Low Back Pain: An Overview
by Premier Hospitals | June 18, 2018 |
You all might have suffered from back pain at some point of time in life. Whether it is sitting for long hours in the same posture or it might also be due to standing for long hours. The lumbar region as it’s known otherwise, is situated below the ribcage and the pain can be intense.
Fortunately enough, the lower back pain more often gets better on its own, but one needs to visit a doctor if the pain persists. Ideally, patients should consult doctors for treatments if the pain persists for more than three months from the time it began, in that case, it could be chronic.
Low Back Pain Symptoms
Low back pain usually starts with low intensity or mild ache in the area but could intensify with time due to a lack of precautionary measures. Low back pain could range from a small ache to a stabbing, shooting sensation in the area, and the person would find it difficult to stand up straight or move. But if the pain is caused due to a sports injury or heavy lifting, the pain could be acute.
Here are some symptoms that signify low back pain:
- Achy, dull pain
- Muscle spasms
- Soreness when touched
- Pain that moves down the legs
- Pain that runs to upper thigh, buttocks or groin.
- Stiffness and difficulty in moving about
- Trouble while sleeping
- 'Pins-and-Needles' sensations or tingling
- Numbness
- Overall weakness
While the symptoms mentioned above are primary in nature, conditions such as back pain might also showcase symptoms which indicate a more severe nature of the problem in which case, the patient must visit an experienced Orthopedic Surgery doctor.
- Loss of Bowel or bladder control
- Numbness in the groin area
- Acute weakness in legs
- High fever
- Pain when coughing or urinating
- If the pain gets worse with rest
Doctors often, in non-surgical methods recommend over-the-counter medications, ice-packs or the use of heating pads which is usually followed by physical therapy.
b. Minimal invasive treatments
For severe cases, where the circumstances involve herniated discs, fractured vertebrae or other more complicated problems a minimally invasive treatment will be necessary. These treatments usually consist of minimal or minute incisions. Minimally invasive therapies lessen the risk of nearby tissues getting scarred or undergoing trauma, but also efficiently shortens recovery time. With this kind of treatment, there are usually two types -
1. Discectomy
In Discectomy the surgeon will remove ruptured portions of the discs and efficiently preserve areas that are unaffected. Furthermore, the disc will be treated in a way that it won't allow the soft nucleus to escape and cause further pain.
2. Fusion method
In this treatment method, the surgeon removes the broken pieces of the disc and the fractured vertebrae. Surgeons also improve the condition by inserting bone-bridges and spacers which fuses the fractured vertebrae together. These methods usually help in re-stabilising the spine as well as counteracting the effects of degeneration.
There are several reasons why one could experience low back pain, which could be linked to their lifestyle, routine or exercises. Only the most severe conditions need extreme treatments like a minimally invasive method, but for majority of the cases, the pain disappears on its own after a few days. Consulting a doctor and knowing ways to avoid doing things beforehand which could lead to low back pain in the future is a must, as well as keeping the body in shape through regular, light exercises.
About The Hospital:
Since the inception of Premier Hospital in 1991 till today, we have grown to unprecedented levels, due to our excellence in medical sciences and healthcare. Premier Hospital is the creation of Dr Mahesh Marda and when it was first established, was only a small, 30-bed hospital facility. Back then, we provided only secondary care to patients, but that certainly has changed in the present landscape.