Chronic back pain is typically related to age, however, it can also occur after a prior injury. Some of the most common causes include spinal stenosis, arthritis of the spine, disc issues, such as a herniated disc or a bulging disc, or due to myofascial pain syndrome, which is unexplained muscle pain and tenderness.

There are also cases, where it is difficult to tell what the cause of the chronic back pain is. In cases where your doctor has already searched for a reason behind the pain, it is recommended to ask for a second opinion from a back pain specialist at Texas Pain Institute. It is very important that the decisions that are made are not rushed. In cases where the pain is unknown or cannot be treated, it is recommended to speak to your doctor about the possibility of reducing flare-ups or finding nonsurgical treatments that can make the pain more tolerable.

There are different options for nonsurgical treatments.

Physical therapy is one way that is known to help many patients. At the same time, it is recommended to exercise, as this can also help to manage symptoms and improve chronic back pain. In general, physical therapy for chronic back pain includes retraining the posture, testing the limit of pain tolerance, aerobic exercises, stretching exercises, flexibility exercises, or core strengthening.

Mindfulness and meditation. Chronic back pain is something that puts a strain on both the physical and mental state. It can lead to frustration, depression, and irritability, which can be managed with the help of yoga, tai chi, meditation, and other relaxation techniques.

Diet. There are diets that are known to be highly inflammatory, especially diets that are high in trans fats, processed foods, and refined sugars. It is important that you speak to your back pain doctor about whether it might be your diet that is increasing chronic back pain. It is important that you maintain a healthy weight, as this can reduce the pressure that is being put on the spine and therefore the pain that you experience.

Listen to your body. When you suffer from chronic pain it is important to adapt, by listening to your body and pacing yourself. It is important that you don’t overdo it, such as when mowing the lawn or when going to get groceries. There are many activities that can worsen your pain and it can help to avoid such activities.

Injection-based treatments. There are also many injection-based treatments, such as nerve blocks, epidural steroid injections, nerve ablation, and other types of procedures, which can help chronic back patients.

Alternative treatments. Alternative treatments, such as acupuncture, biofeedback therapy, laser therapy, massages, or electrical nerve stimulation can make a big difference for chronic back pain patients. Our back pain specialists can help you to decide whether alternative treatments can benefit you as well.

Medications. Other ways in which chronic back pain can be treated are with the use of analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, and other types of medications. However, such medications can also lead to side effects and are in most cases not intended for long-time use. In general, such treatment options shouldn’t be seen as a long-term solution for treating chronic back pain. There are many medications that are addictive and don’t even treat the underlying condition, but rather help to deal with the symptoms.

Stem cell therapy. In the stem cell procedure, facet joint syndrome was targeted, which is in common cases the reason behind lower back pain. There are however also many other types of factors that can lead to back pain, such as inflammation and cancerous tumors. A physician can best provide the most accurate assessment possible. There are different things that can lead to back pain and there are also many cases where the reason is not known at all. Those who suffer from back pain do their best to find ways out, in which they can treat their condition. When it comes to stem cells, it is also important to know that there are still not enough studies, before being able to determine whether it really is an effective way of treating back pain. Clinical trial studies so far used cells, which were injected into the space that is found between the bones. This was able to help with the pain and inflammation that is connected to facet joint syndrome. This is also something that is believed to lead to an approved therapy, as there are a concept and a clinical trial that show that it does work. However, it is still unknown whether this approach will also work for other types of back pain.