What could be causing my low back pain?
Your lower back is the lumbar region of your spine and the area most prone to injury and degenerative diseases.
Forms of damage include muscle and tendon strains and ligament sprains. These are common sports injuries, but strains can also happen if you twist awkwardly, overload your back, or do excessive physical activity.
Chronic conditions that often cause low back pain include:
- Degenerative disc disease
- Facet joint syndrome
- Lumbar radiculopathy (sciatica)
- Spinal stenosis
- Herniated discs
- Arthritis
- Spondylolisthesis
Another type of injury is vertebral compression fractures, which are typically a result of bones weakening due to osteoporosis.
How is low back pain treated?
Initial treatment programs for low back pain usually include physical therapies, stretching and strengthening exercises, activity modification, and medication.
Options such as trigger point therapy and regenerative medicine techniques, including stem cell and PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy, might also be helpful.
If your low back pain doesn't improve using these approaches, Pacific Sports and Spine specializes in using treatments such as steroid injections and nerve blocks.
Steroid medication reduces the swelling and inflammation in your spinal tissues, while nerve blocks contain an anesthetic that completely numbs the area. Examples include:
Epidural steroid injections
The epidural space is between the spinal cord and the vertebrae. This procedure uses a steroid-anesthetic mix to reduce low back pain. There are different types of epidurals, including lumbar transforaminal epidurals and caudal epidurals.
Lumbar sympathetic block
This procedure numbs the nerve branches in your lumbar spine. It has both treatment and diagnostic benefits.
Piriformis injection
The piriformis muscle in your buttocks sometimes contracts and irritates the sciatic nerve. The symptoms of piriformis syndrome closely mimic those of sciatica, so a piriformis injection helps confirm the diagnosis.
Facet joint injections are also available for treating the joints on either side of the back of your spine.
What can I do if my low back pain doesn't improve?
While most people find conservative therapies and spinal injections effective in relieving low back pain, sometimes patients need further treatment.
Pacific Sports and Spine offers an extensive range of cutting-edge treatment options for treatment-resistant low back pain, including:
- Intracept® to block pain nerve signals
- Kyphoplasty to repair vertebral compression fractures
- RACZ caudal neurolysis to dissolve painful scar tissue
- Radiofrequency neurotomy of the lumbar facets
- Superion® device for lumbar spinal stenosis
- Minimally invasive lumbar decompression (mild®)
The precise treatment you need depends on the cause of your low back pain, and Pacific Sports and Spine also provides expert diagnostics on site. Call their office to schedule a consultation or book online today.
