your specialist will ask questions about your pain, including level of pain, frequency and duration, as well as learn about your medical history and any family history that could contribute to the root cause of pain. Then he/she will recommend the best course of treatment that aligns with the patient’s lifestyle goals, beginning with conservative and minimally-invasive options first. 

Can I Reduce My Risk of Having Back Pain?

For back pain that isn’t caused by medical causes, there are ways to reduce your risk of experiencing back pain. These include: 

• Stretching and exercising regularly (and exercising at a level you can manage without over straining yourself)
• Good posture
• Maintaining a healthy weight and enjoying a balanced diet
• Seeking help for anxiety, stress and depression
• Quitting smoking and using tobacco products
• Wear low heeled and comfortable walking shoes

With overuse, daily wear and tear, or trauma, it is possible that the muscles and bones in the back can once again become sore. But, by recognizing pain as soon as it starts and beginning at-home therapies as soon as possible, you should be able to manage your pain and begin to feel relief. However, if pain persists, or gets worse, it’s time to call your doctor. 

What Should I Do About My Back Pain?

Back pain, while common, can often be a complex problem, which is why it’s important to seek help from a pain management specialist who knows the ins and outs of not only all types of back pain but also all the best treatment methods. If you are tired of living with back pain, your at-home methods aren’t providing relief, or you are worried that your back pain is getting worse, please call the California Pain Consultants team in the Escondido, El Centro, La Mesa, San Diego, Chula Vista areas today and schedule an appointment for an evaluation with one of our expertly-trained pain management specialists. We look forward to helping you enjoy a pain-free life.