What Your Back Pain Might Be Telling You

Christopher Taleghani, MD

Luminis Health

Many of us suffer from back pain. It’s one of the most common health problems in the United States. From a steady, dull throbbing to a sharp, sudden pain that radiates down your leg, there’s a wide range of ways you might experience it — and an even wider range of ways it can happen.

It’s important to let a specialist take a closer look, so you can better understand your options and work together to build a treatment plan.

Causes of back pain symptoms

When to see a doctor about your back pain symptoms

• Back pain after a fall or injury
• Fever, which can be a sign of discitis or an epidural abscess
• Numbness and tingling
• Severe back pain that medicine doesn’t help
• Trouble urinating
• Unplanned weight loss
• Weakness

Treatment options

The right treatment depends on the cause of your pain. Your doctor will do a full exam, which may include X-rays and scans, to better pinpoint what’s causing your pain and how best to treat it. An accurate diagnosis is essential as different structural problems can give similar and often overlapping symptoms.

In some cases, you can improve back pain with lifestyle changes, such as staying active to increase strength and balance. You could also work to maintain a healthy body weight to lower stress on your back.

When you may need surgery for back pain

Conservative treatments, including physical therapy, relieve pain in about 80% of cases. If these don’t work, surgery may help. Options range from minimally invasive procedures to open surgery, with sacroiliac (SI) joint fusion effective in about 20% of cases to reduce pain and restore stability.

What is SI fusion?

The SI joint is where the spine and pelvis meet. SI fusion makes the SI joint more stable since it, like any joint, can break down over time or because of an injury. The result is often a painful lower back.

Your neurosurgeon will make a small incision and use an implant system to stabilize and fuse the SI joint to prevent ongoing pain. The procedure is designed to help you recover faster with fewer complications and better outcomes.

SI fusion is a minimally invasive surgery that has a high success rate. After surgery, patients typically recover in about three weeks using a walker or crutch, and most don’t need physical therapy.

Expert care for your back pain