Low back pain is a common problem as you get older. It’s caused by a variety of different problems, each of which present with different symptoms. Treatment is based on the root of your problem, making it vital to find out what’s causing your back pain.
When your back symptoms are a mystery, Dr. Steven J. Svabek provides you with a quick diagnosis to improve your symptoms. If you’re located in the Coral Springs, Florida community, Dr. Svabek and his team offer modern diagnostic tools to get to the bottom of your low back pain.
Back pain isn’t abnormal, no matter your age. This type of pain doesn’t discriminate, and affects people at different times in their lives.
When you have pain in your back, it may have many different causes. Injuries are one of the causes of back pain, along with other issues such as:
When the discomfort in your back is unbearable, it’s vital to get to the bottom of the problem. The only way to successfully ease the agony is to figure out what’s wrong with your spine.
Even mild to moderate pain interrupts your life when it seems to be constant. Back pain is a leading cause of disability and missed work, making it a top priority of our team to help you finally get successful treatment.
Getting to the root of your pain is the first step in getting it under control. When you come in for an appointment with Dr. Svabek, he evaluates your symptoms and goes over a timeline of when your pain started.
Figuring out the issue in your back is the best way for Dr. Svabek to treat your pain. The best way for Dr. Svabek to determine the root of your pain is through diagnostic studies, such as:
An X-ray has the ability to show your spinal vertebrae. This helps Dr. Svabek see bone fractures or misalignment of your vertebrae.
An MRI is a detailed scan that not only shows your bones, but other tissues as well, such as your muscles and ligaments. Dr. Svabek orders an MRI if he suspects a herniated disc, a compressed nerve, or an infection in your spine.
A CT scan shows a more detailed image of the soft tissues in your back. This shows things like a ruptured disc or spinal stenosis that wouldn’t be seen on an X-ray.
Discography allows Dr. Svabek to determine if one of the discs in your spine could be causing your pain. He injects a type of contrast dye into a disc that might be causing your pain. The pressure reproduces your symptoms, helping him come to a conclusion.
EMG is a test that evaluates the electrical activity in the muscles of your back. This allows Dr. Svabek to determine if your muscle weakness is due to a problem with the nerves that feed into that muscle.
The type of treatment Dr. Svabek suggests is based on the cause of your low back pain. After he evaluates your symptoms and takes a look at your imaging studies, Dr. Svabek creates a customized treatment plan for your pain.
Acute forms of low back pain usually go away with rest and conservative measures. This is also true for some of the other causes of low back pain, such as strains or sprains.
Conservative treatments that Dr. Svabek suggests include physical therapy, rest, ice or heat, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. Epidural steroid injections are also an option if your pain is resistant to the other treatments.
In more severe cases of low back pain, you may require surgical intervention to get your pain under control. Each cause of low back pain can be treated surgically, through different procedures.
If you need surgery, Dr. Svabek and his team explain everything to you, including the pros and cons of the procedure and what to expect out of recovery. Typically, spine surgery is reserved as a last resort, because of its invasive nature.
If you’re suffering from low back pain and need help, call our office today at 954-466-9140 or request an appointment on the website using our convenient scheduling tool.
