Back pain is so common that most individuals can expect to experience at least one episode in their lifetime. And about 80% of those individuals will experience the pain and discomfort in their lower back. The leading causes of low back may be due to a common muscular strain, aging, inflammation, and other conditions.
Dr. Teddrick Dunson can answer that question. He leads our team here at Thrive Pain Management in Irving, Texas and has spent most of his medical career helping his patients overcome the debilitating effects of pain. As an interventional pain management physician, Dr. Dunson understands the concept of pain as well as how to help you live pain-free again.
Take a moment to learn more about low back pain, what can cause it, and how Dr. Dunson can help.
Understanding low back pain
Your back is a complex network of bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, nerves, and other tissue structures that are engaged in essentially every movement your body makes. The lower back connects your spine to the pelvis.
Because it supports the weight of your upper body as you sit, stand, twist, bend, walk, or run your way through life, your lower back is especially vulnerable to injury and other conditions that cause pain.
Causes of low back pain
Muscular and/or ligamentous strain is the most common cause of acute or sudden low back pain, which often responds to rest, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications, and other home remedies.
Issues affecting the health of your bones, joints, nerves, etc. can also create low back discomfort that may worsen over time and become chronic or long-term. These conditions include:
- Degenerative disc disease related to aging
- Spinal stenosis, which irritates and inflames nerves within the spine
- Bulging or herniated discs
- Inflammation due to arthritis, spondylitis, and other joint disease
- Compression of the sciatic nerve (sciatica)
- Decreased bone density and strength (osteoporosis)
- Nerve compression due to bony overgrowths (bone spurs)
Sports injuries, weakness in the abdominal muscles, poor posture, as well as excess weight also strain the lower back and may lead to chronic pain.
Treating low back pain
As a specialist who is double board certified in pain management and anesthesiology, Dr. Dunson offers minimally invasive treatments for both chronic and acute low back pain that are customized to fit your circumstances and needs.
For your low back pain, he may recommend:
- Guided physical therapy
- Modifying your activities and/or training in lifting techniques, posture, etc.
- Lumbar epidural injections
- Facet rhizotomy
- Spinal cord stimulation to block pain signals
Before designing a treatment strategy to relieve your low back pain, Dr. Dunson carefully evaluates your symptoms and develops an accurate diagnosis of the underlying cause.
For effective pain management that focuses on relieving your symptoms while improving your quality of life, schedule a visit with Dr. Dunson at Thrive Pain Management today.
