Back pain may not be regarded as a health problem on the
same level as some of the more serious diseases and conditions, but it remains
a burden for many people all the same.
Per the American Chiropractic Association, around 31 million Americans are currently suffering from
lower back pain. Back pain has also been pointed to as one of the most common
reasons for why people have to miss work.
Even after zooming out further, back pain continues to be a real scourge to
society.
It is regarded as the “single leading cause of disability” across the world.
There’s a decent chance that you, or someone you know, are also currently
dealing with back pain. If not that, then you may have dealt with it at some
point in the past. Even if you’re not experiencing it at the moment, your back
pain could still return.
Experts such as Dr. Nikesh Seth are quick to remind people that back pain is
not something that can be left unaddressed. Given the impact it can have on
quality of life, it needs to be taken seriously and dealt with as soon as
possible.
For the people out there seeking more information regarding how they can
address their back pain, this article is going to provide some valuable
answers.
Epidural Steroid Injection
When most people hear the word “epidural,” they immediately think about the anesthetic provided to women during childbirth. The purpose of the epidural injection is to essentially block out the pain that can be caused by labor contractions.
However, an epidural injection can be beneficial to more than just women on the verge of giving birth.
Healthcare providers can also make use of an epidural steroid injection to treat and relieve back pain. According to the Mayfield Clinic, an epidural steroid injection contains both a corticosteroid and an anesthetic.
The purpose of the corticosteroid is to reduce the amount of inflammation while the anesthetic is responsible for making the injection tolerable from a pain standpoint. The epidural steroid injection is injected into that space between the vertebra and the dura sac that wraps around both the spinal cord and the nerves located there.
The procedure itself takes around 15 to 45 minutes to complete, but after that, you will only be monitored for a short period of time before being allowed to go home. You may experience some numbness and weakness in your lower extremities at first, but those are expected to go away quickly.
Notably, people on blood thinners will have to stop taking those days before they receive an epidural steroid injection.
A single epidural steroid injection may not be enough to provide the pain relief you’re seeking. Typically, you will have to follow up with at least one more injection. Once the injections have been administered, you can experience significant pain relief that lasts for an extended period of time.
In very rare cases, an injection like this can cause paralysis or nerve damage. However, the risks are so minimal that the epidural steroid injection is still considered as a viable option to address back pain.
Radiofrequency Ablation
Radiofrequency ablation, also known as radiofrequency neurotomy, is yet another procedure that can be performed on people who are currently suffering from the ill effects of back pain.
In this procedure, heat coming from radio waves is used to hit specific nerves. The heat is intended to temporarily render the targeted nerves unable to send signals that can cause individuals to experience physical pain.
You should be able to leave the hospital on the same day that you receive radiofrequency ablation. Similar to the process of prepping for an epidural steroid injection, you will likely have to stop taking blood thinners if you are on them.
Once you get home, you may feel sore for a while, but that sensation should go away soon enough.
Numbness and a bit of pain are among the common side effects of receiving radiofrequency ablation. There are cases when the patient may sustain an infection or nerve damage, but those are exceedingly rare, notes The Mayo Clinic.
The results of getting radiofrequency ablation can vary. The pain relief provided by the procedure may last for a few weeks or potentially much longer.
Therapy
Some people may not be too thrilled with the idea of receiving injections, thus making the two ways of addressing back pain listed above unappealing to them. If you are among those people, don’t lose heart as therapy can still work for you.
Harvard Health has listed some of the complementary therapies you can try for the purposes of relieving back pain. These include practicing yoga, tai chi, or even getting a therapeutic massage.
If your back pain is the result of a recent injury, you can also try out temperature-based forms of therapy. Using an ice pack on your back within the first few hours should provide pain relief and a kind of numbing effect while heating pads later on can help with relaxing your muscles.
Dr. Nikesh Seth and other medical experts want people to know that there’s more than one way to combat the debilitating effects of back pain. Hopefully, you will be able to find one that works for you so that you can deal better with that aforementioned problem more effectively.