When Should You See a Spine Specialist?

Is it Time to See a Spine Specialist?

Back pain is one of the most common causes of disability in the world. Nearly everyone will at some point suffer some form of back pain or problem during their lives. The difference is that although some people will suffer the odd twinge or maybe strain a muscle once there are others whose daily lives are blighted by chronic, severe back pain.

Spine Specialist

The result of having a severe back problem may be that you are unable to walk upstairs. Perhaps you are unable to work or take part in activities such as sports. You may also be in constant debilitating pain.

Some back conditions are not just painful they can cause other problems too if they are left untreated. So, it is important to know when you should visit a spine specialist or doctor.

What are the common reasons for avoiding a visit to the doctor?

Many people are worried or fear visiting a doctor, dentist, or hospital. This can be a genuine phobia or fear grounded in a past event or it can simply be the fear of the unknown.

With access to the internet, people can look up symptoms and diagnose themselves with scary diseases and conditions.

The only people that should be diagnosing patients are trained, qualified professionals. In the case of back pain, you should be visiting your physician or a spine doctor or specialist. The fear of surgery may put you off visiting but the likelihood is that you will never go near a scalpel.

When Should You See a Spine SpecialistMost back problems can be diagnosed, treated, and managed by your doctor. There are many modern ways to manage back pain and it is better to see a professional as early as possible.

What happens if you don’t see a specialist?

The results of not seeing a professional spine doctor such as thespineandrehabgroup.com would entirely depend on your condition and its severity.

The symptoms may lessen and eventually go away if it was a minor muscle strain. If it was a traumatic accident that caused damage then it is likely the pain will stay and perhaps worsen.

If you are suffering from sciatica then exercise can exacerbate the symptoms but so can inactivity and this is one reason why you need to see a specialist for professional advice.

Degenerative disc disease can cause many problems if untreated. If you suffer from this condition and then choose not to visit a spine doctor then you could end up with other problems including sciatica, osteoarthritis, herniated discs, and spinal stenosis.

Common causes of back pain

Back pain can be caused by accidents, sports injuries, degenerative disease, other conditions in the body, and simple wear and tear. People are living longer than ever before and this, in turn, means our bodies are put through more activity and stress.

The back is a very complex structure of muscles, ligaments, joints, bones, and nerves. There are so many ways that damage can be caused to this structure and result in back pain. discs can rupture, joints can be irritated. Our daily lives can cause problems through bad footwear, poor posture, obesity, and arthritis.

Other conditions in the body can affect back pain such as developing kidney stones. A healthy balanced diet can help keep your weight regular and can help reduce the causes of back pain.

Often when we think of the causes of back pain we might think of someone playing American football or slipping on ice but actually, it can happen due to something as simple as bending over to pick up a newspaper.

Stretching and warming up are very important ways to reduce the chances of back problems.

Back conditions

There are many back conditions from sciatica to scoliosis. Back and spine specialists will treat all of these and more including slipped or ruptured discs, degenerative disc disease, and spinal stenosis.

The most common back problems come from the lower back area or lumbar region. This area causes more back pain than any other condition.

Symptoms of lower back conditions might include sciatica, limited range of movement, and muscle spasms.

When to visit a spine doctor

If you are having constant or severe pain in your back then you must visit a spine doctor. Sciatic pain can be excruciating and a spine doctor can help you to manage and alleviate this problem.

You may not even be suffering from particularly chronic pain but if you have had an injury or strain that doesn’t seem to be going away then it is time to visit a specialist.

Leaving a back problem untreated could lead to far more pain and problems in the future and severely limited quality of life.

For maybe 99% of patients, surgery is not on the cards because most conditions can be treated with non-surgical techniques like physical therapy and anti-inflammatory medication.

What treatments are available to you from a spine doctor?

After you decide to visit a spine specialist the next thing on your mind is likely to be your treatment. The doctor will diagnose your condition and try to work out the root cause of the problem.

After that will come the treatment or treatments. These can include one or more treatments available to a spine doctor.

The most common treatments may involve physical therapy to strengthen the problem area and provide conditioning to prevent future problems.

There may also be medical massages, acupuncture, steroid injections, alternative medicines, and cold & hot therapy. Your treatment will be customized to your own individual requirements according to your condition and its severity.

Wrap-Up

Back pain costs $100 billion a year in the US alone through lost workdays, productivity, and health costs. Back pain is a huge drain financially and also blights the lives of sufferers and their families.

In severe cases it takes away the freedom to work, play and lead active lives. A spine specialist can help with many back problems without any surgery and it is important to visit a doctor if you are feeling pain or suffering from a lack of movement.

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