Five Tips for Avoiding Back Surgery

While there are some conditions or issues that will lead to surgery, many times there are other options than going out and under the knife. Surgery can be just as stressful for some patients as the condition or problem itself: from the anticipatory anxiety beforehand to the long recovery afterward. Back surgery can really keep you out of your loop for a while if you hurt or injure your back.

Here we look at ways to keep your back and spine as healthy as possible and hopefully, keep you out of the operating room.

Stay strong: Just like the other parts of your body, exercise may be the answer for your back pain. It may seem counterintuitive to move while in pain, but rest can cause further issues. Movement and exercise can strengthen the areas around your spine and the muscle groups that help control it to keep you healthy. Exercise also delivers oxygenated blood to the area. If you are worried about overstressing your back, think about taking a water aerobics class, as that takes the pressure off of your spine.

Keep inflammation at bay: Another old adage is also good for your spine: eat healthy. Processed foods can lead to inflammation, which can cause compression and pain in your back. If you are within a healthy weight range, you also will not be overloading the spine with too much pressure from too much weight on your frame.

Professional approach: While you can be an exercise do-it-yourselfer, you should connect with a professional expert for physical therapy. Our Pain Control Associates team can help you with a physical therapy strategy. Physical therapy can be the answer to sciatica pain or bulging discs.

Needle help: Injections may be the answer to ease your back pain. Our team can review what conditions or issues you are facing and put together a recommendation. Injections can directly calm nerve endings and ease your pain. Injections can help reduce inflammation, tingling and numbness that is around the nerves in the epidural region, which is the area around the spinal cord and the nerves that are coming out of it.

Manipulations may be needed: Our Pain Control Associates team can also go over the need for spinal manipulations that may work with realigning your spine or if you have a pinched nerve. This is not recommended for a fracture or muscle tear though.

Make Your Appointment Today for a Healthier Tomorrow

Beyond back pain, our physicians work with patients that are facing chronic pain from conditions, neck pain, sciatica, work-related injury, sports or athletic injuries, neuropathy or problems after an auto accident. We always work with you to come up with a plan together that is tailored to you as each and every patient and pain is different. We are ready to connect with you through our online contact form.