Most of us have had the unpleasant experience of waking up one morning to discover that our back is aching. Maybe when you find yourself suffering from back pain, you try to just power through. Sometimes, though, trying to get through normal activities while your back is hurting can lead to further damage down the road. Here are a few questions that you should ask yourself when you are deciding whether or not you need to look for an orthopedic spine surgeon in Plano.
1. Did you suffer any slips or falls recently?
Maybe you fell on the stairs, picked yourself up, and didn’t think much of it. Unfortunately, falls are one of the most common causes of spinal injuries. If you’re suffering from back pain after slipping or falling, you should seek medical attention.
2. Does the pain get worse when I am sitting or walking for too long?
The location of the pain can tell you a lot about its cause. If the pressure of sitting or walking causes you to suffer, you should check with a doctor to determine what’s wrong.
3. Do you feel any numbness or tingling in your legs?
Numbness and tingling can be a sign of damage to your nerves. It indicates that what you are dealing with is more severe than a simple back ache. If you begin to notice tingling, you should definitely let your doctor know.
Sacroiliac Joint Pain
One common cause of back aches is sacroiliac joint pain. Sacroiliac joint pain occurs when the joint between the hip and the spine is injured or damaged. The sacroiliac joints help stabilize your hips while you are walking. While some sacroiliac injuries may heal on their own, others require treatment for you to make a full recovery.
Sacroiliac joint pain will generally be felt in the lower back. You might feel the pain is coming from your hips or buttocks, since it can be difficult to identify the exact source of an injury. Some patients who have damage to their sacroiliac joint experience pain whenever they are doing an activity that can put pressure on the hips.
What can be done about sacroiliac joint pain?
Sacroiliac joint pain may go away on its own. However, if it becomes chronic, this type of joint pain can have a massively detrimental effect on your quality of life. When it gets to this stage, there are several treatment options you can discuss with your doctor. Joint pain can sometimes be helped by physical therapy or over-the-counter pain medication. Sacroiliac joint injections into the pain site have also been effective in some cases. In some cases, surgery is required to stabilize the joint. This can have a dramatic and rapid effect on a patient’s quality of life.
If you think you might need this treatment, it might be time to seek out a great orthopedic spine surgeon in Plano. You deserve to live a life free of pain.
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