Back pain of any kind can seriously impair day to day life. Our spine is the central column of your body, and if it’s hurting, moving at all can be difficult. There are many types of back pain and reasons why they happen. Understanding them can give you a guiding light for treatment and pain relief, and a better quality of life.
Dr. Jason Chiu and his experienced team at The Painless Center are experts in pain management, and are ready to assist you whether it’s a back injury, a symptom of chronic illness or a lifestyle result. Find us in New Jersey.
Bad Posture
Probably the most common reason why people get back pain in today’s world. A lot of time sitting in an office ends up hurting your back if you tend to keep a bad posture or if the desk isn’t ergonomic. If you have preceding back issues like scoliosis then it can be even worse.
The same goes for time spent on the phone. We tend to crouch down to see things better without having our hands up to face-level, but if your screen time is high this can end up giving you tension in the back of your neck.
How to Treat Bad Posture
If the pain you are experiencing is becoming an impediment in your daily life, you might want to consider trigger point injections, that target specific areas and release the built-up muscle fatigue that is causing back pain.
🏥 Related: Trigger Point Therapy
Coathanger Pain
A less known but life-impacting type of back pain is coathanger pain. The name came about because it affects the triangle formed between the base of the head and the lower shoulderblades, forming the shape of a coathanger.
This type of pain is mainly associated with dysautonomic conditions, mostly Orthostatic Hypotension and POTS. In both, blood circulation and blood pressure when upright or sitting can be insufficient, straining the muscles in the area. Research shows that there is a direct relation between having these conditions, and developing coathanger pain.
How to Treat Coathanger Pain
There are some exercises that can be done to relieve some of the pain. Lifestyle changes that better suit the conditions are also a good preventive measure. However as with most pain, sometimes this is not enough, and medical assistance is necessary to regain quality of life.
Back Injury
Back injuries can happen in many contexts and be incredibly dangerous. Sometimes how little is needed to injure your spine can be deceiving, but falling on your sacral bone, or simply pulling or lifting something the wrong way can seriously damage your back and create a lot of pain.
If you work moving heavy objects, it is more likely to get an occupational injury. This can range from pulling a muscle to getting a herniated disc. Regardless, it’s important to get an appointment as soon as you get injured to help the recovery along. You may be entitled to workers’ compensation as well, which we at The Painless Center can cover.
Sports injuries also commonly can impact the back. Many strength exercises require you to properly position your body and apply force with the right muscles, and if you don’t, the probability of overexerting the lower back is very high.
How to Treat a Back Injury
A possible treatment option for non-relenting pain is getting SIJ injections. They can both diagnose if the back pain is coming from the sacroiliac joint, and provide relief.
Sciatica
Sciatica pain happens when the sciatic nerve is somehow damaged or compressed. Most people associate it with leg pain, but in reality sciatica begins showing as lower back discomfort or tingling.
People over 40, tall people, and people who experience a lot of stress in their daily lives are more likely to develop sciatica.
Treatment for Sciatica
Fortunately, there are many options for treatment, with varying levels of invasiveness. Examples are Epidural injections and Nerve Blocking. Sciatica is treatable in the long run, and there are high chances of, if not fully eliminating the pain, at least greatly diminishing it.
Treatment for Back Pain at the Painless Center, New Jersey
The Painless Center specializes in offering patients a pain-free life. Back pain can be very debilitating and affect what you can do every day. Dr. Chiu and the expert medical team that works with him can design a personalized treatment that prioritizes finding the root cause for your issues, finding recovery and relief. If you are searching for a solution to your back pain and are located in New Jersey, you can book an appointment with us anytime.