LOWER-BACK PAIN

 

Lower back pain is a common problem often caused by overusing or misusing the muscles in the back, degeneration due to aging, or other back conditions. At Peachtree Spine, we understand the discomfort and inconvenience of lower back pain. Simple daily movements like flexing, extending, and rotating the body become difficult and create severe tenderness. Our group of specialists can diagnose and target your source of pain with effective treatments in order to help you get back to a pain free lifestyle.

Severe Lower Back Pain

The symptoms of lower back pain will often improve over a short period of time with conservative treatments as simple as over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications and hot and cold therapy using ice and heat packs. If the pain persists for more than 12 weeks, however, it is considered to be chronic pain, and may require specialized treatments in order to improve. Chronic pain can be attributed to injury or simply the degeneration of the spine due to aging.

Diagnosing and Treating Low Back Pains

There are many disorders that can cause lower back pain including the narrowing of the spinal canal, pinched nerve roots, and even damage to the sacroiliac joints where the spine meets the pelvic bones. Thus, it is extremely important to first locate the source of the lower back pain in order to determine the best treatment option. With an extensive knowledge of the anatomy of the spine, physiatrists can often locate the source of pain through a physical examination of the body and its movement, but an MRI or an EMG may be performed to confirm a suspected diagnosis. Even with the vast causes of lower back pain, surgery is rarely necessary as less invasive non-surgical treatment options can often provide relief and help patients return to their normal physical level of functioning. These back pain treatments include spinal injections whereby a strong anti-inflammatory medication and a local anesthetic medication are injected into different areas of the spine, depending on the source of the pain.