Most people suffer from back pain at least once, and it is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. In most cases, back pain can get better without surgery, but if your back pain disrupts your daily life and negatively impacts your quality of life, you should talk to your doctor about options for back pain treatment.
Lower back pain, or lumbago, is not a disorder in itself. Lower back pain is a symptom of a few different types of medical problems. Usually, the pain is a result of one of the following:
Back pain symptoms can vary. You might experience a dull ache in your lower back, an acute stabbing pain that radiates from the back down to the leg or foot, an inability to stand upright, and a decreased range of motion. When these symptoms last longer than three months, the back pain is considered chronic.
Most back pain improves with over-the-counter pain medications, but in more severe cases, stronger treatments are necessary. Surgery is usually the last resort treatment and is very rarely needed for back pain. Usually, surgery is only necessary for structural abnormalities that do not improve with conservative treatments like medicines and physical therapy. Surgery may be needed if you suffer from severe and unremitting pain or nerve compression that causes muscle weakness. Spinal fusion surgery fuses painful vertebrae into a single more solid bone, which helps eliminate painful motions. Another surgery option is the removal and replacement of discs and vertebrae to relieve pain.
Treatment of lower back pain is usually directed toward a diagnosed cause, so it is important to talk to your doctor about your back pain in case there is a more serious underlying medical condition.
