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Low Back Pain

offered in Scottsdale, Mesa and Phoenix, AZ

Low Back Pain

Your lower back is especially vulnerable to injury and age-related deterioration that results in pain. If you have low back pain, visit Nikesh Seth, MD, and the Integrated Pain Consultants team at their offices in Scottsdale, Mesa, and Phoenix, Arizona. You’ll get expert diagnosis and treatment for your condition. Call your nearest Integrated Pain Consultants office for a prompt back pain evaluation, or book an appointment online today.

Low Back Pain Q & A

Why do I have low back pain?

Lower back pain is a widespread problem with many causes. Common causes include:

Lumbar degenerative disc disease

Spinal discs between the vertebrae act as shock absorbers and allow the spinal joints to move easily. Lumbar degenerative disc disease causes radiating pain triggered by damaged discs in the lower (lumbar) spine.

Lumbar radicular pain

Commonly called sciatica, this condition causes pain that radiates from the lower back into the leg. Lumbar spinal stenosis (spinal canal narrowing in your lower back) is the primary cause. It usually happens when tissue, bone, or both grow in the spinal bone openings, which can squeeze and irritate the nerves branching from your spinal cord.

Facet joint arthritis

Facet joint arthritis is a common cause of back pain. It occurs when the facet joints that link your vertebrae degenerate, causing pain in the back that doesn’t radiate down the legs.

Compression fractures

Compression fractures are breaks in the vertebrae caused by osteoporosis (weakened bones in older age), trauma, or certain types of cancer. They often stabilize after about three months, but for some people, compression fracture pain is intolerable without treatment.

Bulging discs

A bulging disc develops when the inner liquid-like nucleus balloons outward at a weak point in the disc’s hard outer casing. The bulge protrudes into the spinal canal and may press on the nerves. Discs can also herniate, where the outer shell tears and the liquid center leaks into the spinal canal.

How is low back pain diagnosed?

To determine the cause of low back pain, your Integrated Pain Consultants provider completes a physical exam and reviews your medical history.

You might need to undergo an X-ray, CT, or MRI scan to confirm a diagnosis and assess the damage in more detail. These procedures enable your provider to create a comprehensive low back pain treatment plan.

What treatments help me overcome low back pain?

Examples of the many low back pain treatments available at Integrated Pain Consultants include:

  • Physical therapy
  • Medication management
  • Suboxone therapy
  • Chiropractic care
  • Manipulation under anesthesia
  • Epidural steroid injections
  • Medial branch nerve blocks
  • Facet joint steroid injections
  • Ketamine infusions
  • Radiofrequency ablation
  • Spinal cord stimulation (SCS)
  • Kyphoplasty for vertebral compression fractures

The approaches your provider includes in your treatment plan vary depending on why you have low back pain and how significantly it affects you.

Call Integrated Pain Consultants to schedule a low back pain consultation, or book an appointment online today.