At some point in your life, you may experience a sore back after a long day of hard work or from sitting for too long. Typically, this kind of pain goes away after some rest and light medication. Unfortunately, these kinds of treatments don’t help much when you have serious back pain.
Several conditions can affect your back and cause pain and limit your range of motion, including:
- Arthritis
- Herniated discs
- Spinal stenosis
- Sciatica
- Spinal deformities
When you have conditions like these, you should seek treatment from a health care professional. Treatments will vary depending on your condition and its severity. In some cases, you may need surgery to treat your lower back pain.
Reasons you may need surgery for lower back pain treatment
- Conservative treatments are not helping — Doctors usually try to treat back pain with conservative methods like physical therapy or medication. This is to avoid exposing people to the risks associated with surgery. However, these conservative methods are not always effective, which may mean surgery is the optimal choice for treating your back pain.
Fortunately, many modern surgical procedures for back pain are minimally invasive. This means there are fewer risks of blood loss and infection. Minimally invasive surgery also reduces pain during your recovery and helps you recover faster. - Your spine is deformed — When you’re young, doctors usually treat spinal deformities with braces and supports. If your deformity grows worse as you age, your doctor may recommend surgery to realign your spine.
- You have nerve damage — If your doctor believes you have signs of nerve damage in your spine, they may recommend surgery. Nerve damage can lead to permanent disability if left untreated.
- You have bone spurs in your vertebrae — Bone spurs can develop in the vertebrae as a response to arthritis and other conditions. These bone spurs put pressure on the nerves in your spine, which is painful and limits your range of motion. Surgeons can remove these bone spurs using minimally invasive techniques.
- Your pain is affecting your quality of life — If your back pain is keeping you from enjoying your favorite activities, talk to your doctor about whether surgery is right for you. It may be the right choice for reducing your pain and improving your quality of life.
Visit the iRISE Spine and Joint Institute for lower back pain
Is your lower back pain keeping you from living the life you want to live? Our surgeons at the iRISE Spine and Joint Institute may be able to help. Contact us today for more information about lower back pain treatment or to schedule an appointment.
