At some point in our mid-thirties or early forties, we all experience that uncomfortable “tweak” in our backs that leads to agonizing back pain for a few days. Usually, this experience simply means we’ve pulled a muscle or slept in a position that wasn’t particularly supportive of our lumbar spine.
For some, back pain can become chronic. Whether the issue continues to fade and flare or remains a consistent, long-lasting pain can become distracting and ultimately debilitating. Learning to tell the difference between temporary back pain and chronic back pain can help you seek the best type of care and also help you get relief faster.
Understanding Temporary Back Pain
At some point in their lives, it seems like everyone has a brush with back pain. Temporary back pain happens when you pull a muscle, pinch a nerve, or otherwise injure yourself in a way that heals quickly (within a few weeks).
Temporary back pain can be severe, but it lasts no longer than a few days or weeks and typically does not need medical intervention for relief. You can treat temporary back pain with:
- Rest
- Ice and heat
- Massage
- NSAID pain relievers
- Pain creams and gels
Eventually, the discomfort you experience from temporary back pain should subside on its own. Chronic back pain differs from temporary back pain. It may wax and wane in severity, but it lasts much longer than temporary back pain.
What Is Chronic Back Pain?
Chronic back pain lasts for longer than 12 weeks after the original date that the pain started. Chronic back pain may stem from an accident, surgery, injury, or genetic abnormality in your spine. If you don’t know the cause of your back pain, it may have developed on its own due to lifestyle choices or situations.
Typically, you are at greater risk for chronic back pain if you:
- Have a sedentary lifestyle
- Have a BMI greater than 30
- Are a smoker
- Have a physically strenuous job
Chronic back pain can change the way you move, including the way you walk. This can cause you to experience pain and injury in other areas of your body.
What If My Pain Keeps Coming Back?
Some people with spinal pain may notice that their pain comes and goes. This is a type of chronic back pain. If you know the specific activity or movement that causes your back to hurt, try speaking to your primary care physician or a physical therapist. They can help address issues with movement and improper lifting techniques or suggest the use of a brace to help ensure the pain goes away and does not return.
If you continue to experience chronic back pain, seeking the help of a pain management specialist is the right solution. According to Dr. Brandon Claflin, a board-certified pain management specialist in Tulsa, the sooner people see a pain management specialist, the sooner they can start working toward relief.
Treatment Options
Many people suffer in silence from back pain. They may be afraid to speak to a doctor about their pain because they do not want to risk surgery or are afraid that they’ll need to take medication for a long period of time. Thankfully, often, there are lots of other options.
Pain management specialists work with a wide range of therapies to help alleviate your pain and return your quality of life.
Nerve Studies
A pain management doctor may begin your treatment with a nerve study. A nerve study can help a doctor identify the specific nerves that are sending pain messages to the brain. This can help them target those nerves, offering a treatment that is focused on the source of the pain.
Nerve Blocks and Steroid Injections
Targeting the nerves causing pain with steroids and nerve blocks can offer relief for six months to a year. These treatments are mildly invasive, performed in-office, and can give you relief in a matter of hours.
Radiofrequency Ablation
A radiofrequency ablation technique may be used to disable nerves from sending pain messages to the brain. This can also provide long-lasting technique without medication or surgery.
A More Pain-Free Tomorrow
Having back pain can be a serious inconvenience, not to mention extremely painful. At some point, you’ll likely be ready to get help. Seeking the advice and expertise of a back pain management specialist can be a great first step in reclaiming your quality of life and avoiding surgical intervention.
If you’ve already had surgery and are still suffering, a pain management specialist can also help. Getting the care you need from a qualified professional is essential to living a more comfortable life.
Sources:
Sleeping positions that reduce back pain | Mayo Clinic
Back Pain | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
