Image sourced from Freepik
Plano Texas Spine Surgeon is a qualified health professional who performs back pain surgeries through a minimally invasive approach. Back pain is a common condition that occurs due to numerous reasons.
These include injuries to soft tissues due to accidents and falls, aging-related disorders like osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, spinal nerve compression, sports injuries, etc.
Back pain affects more than 80% of Americans at some point in their lives. There are numerous back pain treatment options. These include heat and cold therapy, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, opioids, and steroidal injections.
Other treatment options are exercises, including yoga and Pilates, and surgery. Today’s article will discuss common treatment options for back pain recommended by Plano TX back pain doctors. Read on!
Heat and Ice Therapy
Heat and ice therapy is the first line of treatment for back pain. The heat increases the blood flow and nutrients to the damaged areas in your spine. It also works best for morning stiffness by warming up your muscles.
Likewise, cold compresses reduce blood flow to the damaged muscles, decreasing inflammation and relieving pain. Heat and ice therapy are excellent short-term treatment options for pain, such as the one resulting from a sprain or strain.
OTC Drugs
According to Plano Texas Spine Surgeon, OTC drugs, such as NSAIDs (aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen) are some of the most popular medications for pain relief. NSAIDs work by blocking a pain-causing enzyme known as cyclooxygenase.
The primary function of this enzyme is to produce prostaglandins in your body. These are chemicals that cause inflammation in muscles. NSAIDs are OTC drugs recommended by Plano TX back pain doctors to reduce inflammation and relieve back pain. Remember, you don’t need a prescription from your health provider for OTC medication.
On the other hand, OTC drugs can cause various side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, grogginess, sleepiness, blood in your vomit, tinnitus, difficulty breathing, and slow or fast heart rate.
Opioids
Opioids are potent analgesics that decrease or suppress the nerve signals to your brain, leading to reduced pain. Opioids interact with specific proteins called receptors and block them to stop pain signals to your brain.
Although opioids are prescription medications that can treat acute and chronic back pain, these drugs can cause a few problems, such as increase dependency and high addiction levels. Therefore, it is crucial to talk to your doctor if your experience dependence on these medications.
Steroidal Injections
Steroids in epidural injections are an effective treatment option for back pain. When OTC drugs fail to relieve your back pain, your health provider or Plano spine surgeon may prescribe steroidal injections to reduce inflammation in your spine.
These injections also suppress pain signals from inflamed nerves in your spine, leading to improved function in the upper, middle, or lower back and legs. Common side effects of steroidal injections are pain around the injection site, bruising, face flashing for a few hours, pale skin, and insomnia.
Back Pain Exercises
Back pain exercises can strengthen your spine, reduce inflammation, and prevent lower back pain. Not only do back pain exercises strengthen your core muscles, but they also increase the range of motion in your spinal muscles.
Exercise increases blood flow to your spine, leading to reduce stiffness and accelerated healing. The best exercises for back pain are bridges, knee to chest stretches, pelvic tilts, lying lateral leg lifts, superman, cat stretches, and draw-in maneuvers. Make sure you consult with your Plano Texas Spine Surgeon before performing these exercises.
Minimally Invasive Surgery
Many Plano TX back pain doctors recommend undergoing a minimally invasive spine surgery when conservative treatment options fail to relieve your back pain. Open-back surgery leads to numerous complications, such as blood loss, muscle damage, nerve damage, increased hospital stay, less effective aesthetics, and prolonged rehabilitation.
On the other hand, minimally invasive surgery performed by MINT’s qualified Plano Texas Spine Surgeon offers a wide range of benefits. The surgery requires our neurosurgeon to make a tiny incision in the back or front of the patient’s body to reach the damaged disc in the spine.
The surgeon uses specialized tools such as endoscopes and live-action x-ray machines to visualize the patient’s spine. The surgeon creates a small incision, retracts the muscles, and reaches the damaged area to remove the disc.
Next, the surgeon places a bone graft material using a large mesh cage and secures it with rods and screws. The surgeon removes the instruments and closes the incision. Minimally invasive surgery reduces blood loss, less or no damage to surrounding muscles and nerves, and a shorter rehabilitation period. Contact MINT today and discuss your problem with our qualified Plano Texas Spine Surgeon.
