Back Pain

Pain Management & Anesthesiology located in Augusta, Austell, Brookhaven, Camp Creek, Piedmont/Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Canton, Carrollton, Cartersville, Conyers, Covington, Dallas, Douglasville, Jasper, Johns Creek, Suwanne, Lawrenceville, Marietta, Peachtree City, Roswell, and Woodstock, GA

Back pain can strike at any age but may appear earlier than you expect, considering 40% of 18-44-year-olds struggle with daily back problems. The skilled providers at Alliance Spine & Pain specialize in interventional procedures that relieve acute and chronic back pain when conservative treatments don’t help. To schedule an appointment, call one of the offices in Austell, Augusta, Woodstock, Atlanta, Marietta, Conyers, Lawrenceville, Jasper, Cartersville, Dallas, Suwanee, Covington, Carrollton, Canton, Sandy Springs, Douglasville, Peachtree City, or Roswell, Georgia, or book one online today.

Back Pain Q & A

What causes back pain?

Your lower back (lumbar spine) bears significant stress as it supports your upper body weight and allows your spine to twist and bend. As a result, back pain often occurs during everyday activities when you pull a ligament or muscle. Sports injuries, falls, and auto accidents also commonly cause back pain.

Many conditions also cause back pain, especially as you get older, including:

Herniated discs
Facet joint arthritis
Thickened ligaments
Bone spurs
Spinal fractures
Degenerative disc disease
Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)
Pinched nerves (radiculopathy)
Spondylolisthesis (slipped vertebrae)
Post-laminectomy syndrome (persistent pain after surgery to decompress nerves)

Your upper back (thoracic spine) is less vulnerable than your lower back, but it also suffers painful conditions, including kyphosis, scoliosis, and compression fractures caused by osteoporosis.

What symptoms accompany back pain?

The type and severity of back pain differ for each person and depend on the cause of their pain. You may experience a dull ache or sharp pain that prevents movement. If the underlying condition pinches a nerve, you may have sciatica, a debilitating electric shock pain that shoots down one leg.

Pinched nerves also cause tingling and burning sensations or numbness in your leg. Severely damaged nerves in your lower back may cause weakness in your leg and foot and affect bladder and bowel function.

How is back pain treated?

After learning about your medical history and symptoms and completing a physical exam, your Alliance Spine & Pain provider may order diagnostic imaging like X-rays, an MRI, or a CT scan.

The first line of back pain treatment includes medications, activity modification, and physical therapy. If your pain persists after giving those treatments time to work, Alliance Spine & Pain recommends interventional procedures targeting the source of your pain.

Your personalized treatment plan may include one of many interventional options. A few examples include:

Epidural steroid injections
Facet joint injections
Spinal cord stimulation
Radiofrequency ablation
Sacroiliac joint injection
Lumbar discectomy
Nerve blocks
Kyphoplasty
Vertebroplasty
Regenerative medicine
The Vertiflex™ Procedure with the Superion™ Indirect Decompression System

Regenerative medicine uses the body’s natural cells to accelerate healing and repair damaged tissues. Alliance Spine & Pain offers two restorative treatments: platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy and bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) therapy.

The experts at Alliance Spine & Pain specialize in many effective solutions for back pain. Call the nearest office or request an appointment online today.