Back Pain Specialist

What is back pain?

Back pain is a condition that affects your spine and the soft tissues in your back. It could be caused by age-related wear, disease, or an injury. Finding the root cause of back pain helps the Rheumatology Associates experts to treat your condition and relieve your pain.

What does back pain feel like?

If you have back pain, you can experience:

• Stiffness
• Muscle aches
• Dull, aching discomfort
• Shooting or burning pain
• Numbness
• Tingling
• Radiating pain
• Reduced range of motion
• Limited mobility

Back pain can be mild, moderate, or crippling and can affect many aspects of your life and prevent you from completing the simplest tasks.

What are the risk factors for back pain?

Back pain is common and can happen to anyone, but some things that increase your risk of having it include:

• Arthritis
• Narrowing of the spinal canal (stenosis)
• Ruptured or bulging discs
• Muscle or ligament strains
• Osteoporosis
• Lack of exercise
• Scoliosis (curvature of the spine)
• Aging
• Improper lifting techniques
• Depression or anxiety
• Smoking
• Injuries
• Falls
• Car accidents
• Sports or workplace injuries

Adopting healthy habits and using proper lifting techniques is the best way to reduce the risk of back pain, but you can’t always avoid it.

How does my provider diagnose the cause of back pain?

To find out what’s causing your back pain, the experts at Rheumatology Associates discuss your symptoms and medical history with you. They check your vital signs and complete a physical exam to look for signs of a problem. Diagnostic tests they might order include blood tests, bone scans, and imaging (X-rays, a CT scan, or an MRI).

How is back pain treated?

Your back pain treatment plan will depend on what’s causing it and how severe it is. The Rheumatology Associates team could recommend physical therapy, medications, injections, or radiofrequency ablation. They might also suggest nerve stimulation or surgery.

Home remedies, such as using ice or heat packs, wearing a brace, trying massage, and doing yoga, can also help.

Rheumatology Associates providers personalize each back pain treatment to give you the most relief. They can make changes to your treatment plan as needed.

Schedule an appointment today with Rheumatology Associates by phone or online to get relief from back pain.