Affecting eight out of ten adults throughout the period of a lifetime, back pain is a condition that is wide spreading. This nondiscriminatory form of pain can be long- or short-term and may be chronic or recurring intermittently. Regardless of the form back pain takes, it can range in severity from uncomfortable to completely debilitating requiring intense and routine treatment. One aspect of patients who experience
back pain in Texas is that is affects an individual's overall quality of life on a daily basis.
Back Pain Doesn't Discriminate
Though many conditions or diseases are hereditary or are increased by other health risks, back pain can affect anyone at any stage of life. In fact, in individuals under 45 years of age, back pain is the most common cause of physical limitation. Not to mention 30% of the entire national population experiences chronic intermittent back pain. While these statistics are shocking and disheartening, many individuals do not understand how important it is to strengthen the back and focus on healthy spinal care until it is too late.
Tips for Avoiding the Onset of Back Pain
Although some forms of back pain can be caused by larger, more intense issues, such as ruptured/herniated discs or spinal stenosis, many causes of back pain can be avoided. Most individuals experience
back pain in Texas as a result of improper lifting methods or posture issues. Lifting heavy objects alone or with focus on the back rather than the legs can cause a wide array of mechanical back pain. This condition is caused by a strain or sprain of the muscles and/or ligaments that are connected to the spine.
In addition, inflammation between spinal joints and the degeneration of disc spaces can lead to increasing pain in the back. Fractures from trauma or the onset of osteoporosis can also intensify back pain for patients. Tumors in or around the spine and infection may also cause pain in the lower back, but cases such as these are rare. Certain conditions that cause mechanical instability or add to this issue can also create or influence pre-existing back pain. As one can see, there are many different health conditions and developments that can lead to pain in the lower region of the back, as well as the upper and middle areas. The area at which the pain occurs is a direct indicator of the causation in most cases.
Treating Back Pain
Although there are many viable methods of treatment for back pain, all of these solutions begin with a routine consultation during which physicians and patients will discuss the nature and location of the pain, any circumstances leading up to this discomfort, family history of health conditions and illness, and general health. After this initial information is gathered, physicians complete a physical examination which can lead them to possible solutions or causes of the pain generated. If necessary, the physician may then order additional tests including MRIs, CAT scans, and x-rays to confirm or disprove their hypothesis.
Depending on the test results, different approaches may be utilized to solve the patient's pain. On average, Americans spend around $50 billion per year on back pain treatment. These treatments can range in severity from antibiotics and painkillers to back surgery and rehabilitation. Each specific patient requires a personalized treatment regimen to resolve, or at least decrease, their problematic back pain.
