Back Pain Specialist
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Healthy Life Family Medicine
Family Medicine Clinic located in Goodyear, AZ
If you live with back pain, you’re not alone — around 80% of American adults have back pain at some point during their lives. John Monroe, MD, and his team at Healthy Life Family Medicine in Goodyear, Arizona, offer personalized treatment plans to relieve your back pain and restore your quality of life. Call Healthy Life Family Medicine today or make an appointment online for expert treatment for back pain.
Back Pain Q & A
What are the common causes of back pain?
Back pain is a prevalent health problem but varies significantly among patients. You might have a constant dull ache or intermittent shooting pains. Your pain might be worse when you’re still, or movement might make it worse.
Some of the common causes of back pain include:
- Muscle strains
- Ligament sprains
- Herniated discs
- Arthritis
- Spinal stenosis
- Osteoporosis
- Compression fractures
Your risk of back pain increases with age. Additionally, if you’re overweight or lead a sedentary lifestyle, you have a higher chance of developing back pain.
What is sciatica?
Many people assume that sciatica is another name for low back pain. It’s actually the name for a group of symptoms caused by compression of your sciatic nerve. In addition to low back pain, sciatica symptoms include pain or electrical sensations in your hips, buttocks, and legs, numbness, weakness, and balance problems.
A herniated disc often causes sciatica in your lower spine. However, bone spurs, inflammation, and musculoskeletal imbalances can also compress your sciatic nerve.
When should I talk to a doctor about back pain?
If you have back pain, you should try to rest and treat it at home with ice, heat, and over-the-counter pain medicine. If your pain doesn’t get better in a few days or if it gets worse, call Healthy Life Family Medicine. But if your back pain interferes with your ability to move, make an appointment right away.
How is back pain treated?
The team at Healthy Life Family Medicine provides customized treatment plans to reduce or eliminate your back pain. Your doctor begins with a thorough exam, which might include X-rays, bone scans, or MRI scans, to assess your pain and identify its cause.
Then, your doctor creates your treatment program, which might combine different therapies to give you the best chance of relief. Recommendations might include:
- Muscle relaxant medication
- Topical pain relievers
- Corticosteroid injections
- Physical therapy
- Massage
Your doctor might also recommend that you add exercise into your daily routine or lose weight.
If you have back pain that’s interfering with your life, call Healthy Life Family Medicine or make an appointment online today.
