What Can You Do For Severe Back Pain? – Your Options
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Back pain affects your physical health and mental health, but what can you do for severe back pain? Spinal pain range from a dull to sharp and stabbing ache. Experts here at MINT believe that the pain is either intermittent, positional, or constant.
Acute spinal pain appears suddenly after an injury, whereas chronic pain usually lasts for more than 2-3 months. Talk to your doctor for back pain relief Plano TX if you have prolonged pain for more than 48 or 72 hours.
A healthcare professional can evaluate severe back pain after an injury. Some symptoms of a severe injury include fever, loss of bowel or bladder control, and pain with coughing or urinating. If you have an injury in the lower spine, it can cause sciatic pain. Read on!
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What Can You Do For Severe Back Pain?
There are several ways to deal with severe pain. It can be acute or chronic and depending on your situation, you can use some homemade remedies or undergo prescribed treatments. Always talk to your doctor for severe pain relief Plano TX.
Hot or Cold Therapy
Hot and cold therapy is one of the most effective ways to get back pain relief Plano TX. You can use hot or cold packs to ease symptoms and reduce pain in your spine. Heat soothes your spinal muscles by providing more oxygen and nutrients to them.
Increased blood circulation helps repair damaged muscles, reduces inflammation, and improves spinal stiffness. Similarly, cold therapy constricts your blood vessels, blocks pain receptors, and causes a numbing effect. Remember, use cold therapy first.
Medications
What can you do for severe back pain? Although exercise can improve your spinal health, it does not relieve pain immediately. If you want severe pain relief Plano TX, make sure you take medications, such as:
- NSAIDs
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are over-the-counter (OTC) medications that quickly relieve severe back pain. Common NSAIDs people use to get back pain relief Plano TX is Ibuprofen or Naproxen.
These drugs reduce inflammation and pain in your spinal muscles and around arthritic joints or discs. You can also take Acetaminophen alongside Ibuprofen to quickly relieve back pain. However, Acetaminophen does not reduce inflammation. If you have a liver condition, make sure you avoid taking Acetaminophen.
NSAIDs can cause some adverse effects if taken for a prolonged period. These side effects are dizziness, nausea, indigestion, stomach ulcers, bleeding, and kidney damage. There is no substantial research evidence highlighting the recommended dosage for NSAIDs when it comes to back pain relief Plano TX.
- Opioids
When your cervical or lumbar spine pain becomes more severe, you can take opioids. These are stronger prescription drugs that interact with your nerve receptors and the brain to suppress the pain. Common opioids prescribed by doctors include oxycodone, hydrocodone, and Vicodin.
Opioids are generally safer if you want to reduce back pain quickly. However, when taken for a long time, these can cause dependency and addiction. That’s why it is crucial to talk to your health provider before you take opioids.
- Muscle Relaxants
Muscle relaxants interact with your brain and spinal cord to reduce severe pain. These prescription-based medications are best used for short-term severe pain relief Plano TX. You must not take muscle relaxants if you have muscle spasms. Likewise, these can cause adverse effects like drowsiness, dizziness, hypotension, dry mouth, etc.
- Antidepressants
What can you do for severe back pain? Can you take antidepressants? Yes, you can take them according to your doctor’s guidance. Antidepressants like duloxetine are effective in treating stress, depression, and anxiety.
However, you can also use it for severe back pain relief Plano TX. It interacts with your brain and triggers neurons to release endorphins, which soothes your back muscles by producing an analgesic effect. Although antidepressants are not addictive, it is best to consult your doctor before you take these medications.
Spinal Surgery
Conservative treatment options, such as medications, physical therapy methods like ice and cold packs, stretching exercises, and steroidal injections, can treat back pain. However, what can you do for severe back pain, especially when these treatments fail to provide relief? Well, as a last resort, your doctor or neurosurgeon will advise you to undergo surgery.
There are two broad categories of spinal surgery: Open-back surgery and minimally invasive surgery (MISS). Research shows that MISS is much safer than open-back surgery. Different types of MISS for back pain are discectomy, foraminotomy, laminectomy, Corpectomy, spinal fusion, spinal instrumentation, etc.
Benefits of MISS surgery include less blood loss, fewer scars, shorter hospital stays, sparing of delicate muscles and tissues, and quicker rehabilitation. MINT has qualified and experienced neurosurgeons who perform all types of MISS procedures to relieve back pain. What can do for severe back pain – contact MINT today for useful solutions.
