Back Pain
Back pain can occur due to various factors, such as sports injuries, sprains and strains, compression of the spinal nerve, degenerative disc disease. In some cases, back pain is caused by acute injuries without long-term consequences, but back pain can also be chronic, i.e., worsening with time. Remedy Pain Solutions identifies the root cause of your back pain and treats it using non-surgical and non-narcotic interventional techniques. Please schedule an appointment with our interventional pain specialists in Marina del Rey.
Causes of Back Pain
Sports Injuries
Sports injuries can affect the spine and soft tissues, leading to lower back, upper back, or neck pain. Lower back pain is common during repetitive impact sports, such as weightlifting, golf, tennis, running, etc. These sports place immense stress on the lower back or involve constant twisting motions, damaging the spine and soft tissues. Meanwhile, rib fractures, and sports that involve rotating the torso, such as swimming and skiing, can lead to upper back pain.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative disc disease is a spinal condition that often worsens with age. The discs between the vertebrae cushion the joints — their soft and lubricated structures allow the vertebrae to glide effortlessly without friction. As we grow older, the discs between the vertebrae lose their volume and lubrication, narrowing the space between the vertebrae. This leads to increased joint friction and a narrow passage for the nerves, leading to various problems.
Sprains and Strains
Sprains occur when you injure the ligaments in the back. And strains occur when you injure the back muscles and tendons. Spinal sprains and strains can occur due to heavy lifting, constant twisting motions, car accidents, falls, and other factors. Sprains and strains often lead to debilitating pain and back stiffness.
Disc Herniation
Disc herniation is a condition wherein the soft contents held within the tough vertebral discs spill out. As the inner components bulge out of the disc, they might pinch the surrounding nerve roots, leading to nerve compression. Depending on the location of the herniation and the severity of nerve compression, you might experience shooting pains in different parts of the back and neck. The pain can also extend to the legs and buttocks.
Spinal Nerve Compression
The spinal nerve has several roots that extend all across the spinal cord and joints. The spinal nerve roots carry pain impulses and other sensations to the brain. When they’re pinched, damaged, compressed, or trapped, they can become inflamed and send severe pain signals to the brain. Spinal nerve compression can happen due to thickened ligaments, bone spurs, disc herniation, and various other factors. When this happens, the goal is to relieve the spinal nerves.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a condition that worsens with age. Over time, the cartilage between the spinal joints might disintegrate or lose its volume. As the slippery cartilage tissues are worn down, the vertebral bones grind against each other during movements, leading to severe pain and discomfort. The deterioration of the cartilage eventually leads to joint inflammation, loss of mobility, inflexibility, and other problems.
Diagnosing the Root
Cause of Back Pain
Remedy Pain Solutions uses the latest diagnostic technologies and techniques to identify the root cause of your back pain. We review your comprehensive health history, discuss your symptoms, and perform various diagnostic tests to identify the locus of your problems. That’s because we focus on interventional pain treatments that eliminate the problem rather than masking the symptoms.
Your evaluation starts with a discussion of your symptoms, followed by a physical examination wherein we check your posture. We also examine your back to identify the trigger points, narrowing down the possible causes. Finally, we use state-of-the-art imaging techniques, like MRIs, to determine if you have nerve injuries, disc herniation, or other such problems.
Interventional Back Pain Treatments
Remedy Pain Solutions only provides interventional and regenerative treatments that address the root cause of your back pain, providing lasting relief. We only provide non-surgical and non-narcotic treatments to reduce the risk of complications, minimize downtime, and treat the actual problem rather than masking the symptoms temporarily.
Depending on the diagnostic results, your back pain treatment might include:
- Physical therapy restores mobility and flexibility.
- Facet joint injections block the transmission of pain signals into the brain.
- Radiofrequency ablation destroys the nerves responsible for the pain signals.
- PRP therapy makes your body heal the worn-down cartilage and joint tissues.
- Other treatments address the root cause of your back pain.
Treatments like facet joint injections provide temporary relief with diagnostic value. They identify the facet joints responsible for the back pain, and they suppress the pain signals for a few days. Meanwhile, regenerative treatments like PRP therapy make your body heal the affected joints and cartilage using components derived from your blood, i.e., the platelet-rich plasmas. We might combine several treatments for short- and long-term pain relief.
