Treating Your Spinal Pain
Your provider will follow a treatment program to help relieve your spinal pain.
Most spinal pain comes from back and neck injury.
There are three phases to treatment:
- Phase 1: Your provider will recommend self-care you can do at home. The goal - to return to normal activity as soon as possible.
- Phase II: Conservative care options: medication, physical therapy, chiropractic care or massage therapy. Your provider may prescribe medication and physical therapy. The goals - to return to normal activity before inactivity blocks your recovery; to provide pain relief to allow for activity.
- Phase III: Your provider may prescribe intense rehabilitation. The goal - to restore lost functions (strength, movement and endurance) and return to normal activity.
Most back and neck injuries heal completely in a matter of weeks - just like a
sprained ankle. With a little time, you should be able to return to all your normal
activities. The following information will help you understand what to expect
over the next several weeks.
Why Are You in Pain?
In most cases, your provider will not be able to pinpoint the precise source of
your pain. This is true even if he or she knows about a specific event that brought
it on, such as a fall or a car accident. There are too many pain-sensitive parts
in the spine to pinpoint a specific one. Spinal pain is often not the
result of a specific event. It is the end result of years of smaller injuries
to your spine. These may include minor sprains and strains, poor posture and stressful
living or working conditions.
Sometimes spinal pain is not a medical problem but instead is caused by a lack
of physical fitness. Studies indicate that those who have the
strongest and most flexible spines suffer fewer injuries.
What Can be Done to Stop the Pain?
Your provider will begin with Phase I of the treatment program.
Phase I
Your provider will examine you, discuss the results and recommend self-care activities,
which may include:
- Taking over-the-counter anti-inflamatory medicines. These include ibuprofen, aspirin or naproxen. If you can't tolerate these, try acetaminophen (Tylenol).
- Applying cold packs for the first 72 hours after your injury to help reduce
pain and swelling.
-Avoid applying heat during this time. It may increase swelling and pain, delaying healing. - Applying either heat or cold after the first 72 hours.
-Limit your use of heat or cold to 20 to 30 minutes at a time, with 20 to 30 minutes between applications.
-Avoid sleeping with heating pads it's easy to bum your skin with these. - Beginning home exercises for stretching.
- Being as active as possible without increasing your pain. Studies indicate
that people who return to their normal activities as soon as possible recover
the fastest.
-Even if your pain is severe, staying in bed for more than two days can do more harm than good.
-Your recovery may be faster and more complete if you walk, do as many normal activities as possible and do the gentle exercises your provider prescribes.
Why Won't Your Provider Order X-rays, MRI or CT Scan During Phase I?
Your provider's clinical exam will uncover any "red flags" that may
indicate serious conditions. These include disc herniations, degenerative arthritis,
tumors or other structural problems. If these are not present, then there is usually
no reason to order imaging tests. The tests do not help with treatment and have
been overused in the past.
When to Call Your Provider During Phase 1:
If you have any of the following, call your provider or urgent
care specialist right away.
- Loss of bowel or bladder control.
- Severe or progressing numbness, tingling, pain or weakness in an arm or leg.
- Severe nighttime pain or pain that gets worse when you lie down.
- A recent fever, chills or unexplained weight loss.
- Any loss of feeling in the anal or genital area.
If you don't improve after one to two weeks of self-care, call or see your provider
to determine if you need to go to Phase 11.
Phase II
Your provider may order the following for you:
- Stronger medications. Narcotics (pain medications) are rarely used.
- Physical therapy.
- Chiropractic care.
- Massage Therapy.
During visits you:
- Will be educated about proper posture, lifting, body mechanics and spinal anatomy.
- Will learn how to regain functions lost to spinal pain.
- Will receive an exercise program designed just for you. It will help you care for yourself. You may learn how to decrease stress, improve posture or reduce workloads.
- May receive treatments such as ultrasound, spinal manipulation, electro therapy or massage with manual therapy
Phase II treatments relieve spinal pain for most people. If your pain is not relieved,
your provider may refer you to Phase III.
Phase III
If your pain is not relieved after six weeks of treatments, it is considered to
be chronic pain (long term) instead of acute pain. Your provider may:
- Refer you to an intense rehabilitation program for specific spine strengthening.
Your provider can provide more information about intensive rehabilitation recovery.
How Can You Keep Spinal Pain From Returning?
There are many steps you can take on your own:
- Exercise regularly. It is surprising how little it takes to reduce the chance of spinal pain coming back.
- Use good posture.
- Take special care when lifting use good form and procedures.
- Avoid long periods in any one position.
- Get enough rest.
- Maintain recommended body weight.
- Manage stress. Uncontrolled stress at work or home can contribute to spinal pain.
- Don't smoke. Smoking has been linked directly to the occurrence of spinal pain. It also interferes with healing.