Back pain affects almost everybody at some point in their life. You sit too long in the same position and when you stand up your back feels all stiff and a bit achy. You stretch way up to put something away on a high shelf and it feels like a sharp hot knife just cut through your lower back. You bend over from the waist and pick up a heavy box. Your back says “NOPE” and you drop it. These are just a few examples of how people injure their backs every single day. It is the most common reason for missing work and emergency room visits. Back pain issues are the number one reason that people receive disability payments.
Certain Reasons Why you could be more at Risk
- AGE generally at about 30 or 40 back pain gets more prevalent
- EXERCISE or rather the lack thereof
- WEIGHT extra weight places extra strain on your back
- DISEASE some types of arthritis and other diseases can cause back pain
- LIFTING not with your back, your knees – remember
- SMOKING can weakens your disks from decreased nutrients getting to them
- DEPRESSION/ANIXETY has been proven to increase the chances of back pain
Testing for a Proper Diagnosis
If you are suffering from back pain in the Jacksonville area, the first thing you will need to do is to get proper testing so a pain management specialist will know exactly how to treat you. These tests can include X-rays which can show if you have arthritis. MRIs or CAT scans showing if you have slipped or herniated disks. Blood tests to rule out an infection as the cause of your pain. A bone scan to look to see if you may have a compression fracture and a possible nerve conductivity study to make sure that no nerve damage may have been caused by a herniated disk or spinal stenosis.
