According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 80% of Americans will experience some type of back pain during their lives. Think about how long you’ve been living with lower back pain, and ask yourself how many times that pain has gotten in your way. Don’t you think it’s time you do something about it?
At Roswell Pain and Weight Loss Specialists, Dr. Damon Kimes is an expert in recognizing and diagnosing the causes of low back pain. With his keen understanding of common low back pain symptoms and their origins, Dr. Kimes can help you start feeling better, which means you can start living your life again.
How to find the cause of your back pain
When you’re living with back pain, you just want it to go away. You might not even care why it’s happening, and instead of going to the doctor, you’d prefer to just sit at home on the couch. Not only is this probably causing issues in your day-to-day life, it’s also increasing the likelihood that you won’t get the help you really need and that your back pain will simply continue … or worsen.
Low back pain becomes more common as you age, and it’s more likely to turn from acute to chronic as you get older. That’s because the aging process causes the vertebrae between your spine to become weaker and more prone to damage. When you grow older, you also lose muscle tone that can weaken your back, which leads to injury.
Still, low back pain can strike at any time during your life. So you should be aware of the common causes of low back pain, which include:
- Strains
- Sciatica
- Fractured vertebrae
- Bulging or herniated discs
- Degenerative disc disease
- Spinal stenosis
- Scoliosis
- Isthmic spondylolisthesis
- Degenerative spondylolisthesis
- Facet joint osteoarthritis
All of these conditions can be difficult to recognize, so when you come to our clinic in Roswell, Georgia, with low back pain, we perform a comprehensive evaluation. It includes discussing your symptoms as well as your personal and medical health history and conducting a full musculoskeletal exam. Some patients may also require imaging tests, such as X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans.
Living your life with low back pain
You don’t have to sit on the couch watching the world pass you by. It is possible to live with — and beyond — low back pain, but only if you seek the help you need.
As pain management specialists, we create customized strategies that address the source of your pain instead of simply masking your symptoms with medications. We always focus on using the least invasive approach when it comes to treating your pain and allowing you to heal naturally and safely.
We offer several minimally invasive pain management therapies that include physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and steroid injections. These therapies are usually extremely effective and well-tolerated by patients.
For chronic lower back pain that doesn’t respond to conservative treatments, we might recommend interventional pain management therapies or minimally invasive surgery.
Don’t let low back pain control your life
You deserve to play with your children, go out dancing, participate in your favorite sports, and do anything else you want to do. Call us at 678-271-0565 or schedule an appointment online today to get the help you need to get your life back.