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• Acute Back Pain

Acute Back Pain

Acute back pain refers to short-term pain felt in the upper, lower, or mid-back. The duration of pain can be a few days in length, or a few weeks. It does not have anything to do with the severity of pain, however.

Medically speaking, the opposite of acute back pain is chronic back pain. While acute pain lasts a few days or weeks, chronic back pain is defined as pain that lasts more than three months. These two types of pain may vary in the way they feel, too. Acute back pain often is described as sharp, shooting pain, while chronic back pain typically is described as a dull, throbbing ache. There are, however, exceptions to these general assumptions.

Acute back pain often results from overstretched or weakened muscles or ligaments along the spinal column. Muscle strains can be triggered from:

• Improper or heavy lifting
• Strenuous exercise
• Sports-related injury
• Falls
• Muscle tension

Obesity, pregnancy, poor posture, and lack of strong muscle tone can contribute to acute back pain as well. Also, trauma can cause back pain. Pain may be severe immediately following a strain or injury, or it may worsen over a period of time. If it lasts for months, back or neck pain may be stemming from damage in the spinal column such as a herniated disc, arthritis, bone spurs, or spinal stenosis.

If you’re experiencing back pain that lasts more than a few days, contact your healthcare provider for a consultation and diagnosis. He or she can diagnose the cause of your suffering, and prescribe a treatment plan. Options for back pain treatment can include:

• Heat and cold therapy
• Over-the-counter medications
• Back brace
• Strengthening and stretching exercises
• Low-impact aerobics

Click Here to see how you can get your life back in 5 days

Some patients may need more than conservative treatment to find pain relief. Fortunately there is another option—minimally invasive procedures performed on an outpatient basis at Laser Spine Institute (LSI). With a fast recuperation period and high success rates, our gentle, innovative procedures can help you rediscover a life without back pain or neck pain. Contact us today for a free MRI or CT scan review, and to learn more information about our facilities.

Please note: Laser Spine Institute currently does not perform endoscopic procedures on the thoracic spine.