My Lower Back Pain Is Unbearable: Can You Help?

Does it feel like your lower back almost always aches? Do you wake up in the morning already troubled by aches and pains, or you can barely keep going when your work day ends? 

Persistent, recurring, or chronic lower back pain may indicate an underlying problem with your physical health. And, you need relief from debilitating pain symptoms to make life bearable again. You can’t go on with the pain levels you’ve been experiencing regularly.

When you can’t find relief from lower back pain with a few days’ rest or over-the-counter pain medication, it’s time to reach out for expert medical evaluation and treatment. Dr. Beejal Y. Amin offers care to patients from locations in Hinsdale and Woodridge, Illinois. He can help with your back pain. Here’s how.

Learning more about your lower back pain

Dr. Amin starts your care with a thorough evaluation of your physical condition. He looks for why you suffer from lower back pain so regularly or intensely and identifies the parts of your body involved in your pain. Your evaluation includes a physical exam, a health history review, and imaging exams like X-rays if needed.

Sudden, acute lower back pain may be the result of an injury or physical trauma. Your muscles or ligaments may get strained, sprained, or even torn. Dr. Amin’s questions may help you remember when and how you injured your back. A recent car accident, sports injury, or even repetitive stress from heavy lifting without the best support can all cause unbearable back pain.

There may also be an underlying issue with your spine. Your spine runs up and down the length of your back and involves many complex and delicate parts. Your spine also houses many significant nerves, making spinal problems likely to cause pain symptoms. Sciatica, a common cause of lower back pain, occurs due to compression of the sciatic nerve.

You might have been born with a spinal abnormality, such as scoliosis, which could be progressing and causing your discomfort. It’s also fairly common to develop spinal problems with age due to wear and tear. Osteoarthritis, bone spurs, and spinal stenosis may all result in back pain, which is only likely to worsen without treatment.

Frequently, back pain occurs due to an issue with the spinal discs that provide cushioning between your spinal bones. Discs affected by degenerative disc disease can dry out and harden, and discs may also herniate, causing pinched or compressed nerves. 

Treatments and therapies to relieve lower back pain

Getting help for your chronic or persistent back pain improves your quality of life and can save you from worsening symptoms and health.

Once Dr. Amin identifies the cause of your lower back pain and any related symptoms, such as numbness or tingling, he works with you to develop an effective treatment plan that fits your care needs and lifestyle. Dr. Amin suggests starting with minimally invasive, conservative treatment approaches whenever possible.

Rest may be all you need to heal after a back injury. Although, you could find that physical therapy or changes to your lifestyle or activities significantly improve your symptoms. Dr. Amin helps you manage back pain symptoms with anti-inflammatory or muscle relaxant medications. You may also benefit from pain injections, including steroid and nerve block treatments.

You may need spine surgery, such as a laminectomy or an artificial disc replacement if an underlying spinal issue is causing your lower back pain. Dr. Amin specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery, using the latest techniques to improve your outcomes.

For help with lower back pain, call Beejal Y. Amin, MD, today or book online now.