Are you experiencing pain in your back? You are not alone. Nearly 65 millions Americans experience back pain with 16 million experience chronic back pain. According to the Health Policy Institute at Georgetown University, back pain continues to be one of the top causes of disabilities in the world. There are certain signs to watch out for that may indicate a serious condition.
Pain in addition numbness or tingling. The feeling of numbness with severe pain in the limbs may indicate spinal cord compression which can develop quickly or slowly. This could be a result of compression to the nerves. The sooner you receive treatment, the greater the odds of avoiding serious loss of function.
Pain radiating through the back of the leg. Radiating pain may indicate one of the symptoms associated with a condition called sciatica which happens when the sciatic nerve becomes inflamed. The sciatic nerve branches from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down each leg. The pain can be significant due to the size of the sciatic nerve, which is the largest and longest nerve in the human body, originating at the base of the spine and running down the back of each leg into the foot.
Pain when coughing or bending. A herniated disc, the cushions between the bones in your spine, may be responsible for causing pain when coughing or bending. A herniated disc occurs when the soft center of a spinal disc pushes through a crack in the tougher exterior casing. When this occurs, nearby nerves can be irritated causing pain with certain activity. Coughing, sneezing, bending, and even sitting can cause an increase in pain as those actions can put pressure on the nerves.
By utilizing groundbreaking ultrasonic minimally invasive spine surgery techniques, our team is able to treat cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine conditions including cervical disc herniation, ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament, spondylolisthesis, and more. For more information, to schedule a patient consultation, or second opinion MRI review, please call 954-567-1332 or use the Image Review option.