Treatments for Lower Back Pain

Disc Injuries

Your vertebrae are separated by soft, rubbery discs that act as shock absorbers. A slipped disc occurs when the disc wall weakens, allowing the softer interior to push outward. Bulging discs have migrated even further. Finally, a disc herniation occurs when the wall tears entirely, leaving a hole for the inner portion to extrude or leak through.

Degenerative Disc Disease

Over time, due to wear and tear, spinal discs begin to break down. They lose their flexibility, resulting in a stiff, achy lower back that may easily become injured.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Also called CRPS, this rare form of chronic pain typically develops after an injury or surgery when nerves become damaged and continue to send severe pain signals long after the original injury has been addressed.

Failed Back Surgery Syndrome

This occurs after an unsuccessful back surgery and is most often caused by improper or insufficient patient selection processes before the operation. Post laminectomy syndrome is a common variation that causes a buildup of scar tissue, instability, and joint issues.

Facet Syndrome

Vertebral joints are stabilized by a series of structures, called facet joints, to prevent excessive twisting or toppling. Facet syndrome occurs when these joints degenerate, resulting in stiff, painful, and inflexible joints in the lumbar spine.

Muscle Spasms

A muscle spasm is a painful, uncontrollable contortion of muscles in the back. They often arise due to injuries, especially from heavy lifting, though they may also be associated with more serious medical conditions like disc herniation.

Lumbar Radiculopathy

Also called sciatica, lumbar radiculopathy describes any condition that irritates a nerve in your lower back. These nerves are responsible for carrying sensory signals from the legs. As a result, radiculopathy often causes radiating pain, burning, tingling, or numbness in the legs.

Degenerative Joint Disease

This condition is more commonly known as osteoarthritis. Due to time, wear, and tear, the cartilage between spinal joints begins to degrade and stiffen, causing pain and loss of mobility.

Lumbar Sprain

The lower spine is connected and stabilized by a network of tissues called ligaments. A sprain occurs when one of these ligaments stretches and tears, often as a result of sudden trauma.

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy

Commonly shortened to RSD, this is a rare disorder caused by damage to the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in abnormal responses and causing chronic pain that often appears suddenly or unexpectedly.