Chronic Back Pain? Now’s the Time to Schedule a Consultation

Chronic low-back pain is one of the most common causes of disability worldwide. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on lower back pain and it’s the leading cause of lost productivity, making it imperative for patients to seek appropriate treatment with an orthopedic specialist to help eliminate their pain and reduce their risk of recurrence.

What is Chronic Back Pain?

There are two types of back pain: Sub-acute and Chronic. Sub-acute refers to pain in the back that lasts between 4 and 12 weeks. The second type: chronic back pain is persistent pain that lasts 12 weeks or longer. Unfortunately, it’s possible to injure your back in typical everyday activities like lifting boxes, reaching into your car trunk or twisting while swinging a golf club. It is so easy to injure your back that almost everyone has experienced low back pain at one time or another. While most of these cases may resolve on their own, chronic pain requires orthopedic treatment.

What are the Causes of Persistent Back Pain?

Some of the typical reasons for pain in the back include:

• Overuse, strain, or injury either through work tasks, sports or daily activities
• Normal aging and/or genetics
• Herniated disc
• Degenerative disc disease
• Facet joint degeneration
• Compression fractures

What Are Common Symptoms?

Just as there are varied causes for pain in the back, there is also a wide range of symptoms. For example, chronic back pain may either be dull or sharp. Pain can occur in a small area of the back or over a large area with or without additional muscle spasms. This type of persistent pain can also cause additional symptoms in one or both legs, such as pain, numbness, or tingling, often extending below the knee.

Chronic back pain can negatively impact several areas of life. Some of the debilitating effects include:

• Reduced ability to perform daily and work tasks
• Insomnia and reduction in quality sleep
• Decreased ability to participate in physical activity or exercise

While it’s true that some degree of back pain and discomfort can be normal from time to time, with more and more people spending large portions of the day bent over their smartphones or working at their desk for hours at a time, are leading to a higher percentage of persistent pain in the back. With an accurate diagnosis from an orthopedic doctor, it’s possible to develop a treatment plan to successfully eradicate long-term pain.

At Meier Orthopedic Sports Medicine, we specialize in leading-edge, minimally invasive techniques as a preferable alternative to surgery. We have been performing regenerative injection therapy (RIT) for chronic back pain with very promising success. This progressive treatment, which consists of a combination of stem cell prolotherapy, intra-discal platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and dextrose epidural injections, harnesses the body’s own healing capacity to help restore pain-free function. Rather than rely on steroids to temporarily mask the pain, we focus on optimizing tissue health and regeneration for longer-lasting pain relief.

Your Chronic Back Pain Expert in Los Angeles

Chronic back pain can happen to anyone. However, with the help of Beverly Hills orthopedic surgeon and regenerative medicine expert Steven W. Meier, MD and his team at Meier Orthopedic Sports Medicine (MOSM) it’s possible to heal from your chronic back pain. Contact us to schedule a consultation today.

Next, read How Different Types of Exercise Can Help Prevent Injuries

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