Back Pain: Prioritize a Visit to Your Doctor

neck pain
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Most individuals have had back pain at some point in their lives. Lumbar pain is a leading cause of disability. Each year, half of all Americans in formal and informal employment fall victim to this monster: back pain. This is an everyday occurrence; however, it is not advisable to ignore the pain and discomfort. Most people do not know when enough is enough. However; if you are experiencing the following symptoms, you should seek help from your professional for spinal cord stimulation in The Woodlands.

Chronic Pain

Your doctor will help you know if your pain is acute or chronic. Acute pain does not last for long. It can last for a few days to a week. The problem may even disappear without your knowledge. However, if the pain persists after a month, the chances are you have sub-acute pain. Such pain can last up to 4 months. Most of these pains are mechanical and can be alleviated with the help of a chiropractor without electing to surgery. Chronic pain can last longer than two weeks and will also persist even after the causes or injuries have long been treated. Chronic pains cause back discomfort, and up to 20% of people suffer from this kind of pain every year. If you have back pain that isn’t going away on it’s own, you may need to schedule an appointment with your specialist or visit Know Your Back Story to learn more about your back pain history.

Leg pain

Numbness in the leg or pain in the leg can lead to weakness in the hip, a tingling sensation accompanied by pain in your back is a sign that you are not okay and need to see a specialist. Pressure on the spine or the nerves also causes weakness in the legs. It may be that the sciatic nerve is being pressed by a herniated disk, thus interfering with the leg muscle control. Sometimes it may be the cervical radiculopathy that is causing the issue. This scenario happens when the root of the nerve near the cervical vertebrae gets compressed. Such incidents can cause numbness or pain in extremities. Mechanical means are mostly used to correct these issues. Your doctor may recommend surgery in some cases.

Bowel and bladder issues

Do you sit in the restroom for many hours? Or are you running to the toilet several times a day? You may need to see a specialist.  Nerve damage and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) are among the issues that can affect your back, bowel, and bladder. Irritable Bowel Syndrome, for instance, can lead to abdominal cramping as well as an extreme stool. These can, therefore, lead to lower back pains. When the nerves at your back suffer damage, this can lead to disrupted digestion and abdominal pain.

Fever and weight loss can also trigger back pain and you need to see your specialist. At Yancey Pain & Spine, interventional pain specialist William Yancey, MD combines advanced treatments and proven therapies to give you long-term pain relief. Schedule a consultation with your experienced doctor to learn about the available solutions for back pain.