Back Pain Treatment

Back pain is a common complaint among individuals of different age groups. Since the back is one of the main structures of your body, timely and effective back pain treatment is crucial to ensure pain relief and management. If left untreated, some causes of back pain can further aggravate the situation resulting in more pain and will require a more aggressive treatment plan.

Read along further to find out about the symptoms and causes of back pain, its diagnosis, how to relieve back pain quickly, and back pain treatment options in Singapore.

Symptoms Of Back Pain

Back pain can manifest in the following forms:

• Pain that comes and goes.
• Increased pain while bending or lifting things.
• Increased pain while standing, sitting, or resting.
• Back pain and stiffness when you wake up in the morning. Pain tends to reduce as the day goes on.
• Back pain that radiates to the hips and/or one or both the legs.
• Back pain accompanied by numbness or weakness in the legs or arms.

Causes Of Back Pain

There are a few common causes of back pain, including the following:

• Muscle or ligament strain: Repeated heavy lifting, sudden awkward movements, or sports injuries can strain muscles and spinal ligaments. This is a common cause of short-term back pain.
• Bulging or ruptured discs: Discs act as cushions between the bones (vertebrae) in your spine. This soft material inside a disc can bulge or rupture and press on a nerve, resulting in pain, numbness, or weakness.
• Arthritis: Arthritis in your spine can cause a narrowing of the space around the spinal cord (a condition called spinal stenosis) that can affect your lower back.
• Skeletal irregularities: Common issues like scoliosis (the curving of the spine to one side) or kyphoscoliosis (forward bending of the upper spin) can cause back pain.
• Osteoporosis: In advanced cases of osteoporosis, you might get bone fractures, collapsed vertebrae, and herniated discs.
• Stress: Both physical and emotional stress can cause your back muscles to tighten and cause spasms.
• Poor posture
• Fibromyalgia
• Spine infections

In some cases, back pain can be a side effect of pregnancy, kidney stones, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, and tumours that press on the spinal cord. Pinpointing the exact cause requires an exam by a doctor. If your back pain doesn’t improve with rest after a few days, it is crucial to go to the doctor.

What Causes Back Pain in Women?

For women, back pain can have a variety of different causes, such as:

• Postural issues from large breasts
• Osteoporosis leading to thoracic fractures
• Fibrocystic breast disease
• Perimenopause and menopause affecting spine health
• Oestrogen-influencing ligament laxity
• Strained muscles from poor posture
• Weak back muscles during pregnancy
• Bulging discs from pregnancy weight and strain
• Postpartum ligament laxity
• Perimenopause affecting spine disc
• Spinal stenosis which is more common in older women
• Vertebral fractures from low oestrogen after menopause
• Kidney and reproductive health issues like cysts, fibroids, and endometriosis.

Treatment for back pain in women that is specific to reproductive health involves resolving the underlying gynaecological issues so that back pain can also be relieved. For structural problems that are causing back pain, treatment is similar for men and women.

Different Kinds of Back Pain

When you visit Dr James Tan for low back pain treatment, he would first want to diagnose the underlying cause of back pain and determine its type. Back pain, based on its duration from the time of onset, can be categorised into two types:

• Acute back pain: This is defined as short-term pain that has lasted less than three months. This kind of sudden back pain is often caused by injuries such as muscle strains.
• Chronic back pain: When the back pain has persisted for more than three months, it is often related to an underlying condition like arthritis or herniated discs and is referred to as chronic back pain.

Along with looking at the duration of pain, your doctor will also want to pinpoint the particular location of your pain.

• Lower back pain: This is the most common back pain location and is often caused by issues in your lumbar spine (lower back) like muscular strain, spinal stenosis, or slipped discs.
• Upper back pain: Less common than lower back pain, often caused by poor posture or osteoarthritis in the thoracic spine.
• Middle back pain: Typically caused by strained muscles or inflamed tendons around the ribcage area.

Importance Of Accurate Diagnosis of Back Pain

Accurate diagnosis of back pain is crucial for effective treatment and long-term recovery. Back pain can arise from various causes, such as muscle strain, herniated discs, arthritis, or even underlying conditions like osteoporosis or nerve damage. Without a proper diagnosis, treatments may address symptoms rather than the root cause, potentially leading to prolonged discomfort or worsening of the condition.

Diagnostic tools in Singapore, such as X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans, provide detailed insights into the spine's structure and any abnormalities, enabling healthcare professionals to tailor treatment plans. Accurate diagnosis not only ensures targeted and effective interventions but also minimises the risk of unnecessary procedures, fostering faster recovery and improved quality of life.

Once the cause of back pain has been identified, our specialist Dr Tan will create a personalised treatment plan based on your specific condition and needs.