Long-Lasting Relief, Not Ache: Back Pain Does Not Have to Be Permanent
It could be sudden and severe, but back pain does not have to be permanent. When it’s due to poor posture or strain from an activity, it usually gets better within a few days.
Sometimes though, the discomfort lasts for more than a month. Thus, you can’t help but worry: Can back pain last for years?
Quick Fixes
Before you worry, make sure you’ve tried simple tricks for upper and lower back pain relief. It’s normal for you to bend, straighten and massage your spine right after you sense soreness from it. However, you shouldn’t just stop with those steps.
NSAIDs, topical pain relievers, and muscle relaxants are there to provide quick relief from lower back pain symptoms. You can also try exercises like wall sits and partial crunches. Yoga poses such as bird dog and prone leg extensions may help alleviate the ache as well. Additional treatment options include both hot and cold baths.
Treatment for Extreme Back Pain
The said remedies are effective, but mainly for minor backaches. For acute ones, the relief from such fixes are only temporary. When you don’t get the right treatment, you may end up developing chronic low back pain.
Back pain – symptoms and causes in particular—can vary from one case to another. Some can only last for a few hours while others can last for a lifetime. The latter often results in mobility and quality of life issues. But how do you know when back pain is serious?
Awareness of the possible chronic back pain causes can help you a lot in finding a long-lasting solution. Remember the things that happened before your back hurt. Consider your posture right before it felt sore, the activities you did hours and days before, and even seemingly minor accidents.
Combine your recollection with doctor consultation. He can help you confirm whether or not a previous pose, activity or accident caused or worsened your back’s condition. Through X-ray, CT scan, MRI, blood tests and bone scan, he can also find out the actual cause.
Osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and scoliosis are among back-related conditions that come with soreness. In the cases of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, pain relievers and lifestyle changes make the conditions bearable, but not entirely curable. As for scoliosis, surgery, combined with physical therapy, offers hope for better posture, appearance, and mobility.
If your bones are all fine, your acute back pain may be attributed to muscle strain or lumbar herniated disc. You may be wondering how to tell if back pain is muscle or disc related. If the soreness is isolated, it might just be muscle pain.
As for a disc problem, the pain can extend to the arms if the herniated disk is on the upper back; legs if it’s on the lumbar region. Sometimes, it even feels painless.
Physical therapy is a common treatment option for most cases of herniated disks. Only a minority calls for a surgery. When left untreated, the disk problem can cause nerve damage, which may lead to bladder problems and sensation loss later on.
Are lower back pain injuries permanent? The answer depends on the cause. However, the way you and your doctor manage it can stop it from happening. You should always combine backache treatments with lifestyle changes such as maintaining a better posture at all times and avoiding daily heavy lifts. Your doctor may also recommend alternative medicine such as massages, acupuncture and chiropractor service.
With the right diagnosis and treatment, back pain does not have to be permanent. Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery of Texas is here to help you recover as soon as possible. Schedule your visit now by calling us at 972-244-3491.
