Jennifer Kelly
Back Pain Specialist
Most likely you’ve experienced some kind of back pain throughout your life. According to the Global Burden of Disease, pain in the lower back is the most common cause of disability all around the world. And nearly 50% of working U.S. citizens experience back pain annually. While sometimes it may seem like a minor inconvenience, there are times when back pain shouldn’t be neglected. But what are the signs that you should visit a back pain specialist?
Keep on reading to find out more about the most common reasons to schedule an appointment with a specialist for your back pain.
1. Chronic pain
Few categories can help you understand whether your back pain is chronic or not. Acute pain is a short-term problem, meaning it lasts for several days or weeks. Its cause will typically subside, making it unnecessary to relieve your pain. If your back aches for more than a month, it may be considered a subacute. Subacute pain persists for not more than 12 weeks. Most culprits of such pain can be fixed with conservative treatment.
After that, there’s chronic pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks and continues even after its culprit is treated. About 20% of Americans suffer from this kind of back pain annually. If you’re dealing with this sort of chronic back pain, the best thing you can do is to book an appointment with a back pain specialist.
If you can go an hour without visiting a restroom or spend lots of time sitting on the toilet, then it’s time to consult a specialist. Problems that commonly affect the bladder, bowel, and back include nerve damage and irritable bowel syndrome. The last one can result in abdominal cramping and abnormal stool, meaning your feces are extremely hard or small. This can cause lower back problems. In the same way, damaged nerves in your back can result in abdominal pain and digestion problems.
Discomfort or loss of sensation in your legs or feet followed by back pain is a major reason to visit a doctor. Pressured nerves in your spine can cause the muscles in your legs, hips, and feet to become weak. In some cases, a bulging disc may be putting pressure on your sciatic nerve, which plays a role in leg muscle control. Cervical radiculopathy may also be the cause. It develops when a nerve root in your neck gets pinched, causing pain or loss of sensation in your limbs. In most cases, these problems may be treated with physical therapy and medications. But surgery may be necessary in some cases.
After working out for a long period you’ve finally started losing those extra pounds, but your back is aching severely. It may seem strange, but this may be due to your weight loss. While decreasing the intake of calories, you may have unintentionally deprived your body of essential vitamins and nutrients. This may have caused your bones to lose their volume and density, resulting in spinal misalignment. In most cases, eating a more balanced diet and strengthening your muscles may help. However, if it fails to provide results and you’re experiencing severe discomfort, consult a back pain specialist.
Sudden and unexplained weight loss is another problem entirely. You may be happy to lose the excess weight, but if it’s decreasing without you even trying, it may be a sign of cancer. As a cancerous tumor grows, it presses on your organs and other parts of the body, causing pain. If you’ve suddenly lost a large amount of weight and experience persistent pain in your back, see a doctor ASAP.
