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Countless Americans suffer from pain and visit specialists like those at Frisco Neuro and Spine for diagnoses and treatment. Sometimes, pain continues for three or more months and is considered chronic. Causes for chronic pain vary and don’t necessarily include injury or outward, recognizable damage. Yet chronic pain can cause a substantial impact on quality of life and affect movement, motion, independence, and the capacity to work. In severe cases, chronic pain can lead to long-term ailments and disabilities.

How Common is Chronic Pain?

The Mayo Clinic reports that chronic pain occurs in 100 million Americans, representing nearly one-third of the population. This number is significant and troubling because physical health intrinsically connects to mental health and overall wellness.

The Mayo Clinic also found that the third most common reason for doctor’s visits is back pain. With eight in ten Americans reporting back pain in their lifetimes and a number of those cases developing into chronic pain, the importance of places like Frisco Spine Center is evident.

What Causes Back Pain?

Lower Back Pain is the most common type of chronic pain. It is typically described as an insignificant annoyance that does not need medical treatment. Sometimes, back pain remains long-term or increases in intensity to the point that medical treatment is necessary.

Surgical options are sometimes required to improve stability, remove tissue, or repair a herniated disk. These options include spinal fusion, a laminectomy, or a diskectomy.

Chronic lower back pain is commonly caused by:

• Disk Issues: Disks are rubbery pads that act as a shock absorber between your spine’s vertebrae or bones. Tough on the outside and soft on the inside, disks are spongy and allow you to bend and move. If the soft interior of the disc bulges or ruptures due to pressure overload, it might push on a spinal nerve. This doesn’t necessarily cause pain; sometimes, bulging or ruptured disks are only discovered via X-rays for another
• Arthritis: Stiffness and sometimes pain are common characteristics of back arthritis. There are many different types of back arthritis, but Osteoarthritis is the most common and is described as weakened bones. In severe cases, the area around the spinal cord narrows and creates a condition that is called spinal
• Skeletal Abnormalities: Events during a difficult pregnancy or problems within DNA can result in skeletal abnormalities. In the back, an emaciated condition called Scoliosis causes the spine to curve. It leads to chronic back pain, if
• Osteoporosis: As we age, our bones naturally decline in mineral content and density. But, if this occurs too quickly, a condition called Osteoporosis develops and causes very brittle, porous bones that are susceptible to A simple bend or cough can cause significant issues for someone with Osteoporosis.
• Degenerative Disk Disease: During the normal aging process, disks in your back become thinner and less shock absorbent. Disks are not unusual to crack and dry out during this As the space narrows between bones, stability, and flexibility can become problematic and cause numbness, weakness, and pain.

Pain After Surgery can occur and is often frustrating to patients. Revision surgery may be needed to correct issues from earlier back surgery. A specialist at Spine Center in Frisco TX will assess whether performing a procedure is necessary to fix problems such as flat-back syndrome, scar tissue, degeneration of adjacent areas, hardware failures, persistent herniated disks, fusion failures, and improper original diagnosis.

Sciatica Pain often affects only one side of the body and trails along the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back to the hips, buttocks, and legs. This condition typically occurs when something is compressing part of the nerve, such as a bone spur, spinal stenosis, or herniated disk. Symptoms include numbness, inflammation, and pain. Still, most cases resolve themselves within a few weeks and do not require surgical procedures.

Radiating Shoulder, Arm, or Hand Pain is often caused by an injury to the brachial plexus nerves. This complex nerve network transmits signals from the spinal cord to all three areas. Injuries to this network can include compressions or stretches that are common in contact sports and are often referred to as “burners.” In severe cases that usually occur from motor vehicle accidents, one or more nerves tear away from the spinal cord. These severe cases can result in loss of sensation and function or cause paralysis. Options for Surgery to restore function include nerve transfers or grafts and muscle transfers.

Chronic back pain can be debilitating, but solutions may be available to patients. Neurosurgeons like those at Frisco Neuro and Spine place are determined to focus on recommending effective treatments to relieve chronic pain and improve quality of life.