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Lower back pain is a problem that virtually everyone deals with during their lifetime. The pain could result from various causes like traumatic injuries, strains, sprains, herniated or slipped discs, osteoarthritis, and spinal stenosis. It sometimes resolves on its own or following home remedies like rest, but you need immediate attention if lower back pain Las Vegas persists, is severe or is accompanied by symptoms like high fever, bladder or bowel control difficulties, unexplained weight loss, and loss of strength in your limbs. Such symptoms could indicate an underlying condition or significant damage that requires prompt treatment. The common lower back pain treatment options include:
Hands-on manipulation
Most people associate chiropractors with back issues, which is not entirely wrong. Hands-on manipulation, like chiropractic adjustments, can help manage lower back pain. The adjustments help to relieve tension and realign a misaligned spine. The manipulation alleviates pain and can help improve your posture, keeping the pain at bay. Other hands-on approaches that can help include osteopathic manipulation and massage therapy tailored to alleviate pain and restore function.
Physical therapy
Physical therapy is synonymous with surgery recovery, but the approach can also help in lower back pain management. Physical therapy entails adopting personalized exercises to strengthen muscles and improve flexibility. Stronger muscles offer better spine support, alleviating pain and mitigating injury risks. The exercises can target areas like your abdominal core muscles for enhanced spine support and improved posture and function. Stronger and more flexible muscles alleviate pressure from the spine which could be the main cause of the pain, such as due to injuries or herniated discs.
Medication
Over-the-counter pain medication can help, but its pain alleviation impact may be limited. Your doctor can recommend stronger NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or prescribe certain pain-relieving medication. The mediation approach can target aspects like relaxing your muscles or preventing back spasms. The approach can also include injections. Steroid injections are popular and target a specific area. They help reduce inflammation, which could be the main cause of the pain or aggravate the situation. Nerve block injections relieve pain and inflammation around nerves, and, in certain situations, the treatment includes damaging or cutting the nerve to stop the signal.
Surgery
Lower back pain may not be responsive to most conservative treatments, and your best option could be surgery. While usually the last resort, modern spine surgery offers innovative approaches that aren’t necessarily invasive. For instance, your doctor may recommend radiofrequency ablation (RFA) over open surgery. RFA can help in instances such as lower back pain caused by tumors. The minimally invasive surgery helps shrink tumors, alleviating pressure and delivering notable pain relief. Other surgical measures include disc replacement, fusion, and reconstructive surgeries.
Lower back pain treatment helps improve the quality of your life, especially when the pain is incapacitating. If left untreated, the pain could even lead to disability or serious medical issues, such as due to permanent nerve damage. With prompt attention, you could avoid invasive treatments since you may only need to make adjustments like losing weight and adopting an active lifestyle. Contact McNulty Spine today for all spine-related concerns.
