Back pain is the most common of musculoskeletal complaints, ranging from a mild twinge to excruciating, immobilizing agony. There are numerous reasons why you might experience back pain, including:

• Muscle strains
• Arthritis
• Degenerative disc disease
• Herniated discs
• Scoliosis
• Spinal tumors
• Bone spurs
• Spinal instability
• Radiculopathy
• Sciatica
• Spinal stenosis
• Vertebral compression fractures

In many cases, the reason you have back pain is that a bone or other tissue is pressing on the nerves coming away from your spinal cord. These nerves exit the spine through holes called foramen in the vertebrae.

A slight shift in alignment, an overgrowth of bone, thickened ligaments, or simple inflammation can compress the nerve and cause back pain.

Diagnosis begins with a physical examination, a review of your medical and family history, and a discussion about your current health, symptoms, and lifestyle.

Following this initial assessment, you might need to undergo diagnostic imaging tests such as X-rays, an MRI scan, or a CT scan to determine the exact cause of your back pain and how much tissue damage it’s causing.

One of the key diagnostic tools for nerve-related back pain is electromyography (EMG), usually done in combination with nerve conduction velocity (NCV) tests.

These tests look at how well your nerves are functioning. They evaluate the strength of the messages sent to your muscles and the electrical activity in the nerves. The results provide valuable information about the cause and nature of your back pain.

Treatments for back pain might vary somewhat depending on the cause of your discomfort. However, physical therapies and medication typically form the foundation of your recovery from back pain.

You might need additional treatments such as epidural steroid injections, nerve blocks, spinal cord stimulation, and radiofrequency ablation. If your back pain fails to improve, surgery might resolve your back pain.

There are numerous different surgeries that the doctors at Texas Neuro Spine could perform to help with severe, long-term back pain. Some of these include:

• Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF)
• Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF)
• Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF)
• Extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF)
• Cifoplastia
• Microdiscectomy
• Artificial disc replacement
• Laminotomy

The Texas Neuro Spine surgeons use minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) techniques wherever possible as they have several significant advantages over traditional open surgery. MISS is generally safer, faster, less painful, and requires a shorter recovery period.

To find treatment for back pain, call Texas Neuro Spine today or book an appointment online.