Pretty much everyone has to put up with back pain at some point in their life. Many are lucky enough that it is only a temporary annoyance, but for others, it can be a lifelong, world-altering problem. In the U.S., chronic back pain is actually the leading cause of disability for people under the age of 45. Dr. James Pinkston at Asheville Non-Surgical Orthopedics has helped many patients not only determine what is causing their back pain, but also get the relief they need using non-invasive methods that allow their body to naturally heal and stay strong for years to come.
The back is a complicated network of bones, muscles, nerves, discs, tendons, and ligaments, and problems with any element can lead to back pain. Issues can begin due to an injury, poor posture, or even a degenerative condition such as osteoarthritis, a herniated disc, or degenerative disc disease. Back pain is common for athletes as well as those who work in jobs that involve standing/sitting for several hours or frequently lifting heavy objects.
While a phrase like “back pain” may seem to tell you everything you need to know about the condition, what people feel can actually vary quite a bit. It can be a constant, dull ache, or a sharp sensation that only occurs after a specific movement. If there is nerve damage, a patient may also experience numbness or tingling that extends into their extremities. In many cases, back pain is most severe in the morning because the body has been still throughout the night, but the muscles gradually loosen up as they start to move. On the other hand, it can sometimes become worse throughout the day. Needless to say, back pain is always different from person to person!
Back pain is a particularly difficult problem to treat because it can have so many causes. One common solution is medication, which can help relieve symptoms, but it doesn't help with the underlying source of the problem, which can allow it to become worse (requiring more medication, which leads to a risk of addiction). Other pain management options include injections using local anesthetic, nerve-blocks, or steroids.
At Asheville Non-Surgical Orthopedics, Dr. Pinkston can use methods such as medical acupuncture, osteopathic manipulative treatment, and regenerative medicine to relieve someone's short-term pain and jumpstart their body's natural ability to heal so the problem goes away for good. Each method can be personalized to best suit a patient's goals and body so that results can be felt quickly and be trusted to last.
No matter how long you have been dealing with it or how many other treatments you have tried, there is an answer for your back pain. If you’re eager to try a proven method that doesn’t involve taking medication or undergoing expensive surgery, Dr. Pinkston is excited to show you the benefits of non-surgical orthopedics and regenerative medicine, just like he has for countless other patients. To learn more and schedule a consultation today.
As you can imagine, our practice receives a lot of questions about back pain every single day, and we do our best to answer all of them. You are always welcome to give us a call, and below, you’ll find our responses to some of the most common questions we hear every day.
The answer to this question isn’t as straightforward as you think. There isn’t one “perfect” posture in which the alignment of a person’s spine, neck, and head will prevent the onset of pain. In many cases, a patient’s posture has nothing to do with their back pain, and for others, their problem stems not from how they are sitting, but how long they are sitting in the same position. Sitting or standing, if you remain in the same position for several hours without moving, can lead to back pain, even if your posture is relatively good. This is because the body is designed to move. For most of our back patients, we recommend that they get up and walk around at least once an hour to keep the muscles loose and the circulation flowing properly.
Yes, while our services are specifically designed to help our patients avoid surgery, they can still work wonders for those who have already undergone a procedure. Non-surgical orthopedics and orthobiologic medicine can be used to help someone recover more quickly from surgery, or at least make the recovery process more comfortable. Even if a patient comes to see us years after their surgery, we can still apply our treatments to improve their mobility, stop their pain, and lower the risk of future issues.
The most important thing you can do is make sure you regularly engage in physical activity. Whether this involves exercising, playing sports, or simply going for a walk or jog a few times a week, moving every day is one of the most effective things you can do to keep your body healthy and your back pain-free. If you are overweight, physical activity (along with a balanced diet) can also help you lose excess pounds, which are often a contributing factor to back pain. It’s also important that if you do start to experience pain again, be sure to come see Dr. Pinkston relatively soon. If the pain doesn’t go away on its own, ignoring it can allow the condition to become much worse, meaning it will take longer and be more difficult to treat.
A few things you can do at home include:
