BACK PAIN
Back pain is a common experience for most individuals. Typically, it is short-lived and can often be managed with over-the-counter medications, chiropractic care, or physical therapy. However, acute back pain has the potential to evolve into a chronic and persistent condition. To avoid allowing chronic lower backpain to become a part of your daily life, consider consulting at Pain MD Houston, a specialist in spine, sports, and interventional pain based in The Woodlands, Texas. Dr. Mukalel offers innovative approaches to address lower backpain and provide relief. You can get more information or schedule an appointment by contacting our office today.
Back Pain Q & A
What is back pain?
Back pain is a prevalent condition, impacting 8 out of 10 individuals at some point in their lives. Typically, acute backpain arises from strains or accidents. When one part of the spine sustains an injury, the body compensates by affecting other spinal areas. If left untreated, these areas may also become injured, making it relief a complex challenge with no one-size-fits-all solution. While steroids may provide temporary relief, the underlying issue remains unresolved. Effective treatment necessitates personalized attention to address each injured area comprehensively, aiming for a complete recovery.
IT usually subsides within a few days or weeks, but it can transition to a chronic or persistent condition lasting three months or more. Regardless of the cause, duration, or severity of your backpain, Dr. Mukalel is here to provide expert assistance and tailored care to help you regain your former self.
How is acute back pain treated?
Pain MD Houston takes a conservative approach to treating acute backpain. You may find relief with treatments such as:
- Physical therapy
- Home exercise program
- Chiropractic care
- Low-dose medications like anti-inflammatories, numbing agents, or muscle relaxers
If only partial relief is found with conservative measures or you want to speed up the process, Dr. Mukalel may suggest interventional pain management like steroid injections into the facet joints or epidural space to reduce inflammation, the hallmark of an acute injury.
When your pain becomes chronic, you may find that conservative treatments no longer alleviate your pain.
How is chronic back pain diagnosed?
With chronic back pain, Dr. Mukalel first conducts a comprehensive evaluation to diagnose the part of the spine causing pain. To diagnose lower backpain, he divides your spine into three parts:
Front
Pain generated from the front portion of the spine may be caused by disc tears, vertebral body Modic changes (degeneration), or fractures.
Middle
Pain that originates in the middle may indicate spinal cord compression from a herniated disc, stenosis, or chronic spinal nerve root injury.
Back
Pain in the back of the spine may be caused by spinal joint pain, arthritis, muscle spasms, ligament and tendon issues, or sacroiliac joint pain and dysfunction.
How is chronic back pain treated?
After diagnosing the cause of your chronic back pain, Dr. Mukalel offers specific interventional treatment options that result in total pain relief. These include:
- Intracept® Procedure (Modic changes)
- Kyphoplasty (vertebral fractures)
- Intradiscal stem cell therapy (discogenic pain)
- Vertiflex® Superion® intraspinous spacer (decompression for stenosis)
- Epidural steroid injections
- Spinal cord stimulation
- Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) therapy (chronic nerve root injuries)
- Facet joint radiofrequency ablation (low backpain with muscle spasms)
- LinQ™ Sacroiliac Joint Fusion system (chronic sacroiliac joint pain and instability)
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy (chronic tendon or ligament injury)
After interventional pain management treatment, Dr. Mukalel sends you to spine rehabilitation and physical therapy for postural restoration and core muscle strengthening. He rarely recommends low-dose opioid therapy.
To get relief from your back pain, contact Pain MD Houston, by phone or online today.