Back Pain Specialist

What causes back pain?

The cause of back pain can include acute injuries, the effects of wear and tear, and disease. Your spine is a column of bones (vertebrae) with spongy discs between them. Ligaments and muscles support the spine. Running down the middle of the spinal column is your spinal cord. Nerves branch out from the spinal cord, extending into the rest of your body.

Damage to any part of your spine can cause pain. Injuries might result from auto accidents, playing sports, or falls. You can also hurt your back by twisting awkwardly or trying to lift heavy weights. Acute injuries include fractures, torn ligaments, and disc damage.

Conditions that cause chronic (long-term) back pain include:

• Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)
• Degenerative disc disease
• Sciatica
• Arthritis
• Spondylosis (age-related degenerative arthritis)
• Spondylolisthesis (lower back pain caused by a slipped vertebra)
• Herniated or bulging discs
• Vertebral compression fractures
• Failed back surgery syndrome

Sometimes back pain is caused by abnormalities in the spine. The most common of these is scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine.

How is back pain diagnosed?

The North Houston Pain Center team completes a thorough review of your medical history and symptoms to diagnose your back pain. They also complete a physical exam. Based on what they find, you might need further tests or procedures. X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs are standard diagnostic tools for back pain.

You might also need an electromyogram (EMG) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) tests. Your doctor orders these if they believe your back pain involves nerve damage. Many back problems affect the nerves that exit your spine. For example, a herniated disc in your lower back can put pressure on the sciatic nerve, causing sciatica.

Conditions like sciatica that involve the spinal nerves often cause pain that spreads into your arms or legs. You might also experience tingling, numbness, weakness, and loss of function. EMG and NCV tests measure nerve function and identify the affected nerves.

How is back pain treated?

At the North Houston Pain Center, the focus is on treating the cause of your back pain rather than using medicines to simply mask your symptoms. Medication can play a role in treating back pain, but your doctor is likely to recommend additional treatments. These can include:

• Physical therapy
• Chiropractic care
• Epidural steroid injections
• Selective nerve root injections
• Sacroiliac joint injections
• Sympathetic nerve blocks
• Facet joint injections
• Radiofrequency ablation
• Biologics like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections
• Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty (for vertebral compression fractures)

Your doctor uses the least invasive choices to begin with. For most people, these are highly effective. The North Houston Pain Center offers implantable devices like spinal cord stimulators and intrathecal pain pumps if the more advanced treatments, like steroid injections, don't work.

Call the North Houston Pain Center today or book an appointment online to find a solution to your back pain.