What’s causing my back pain?

Your spine has three sections — the cervical spine (neck), thoracic spine (upper back), and lumbar spine (lower back). Most spinal conditions cause lower back or neck pain.

The spine itself consists of bones (vertebrae), ligaments, discs, nerves, and muscles. Acute injuries to these structures can cause back pain, as can overuse and chronic diseases. Injuries tend to result from auto accidents, mishaps at work or home (like tripping and falling), and playing sports.

Chronic diseases that cause back pain include:

• Degenerative disc disease
• Spinal stenosis
• Vertebral compression fractures
• Scoliosis
• Herniated or bulging discs
• Spondylolisthesis
• Arthritis
• Sciatica

Running down the center of your spine is your spinal cord, from where all your nerves originate. As the nerves come away from your spinal cord, they pass through holes in your vertebrae and then spread to the rest of your body. In many cases, back pain is due to nerve damage from irritation or compression.

What should I do if I have back pain?

A mild muscle strain in your back should heal in a few days with a combination of rest, using an ice pack, and moving gently.

Many people turn to pain medication to control severe or prolonged back pain. Still, while the drugs can help you keep going, they don’t address the underlying cause of your condition.

Not only does this mean that your pain isn’t likely to go away, but you could become reliant on medicines that have potentially serious side effects. At Onesource Sports Neuro Rehab, the skilled team can often target the root cause of your back pain and treat it accordingly.

How is back pain treated?

The treatment program your provider at Onesource Sports Neuro Rehab creates for you focuses on addressing the cause of your back pain (where that’s possible) and relieving your symptoms. Physical therapy is likely to be the basis of your rehabilitation, with other treatments included as necessary. Possible treatments include:

• Manual therapy
• Osteopractic therapy
• Dry needling
• Laser treatments
• Stretching and strengthening
• Therapeutic ultrasound
• TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)
• Spinal decompression

In addition to the advanced techniques the Onesource Sports Neuro Rehab team uses, they offer the latest cutting-edge technologies, which use virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

If you’re looking for a better solution to back pain, call your nearest Onesource Sports Neuro Rehab office today or book an appointment online.