Back Pain Care
Whether it’s the result of a labor-intensive job, pregnancy, a wrong move at the gym, or even just discomfort after a long day of working around the house, back pain is one of the first and most important signs signifying a problem that needs attention.
Chronic pain is often described as one of the most debilitating health conditions one can experience. Studies show that for those who suffer from low back pain, the symptoms often come in reoccurring intervals. Unfortunately, because of that, many people aren’t proactive when to comes to relieving that pain.
Low back pain affects 80% of Americans during some point in their lives! If you are a part of that statistic, you don’t have to be any longer.
Below are some terms you may have heard regarding common spinal conditions. At Georgia Medical Treatment Center, we like to educate our patients in order to help their recovery process.
Herniated Discs (Slipped Disc)
A spinal disc is designed with a firm outside and a soft, gel-like inside. When pressure due to strenuous activity or stress builds up inside the disc, it can cause the disc to become deformed. With increasing or prolonged pressure, it often leads to a disc herniation, which is when the gel-like material spills out. This spilled material presses against a nerve root and causes pain, that can travel into the buttocks and down the towards the legs and toes.
Bulging Discs
When the spinal disc is injured but does not rupture. In most cases, a disc bulges under similar conditions as those that cause a herniated disc. The bulging disc increases pressure on the nerves of the spinal column, causing the pain.
Sciatica
A set of symptoms including pain, usually caused by pressure or irritation on the sciatic nerve. The pain can be radial, traveling towards the buttocks, legs, and toes. In addition to pain, numbness, muscular weakness, and difficulty moving the leg can occur. In some cases, pain is felt on only one side of the body.
Spinal Stenosis
When the canal space surrounding the spinal cord becomes constricted, it increases the pressure on the spinal cord causing pain. In some cases this pain radiates towards the buttocks and down the legs. In addition, this condition is commonly present in patients with arthritis or joint inflammation.
Spinal Arthritis
Even though arthritis is most commonly found among the joints of the fingers and knees, arthritis can occur in any joint of the body. When arthritis is present in the small joints within the spinal column, the results are usually severe pain and a loss of body function and mobility.
Spondylolisthesis
A condition when a vertebrae is unable to hold its position and begins to shift out of place. If the bone slips too much out of place, it can pinch a nerve and cause pain. Typically, this occurs when a stress fracture weakens one of the vertebrae.
Posterior Facet Syndrome
This condition is when the facet joints of the spine wear down, due to osteoarthritis of the interarticular vertebrae. When this happens, often a nerve becomes pinched (impinged) and causes lower back pain.
Degenerative Discs Disease
While disc degeneration is a normal process of aging and does not effect everyone, in some cases a degenerative disc can become extremely painful. For these individuals, the spinal disks are not receiving enough nutrients, water, and oxygen in the blood supply; thereby causing the disks to degenerate. The pain is a result of the spinal structures pinching a nerve.
WHY SUFFER? GET BACK PAIN RELIEF
Back pain can be the result of many issues – from accidents to muscle strains. A healthy back is important to your health. Your back is a vital part of your overall health and well-being. Unfortunately, back pain is a common issue that we encounter. Many experts have stated that 4 out of 5 people will have some sort of back problem(s) in their lifetime. If your back is not right or was recently injured, it is important to get it looked at and treated. The back is complex, and injuries can occur in different parts of the back and for different reasons.
At Georgia Medical Treatment Center, your comfort and health are our top priorities! Have back issues? Let us diagnose and treat them before they become worse.