Spinal Pain - You Must Follow a Plan for Spinal Pain Relief

spinal stenosis

Spinal pain relief can be found with a good diagnosis, an excellent physician who listens and prescribes treatment and proper following of the recommended plan. Many people suffer from chronic pain (also described as back pain) for years without relief, yet one of the three factors involved was not followed, resulting in continued distress of the patient. The symptom of spinal pain is not the only issue to be addressed, with the source of the pain needing investigation before a treatment plan can be followed.

Spinal Pain Diagnosis

When you pull a muscle in your back while lifting a heavy item, turning suddenly, or taking a fall, you will most likely know that the injury is muscular. If the pain remains for more than three months after taking anti-inflammatory over-the-counter pain relievers, rest as well as stretching and occasional exercise and heat and ice, it's time to see a doctor. The most common diagnosis for lower back pain is muscle strain, yet for spinal pain it is a slipped or ruptured back disc - the cushion between the vertebrae (the bones of the spine) that allows movement of the back. Other causes for people to seek pain relief are spinal stenosis, where the vertebrae constrict around the spinal cord, discogenic pain is caused by degeneration without herniation of the back disc and spondylolisthesis in which adjacent vertebrae become unstable and begin to slip. Arthritis and osteoporosis can affect the back as well as the hands and feet for a common cause of back pain. Osteoporosis may cause spinal compression fractures in the vertebrae.

Excellent Physician Care

While your doctor must listen to your issues with spinal pain, you must also listen to your body, and possibly take notes, to portray to your doctor exactly what is happening in your back. By offering a complete picture of your symptoms to your doctor, with the results of the diagnostic tests, he can more easily determine the cause of pain and recommend treatment. A stronger medication may be prescribed, but only for a time to relieve the pain. Some of the procedures may take place in the physicians office - whether a pain management specialist or an orthopaedic surgeon, and include injections, TENS, physical therapy and massage. Your doctor should be board certified in his specialty, and fellowship training is an added bonus if he or she is to offer pain relief.

Follow a Plan for Spinal Pain Relief

When a doctor designates a plan for pain relief, you must follow it closely to expect results. Some of the recommended treatments will include exercise, rest, physical therapy and doctor appointments to treat and follow up. An exercise plan may include swimming or working out in a pool, daily stretches, or another exercise routine to manipulate the muscles around the affected area. You must show up for physical therapy appointments and treatments at the appointed time, as not doing so will only delay spinal pain relief. A back brace may be recommended as well, and this should be worn as described by the physician.

While surgery may sometimes be the only method for the pain relief, the methods available today are more successful and minimally invasive techniques make it even more possible for the release or your back pain.