Back to Life: Learn About Your Nonsurgical Solutions for Lower Back Pain

Are you struggling with chronic back pain? You’re not alone; 75%-85% of Americans experience back pain at some point, and 50% who suffer lower back pain have recurrent episodes within a year.

For many people, lower back pain becomes chronic, interfering with mobility and the chance at an active, pain-free life.

At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, with multiple locations in Maryland and Delaware, our rehabilitative specialists can help diagnose the cause of your lower back pain and offer nonsurgical pain management options to make you feel better.

3 causes of lower back pain and nonsurgical treatments

Lower back pain has many causes, some more common than others. Most are treatable nonsurgically. Let’s look at three causes of lower back pain we often see here at CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center and how we can help without surgery.

1. Herniated discs

Between each bone in your spine is a disc comprising a tough outer shell and a jelly-like interior. These cushion your spine, allow flexibility, and prevent nerves from getting pinched between the bones. 

If a disc ruptures, or herniates, pressure gets put on the nerves in the spinal canal. The result is usually distinct pain at the site of the herniation, plus you might feel pain going to one side or the other or down your legs. 

In some cases, your disc heals on its own with rest. However, your discs become flatter and dryer as you age, more prone to cracks and less likely to heal. That leads to chronic pain. 

When rest, physical therapy, and over-the-counter pain medications fail, epidural injections may help. We mix a steroid plus numbing medication and inject it into the epidural space inside the spinal canal. That relieves inflammation and swelling and reduces pain.

2. Ankylosing spondylitis

There are many tiny joints in your spine and surrounding areas. When arthritis degrades these joints, you can end up with ankylosing spondylitis. This condition causes lower back pain, pain in the lower limb joints, and loss of flexibility in the lower back and joints. 

Specifically, ankylosing spondylitis can affect the sacroiliac joint that connects your spine and pelvis, causing chronic lower back pain.

A sacroiliac (SI) injection helps treat pain and inflammation due to sacroiliac joint dysfunction. We prepare medications that can include corticosteroids and an anesthetic, then inject them directly into the joint using fluoroscopy and a live X-ray.

3. Facet joint syndrome

Spinal degeneration often affects facet joints, which connect each segment of your spine to the next. Each facet joint is surrounded by a joint capsule made up of synovial membrane tissue with nerves running through it. 

Degeneration of synovial fluid and inflammation can pressure these nerves, leading to chronic and targeted back pain known as facet joint syndrome.

An injection directly into the facet joint or the medial nerve branch extending from it can alleviate pain for weeks or months. We perform facet joint injections or medial branch blocks using a real-time visual X-ray to inject medication directly into the area causing your pain.

Do you suffer from lower back pain but aren’t ready to explore surgical options? Request an appointment online or over the phone today with the CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center location near you.