Low back pain is incredibly common and can be debilitating. It’s one of the primary reasons people seek medical care, and when it lingers beyond three months, it’s considered chronic.
You may have such pain and disability with chronic low back pain that it interferes with work, sleep, mobility, and overall quality of life. Ioannis Skaribas, MD, DABA, FASA, of Expert Pain in Houston, Texas, understands how frustrating and limiting chronic low back pain can be. Dr. Skaribas and his team are here to help.
Read on to learn more about the causes of low back pain, possible treatments, and your long-term outlook for relief.
While a temporary strain or sprain in your low back can be painful and derail you for a few days or weeks, chronic low back pain persists for the long term.
Several factors contribute to the development of chronic low back pain:
Conditions like arthritis or degenerative disc disease can cause persistent inflammation and stiffness.
When the cushiony discs that sit between your vertebrae press on nearby nerves, pain may radiate down the legs (sciatica).
Narrowing of the spinal canal can compress nerves, resulting in pain, weakness, or numbness in the areas served by the affected nerves (i.e., legs, buttocks).
Chronic strain from poor posture, repetitive movements, or prior injury can cause lasting pain.
Other underlying conditions like osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, or structural abnormalities may also contribute to chronic low back pain. You can be easily affected by more than one of these factors, making it difficult to find relief.
At Expert Pain, we base your treatment on the cause, severity, and impact of your back pain. Dr. Skaribas bases his care plan on the findings from your clinical evaluation and medical history.
Anti-inflammatories, nerve pain medications, or muscle relaxants can provide short-term relief. Weight management, smoking cessation, and stress reduction can reduce pressure on the spine and improve outcomes.
We may also recommend customized exercises to improve flexibility, core strength, and posture, therefore reducing strain on the back.
More involved interventional procedures include injections – such as lumbar steroid injections, nerve blocks, or radiofrequency ablation to target pain at its source.
Dr. Skaribas recommends innovative procedures, like spinal cord stimulation, to provide long-lasting relief when other options haven’t worked.
Managing chronic low back pain is rarely about one single treatment. Dr. Skaribas builds a comprehensive, personalized plan with a multimodal approach, combining medical care with physical therapy, lifestyle changes, and ongoing support from our dedicated pain management team.
At Expert Pain, the team strives to help you move better, feel stronger, and reclaim your quality of life. We don’t just want to cover up the pain – we want to help you resolve it.
Contact the office today to schedule an appointment to have your chronic low back pain evaluated and treated so that you can find some relief.
