Lower back pain has myriad sources; whether due to injury, age-related wear and tear, or illness, lower back pain can be anything from inconvenient and uncomfortable to debilitating and life-changing. Only after establishing the cause will your doctor know how to treat lower back pain.
Conservative Treatment Options
When first receiving a patient’s complaint about lower back pain, doctors will normally embark on a conservative, non-invasive treatment plan. There are three main reasons for this: first, most common back injuries and ailments will respond well to such treatment; second, it is difficult to ascertain what is causing lower back pain since the symptoms are so common: pain, loss of mobility, numbness, tingling; and third, back surgery is a viable option only for a small percentage of people with lower back pain, and even for them the success of surgery is dependent on many variables. Thus, the most likely treatment regimen for sufferers of lower back pain will include:
- Application of heat and/or cold to alleviate pain and swelling
- Rest, and perhaps immobilization, if movement is too painful
- Use of pain medication and/or anti-inflammatory drugs
- Physical therapy
- Changes in lifestyle
- A return to exercise and normal movement as soon as it is approved by the doctor
For lower back pain patients who stick faithfully to such a plan, the chances are good that their condition will improve – particularly for those who include the right kind of exercises. Even herniated discs often heal themselves, given enough time. Most doctors recommend conservative treatments before exploring surgical options, as conservative treatments like the ones listed above normally work well.
Lumbar Spine Conditions
You may find that, after a lengthy and diligent attempt at conservative treatment, your lower back pain has not improved. At this point, your doctor might consider surgery a viable option. If this is the case for you, look into Laser Spine Institute (LSI). At LSI, we use the most innovative technology to perform revolutionary, minimally invasive spine procedures to correct the most common spine conditions, including:
- Herniated disc
- Bulging disc
- Sciatica
- Stenosis
- Facet disease
Our team of expert spine surgeons has performed laser-assisted endoscopic spine procedures for tens of thousands of patients, many of whom were able to return home the same day. Contact Laser Spine Institute today for more information and to receive a free review of your last MRI or CT scan.
