Back pain is one of the most common pain conditions in the world, but that doesn’t mean it is always easy to treat. In fact, because your spine is home to so many different muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves, treating back pain can oftentimes be downright difficult. So what should you do if you feel like you’ve tried everything for your back pain but you just can’t find relief? We explain how to move forward in today’s blog.
Just Can’t Find Back Pain Relief
Here are some steps for finding relief when it feels like you’ve tried every remedy in the books.
1. Get A Diagnosis (Or A Second Opinion) – With the rise of the Internet, more patients are self-diagnosing their pain and in turn setting up their own treatment course. This can help save time and money, but only if you make the correct diagnosis. If you believe you’re dealing with a spinal disc issue but you’re actually suffering from a nerve problem, your treatment strategies are unlikely to be successful, because you’re treating the wrong root cause of pain. If you’ve already received an official medical diagnosis, consider getting a second opinion. Sometimes the second doctor picks up on something the first professional missed.
2. Fully Dive Into Conservative Care Options – They say that you get out what you put in, so if you’re only passively participating in your treatment protocol, you may never find true relief. Whether that means avoiding physical activity for two weeks or showing up to physical therapy sessions twice a week for three months, really commit to your care plan. Sometimes it’s not the treatment that’s failing, it’s the patient’s commitment to that treatment plan that’s the issue.
3. Diet and Hydrate – You may be surprised how much our food and liquid intake affects our spine health. If you’re not getting enough vitamins and minerals from your diet, bones and joints may not be at optimal health, which can lead to pain. If you’re not staying hydrated, muscle sprains and spasms are more common. Junk foods and other unhealthy options can also contribute to the onset of spinal inflammation, which can compress nerves. Many spinal problems can be corrected simply by improving our diets.
4. Surgical Options – Finally, if you’ve truly committed to a new diet and conservative treatment plan and still have yet to find relief, it’s time to schedule a consultation with a spine surgeon. That doesn’t mean surgery is definitely in your future, but you’ll want to have a surgical expert review your imaging results and walk you through your potential options. Corticosteroid injections or manipulation exercises may precede surgery, but if they feel that a corrective operation could resolve their pain, they’ll be able to walk you through every step of the process. Dr. Chang has done that for countless patients, and he can do the same for you.
For more information, or for assistance finding relief to your chronic back pain, reach out to Dr. Chang’s office today.