Back pain is debilitating. It is functionally debilitating and it is emotionally debilitating and the patients that I see want alleviation from the constant pain that is preventing them from participating in the activities that they enjoy.[/one_half]
The most common complaints people have relating to their spinal conditions are referred arm pain or leg pain, often referred to as sciatica or a pinched nerve. They also experience debilitating back pain or they may experience a combination of both severe back pain and radiating arm or leg pain.
Most patients think that any pain that runs down their leg is sciatic nerve pain, or sciatica, or they may refer to that as a pinched nerve. A lot of patients will think that the back pain they’re experiencing is from pinched nerves. Back pain is usually from injuries to discs, facet joints, ligaments or muscles. Nerve compression pain normally presents as radiating pain down the legs which is commonly referred to as sciatica or a pinched nerve.
There are two primary back problems. One is axial pain, which is either neck or lower back pain. The other major problem is nerve compression pain presenting either as arm or leg pain. Which one affects you?.
There’s a range of treatment options for these conditions. The majority of the time whether you have back or neck pain the treatment is non-operative, but if symptoms persist or if extremely severe, then surgical options are available. The most common surgical options for nerve compression symptoms involve simple nerve decompression. On occasion the spine may need to be stabilised to provide a environment whereby the compression of the nerves doesn’t reoccur.
As a spine surgeon, the various problems that we can treat through surgery for back pain include:
discogenic back pain
facet joint related back pain
instability or
nerve compression.
Make an appointment to come and see me so that I can thoroughly evaluate that condition that’s affecting your spine and provide you with a comprehensive array of treatment options to provide you with the best chance of achieving a resolution of those symptoms.
