Lower Back Pain: Exploring Your Options
Chronic lower back pain can be debilitating. When it hurts every time you move, it can make it difficult to even get out of bed in the morning, let alone work and perform all of the usual activities of daily life. Self-care becomes difficult, and nurturing children, a marriage, and running a household may suffer, frequently leading to depression and other problems as a result. Here is a look at the options that may help you manage this pain.
Prescription Medications
If over-the-counter pain killers are no longer working, it's time to make an appointment with your primary care physician. After examining you, they may determine you should also be seen by a doctor who specializes in orthopedics or neurology, depending on what they feel the underlying cause might be.
While opiates are a hot topic because of the heroin epidemic, they are, of course, still a useful short-term tool in managing pain. There are also other drugs you may be prescribed, such as non-narcotic pain relievers and steroids. Steroid injections are also common in chronic back pain sufferers.
Physical Therapy
Many times back pain results from weakened muscles in the back, which can exacerbate pain and reduce range-of-motion. A physical therapist can teach you exercises to help strengthen those muscles, show you how to move properly, and work on issues like poor posture.
Chiropractic Care
Visiting a chiropractor can help some chronic back pain sufferers tremendously. Through a series of spinal manipulations, the practitioner can correct issues of alignment between the neck, spine, and pelvis, alleviating some types of chronic back pain.
Surgery
Most of the time, surgery is used as a last resort. But some conditions aren't going to get better without it, and medications, physical therapy, and visits to the chiropractor are only delaying the inevitable. When the cause of back pain is because of anatomical realities, surgery is required sooner or later. For example, pain that is caused from a neck or spinal injury will likely require surgery to repair the damaged parts.
Your physician when refer you to a neurologist if he feels surgery is required. When most people think of neurosurgeons, they tend to think of "brain surgeons." While neurosurgeons do indeed perform surgical procedures on the brain, they more often deal with the neck and spine. Herniated discs, back and neck pain, and dealing with degenerative disc disease are often treated surgically by neurosurgeons.
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