Lower Back Pain – How is It Diagnosed and Treated?

Many people who suffer from lower back pain initially receive treatment that involves the use of pain management and physical therapy. It’s usually only as a last resort that invasive surgery is used to deal with the problem. It’s often not easy to remedy problems with lower back pain; it can be a lengthy process, even when surgery is not involved.

This is why it makes sense to try and avoid the causes of lower back pain as much as possible. Doing so may not completely prevent the problem, but it can help to make issues less likely.

Attempting to prevent the problem in the first place

There are several steps that you can take which can help to reduce your chances of developing issues with pain in your lower back. These steps include:

• Lifting things in the correct manner.
• Making sure that posture is correct.
• Taking regular exercise, with warm-ups beforehand.
• Not smoking.
• Eating healthily to remain at a healthy weight.

Diagnosis of lower back pain

1. If you do start to suffer from lower back pain, you should seek professional advice about what is causing the issue. For instance, you may be carrying too much weight, due to a sugary or high-fat diet, or you may have strained your back while carrying a heavy bag. The doctor will ask you some questions, and take a look at your medical history, in order to try and determine the cause of your problems. If necessary, they may ask for further tests or scans to be carried out such as x-rays, CAT scans or MRI scans [2].
2. Once the doctor has determined the cause, or multiple causes, of the lower back pain you are experiencing, they will help you to manage the pain and compile a treatment plan for you [3].

Treatment of lower back pain

• The type of treatment you will receive depends on several factors including how old you are, what the cause of the condition is, how bad the problem is and whether you are allergic to any forms of medication. There are several treatment methods that could be employed including:
• Modifications to your daily routine. This can help you to avoid the practices that are causing you the pain.
• Medications which could include painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs.
• Physical therapy. This type of therapy helps you to regain your mobility. This is important if you want to get back into your normal routines as soon as possible.
• The use of devices such as a massage chair. As the professionals at Massage Chair Compare state, massage chairs can help with, “Improved posture which minimizes back pain and loosens tight back muscles”. This is a significant benefit for many people who suffer from lower back pain.
• Help with weight loss. This will involve advice about healthy eating and support in helping you to maintain a healthy diet.
• Surgery. Depending on the nature of your problems, surgery is not usually the first point of call when it comes to treatment, but it can be used if necessary.

The diagnosis and treatment of lower back pain are considered on an individual basis. Although the pain may feel exactly the same, even when there are different causes, correct diagnosis is important as treatment has to be aimed at dealing with the cause of the issue in order for it to be successful.