Back Pain
Back pain is extremely common and affects 60-90 percent of adults at some time in their lives. Back pain remains second only to the common cold as a cause of symptom-related visits to a primary care physician, and results in direct medical costs in excess of 25 billion dollars per year. Back pain disables over 5.4 million Americans, and is the most common reason for work related disability for people under the age of 45. The causes of back pain are multiple and include injuries to the muscles and ligaments, facet joints, herniated or degenerated discs, spinal nerves, and advanced spinal stenosis or arthritis.
Fortunately for most patients the majority of back pain episodes are self limited, and improve in 70% of patients by seven weeks. Likewise, with sciatica, or leg pain caused by compression of a
spinal nerve, 50% of patients experience improvement without surgery after six weeks, while up to 90% of patients recover by 6 months with continued conservative management. For some patients, frequent relapses are common and often associated with chronic pain that requires ongoing care. Neck pain is the other major area of spinal pain symptoms and is fortunately less common than back pain. While the causes are similar, symptoms may be more severe because of the unique role of the head, neck, hands, and arms in everyday activities. The proximity to important blood vessels, nerves and the spinal cord makes treatment of conditions causing neck and arm pain symptoms potentially more difficult. Detailed diagnosis and careful treatment planning are essential for patient safety and good outcomes. Conservative treatment options for patients with chronic neck and back pain include physical therapy, chiropractic manipulation, medications, epidural steroid injections, and various nerve block procedures. Patients who respond to temporary or diagnostic nerve blocks may receive significant pain relief lasting for weeks to months for severe episodes of chronic pain. If pain symptoms recur more frequently, pain nerve ablation using microwave or “radiofrequency” nerve block procedures may be employed to achieve long term relief of pain symptoms. Despite these advances, some patients with chronic spinal pain will continue to require spinal surgery to relieve intractable pain symptoms that do not respond to less invasive treatment methods.
One of the newest first-line alternatives to surgery for pain related to herniated or degenerated discs is laser disc decompression . At the present time, Foothills Regional Pain Center is one of the few centers in the United States offering this exciting new procedure to its patients. Contact our office to determine if this procedure may be right for you.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Copyright© Foothills Pain and Anesthesia
Site Design and Hosting