Back Pain Treatment in Madison, WI

If you’re experiencing any degree of spinal pain, seek a definitive diagnosis and effective back pain treatment in Madison, WI to ensure you can stay productive and active. Find back pain relief in Wisconsin at Pro Spine & Pain, your go-to source for cutting-edge back pain management techniques. Schedule an appointment today.

If you’re struggling with back pain, you are not alone. Nearly 9 out of 10 Americans encounter this problem at some point, making it the second most common reason, after upper respiratory infections, for doctor visits. Among those under the age of 40, back pain is the main reason for individuals to miss work days as well as the primary cause of immobility, disabling approximately two percent of the American workforce at any given time.

Your spine acts as the primary conduit for all sensations and movement in your body. The nerves, muscles, ligaments, bones, and cartilage in your back and spine are susceptible to disease and spine injury.

While various conditions can contribute to back pain, it commonly presents as:

• Sciatica: Characterized by pain signals that move along the path of the sciatic nerve, starting from the back and extending through the buttocks to the thigh. These types of pain usually affect only one side of the body.
• Lower back pain: Manifesting as a sudden, sharp pain or a persistent, enduring ache. Acute low back pain typically lasts from a few days to one month, while subacute pain ranges from four to 12 weeks. Chronic pain persists for over three months, with about one in five cases of acute pain developing into chronic pain.
• Upper back pain: Problems in this area are less common than in the lower back, but equally discomforting. It is typically focused on the shoulders and neck
• Middle back pain: Centered around issues with the thoracic spine, mid-back pain may indicate a range of issues, including strain, injury, or poor posture. Occasionally it can also point to a more serious underlying condition. For this reason, it’s essential to have any back pain examined by a specialist for a comprehensive diagnosis.

What Are the Symptoms of Back Pain?

Back pain is a common and often debilitating condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It can arise suddenly or develop gradually, impacting individuals of all ages and lifestyles. Back pain can seriously hinder an individual’s daily activities and can take various forms depending on its location and underlying cause, such as:

• Persistent muscle aches
• Abrupt stabbing sensations
• Intense burning sensations down your leg
• Numbness and tingling extending down your leg
• Pain exacerbated by lifting, leaning, or prolonged standing
• Relief of pain when lying down

If you observe accompanying symptoms and side effects alongside your back pain, it is crucial to seek prompt medical attention, as they can imply more serious conditions.

These symptoms include:

• Loss of bowel or bladder control
• Fever
• Recent injury (including sports injury), fall, or accident

“Pain shouldn’t hold you back. My clinical expertise in various pain management techniques allows me to provide long-term solutions for chronic back pain.” – Dr. Thomas Stauss

What Are the Causes of Back Pain?

Back pain can stem from many different causes, as there are many different types of back pain.

Some of the most common causes seen by doctors and physical therapists include:

• Herniated disc: The discs that cushion and separate vertebral bones can rupture, either due to damage or aging, causing the soft core to leak out and pinch a nerve, resulting in discomfort.
• Back injury: Accidents, falls, overexertion, and athletic strains are common culprits for back injuries.
• Spinal stenosis: With this painful condition, the spinal canal shrinks, compressing the spinal column and creating painful pressure on the spinal cord.
• Osteoarthritis: This is a common problem for older people in which the spine develops bone spurs and loses stability with accompanying stiffness, swelling, and loss of flexibility.
• Soft tissue strain: Repetitive movements at work or play, or sudden exertion leading to a pulled back, can strain or damage spinal ligaments or the muscles that support the back.
• Scoliosis: A congenital malformation of the spine in which the spine curves sideways. In later life, this condition manifests as back pain.
• Osteoporosis: A disease that develops over time as a result of changes in the structure and strength of bones. This degeneration and weakening of bones can eventually lead to spinal compression fractures.
• Post-laminectomy syndrome: Failed back surgery can result in continued or heightened back pain, weakness, numbness and/or tingling, and even impaired blood flow to the spinal cord.
• Spondylolisthesis: This condition involves the slipping of vertebrae, creating pressure on the nearby nerves. This condition can affect any part of the spine but is most commonly found in the lower back.
• Myofascial pain syndrome: Often a chronic condition, characterized by muscle tightness that responds well to physical therapy.
• Sacroiliac joint dysfunction: Damage to the joint connecting the pelvis and spine is a leading cause of lower back pain.

What Are the Risk Factors for Back Pain?

Although back pain can affect people of any age, certain factors can increase the likelihood of experiencing painful symptoms:

• Age: People in their 30s and older are more likely to experience back pain because of the loss of fluid in the intervertebral discs, which causes them to shrink, increasing the load on the intervertebral joints and can lead to arthritis.
• Obesity: Being overweight or obese can increase the incidence of back pain by increasing the load on the joints and discs of the spine.
• Medical conditions: A family history of arthritis or certain types of cancer can increase the risk of back pain.
• Sedentary lifestyle: Lack of regular exercise can lead to stiffness and weakening of the back muscles, causing pain.
• Occupational factors: jobs that require lifting or carrying heavy objects or sitting for long periods with poor posture or inadequate back support can lead to back injuries.
• Smoking: Smoking can increase the risk of spinal degeneration by reducing calcium absorption and restricting blood flow to critical structures in the spine.
• Mental disorders: Anxiety and depression, which are often associated with recurrent pain, can directly contribute to chronic back pain.

Dr. Stauss, our injury specialist, treats each case of back pain individually. He carefully assesses symptoms by examining behavior, posture, lifestyle and family history and uses advanced diagnostic tests. He then develops a non-invasive and effective treatment plan that provides immediate relief and improves quality of life.

Patient Experience

Treatment for Back Pain

If back pain is affecting your quality of life, the expertise of an expert back pain management specialist is essential. With years of experience in chronic back pain treatment, your Pro Spine & Pain doctor will conduct a thorough diagnosis using cutting-edge techniques.

This type of treatment for your problems will give you a personalized program, which may include remedies such as:

• Medications: This includes over-the-counter anti-inflammatories, steroid injections, narcotics, anti-depressants, muscle relaxants, and topical creams.
• Physical therapy: Involve posture improvement, electrical stimulation, strength exercises, use of a heating pad, and flexibility stretches to ease painful conditions.
• Surgery: Reserved for structural issues unresponsive to alternative treatments and considered as a last resort.

“Recent research I participated in explored using neuromodulation for chronic back pain. This is just one example of our commitment to offering the latest advancements in pain management.” – Dr. Thomas Stauss

Facts About Back Pain

• Chronic back pain often doesn’t stem from severe tissue injury. While injury healing typically occurs within 3 months, persistent pain suggests other influences. These might include episodes of stress, tension, fatigue, or lack of activity..
• Poor posture isn’t necessarily the culprit of back pain. ESitting, standing, and bending in certain ways, even if uncomfortable, don’t necessarily cause damage. Maintaining a variety of postures is healthy for your back. Relaxing your back during everyday activities like sitting, bending, and lifting is generally safe.
• Injections, surgery, and strong opioids may not be the answer for long-term relief. Studies have shown that these interventions often lack long-term effectiveness for chronic low back pain. Additionally, they carry potential risks and side effects.
• Stress, low mood, and anxiety can significantly impact back pain. Changes in life stress, mood, or anxiety levels can trigger or worsen back pain. Similar to how these factors affect other conditions like cold sores, irritable bowel syndrome, and fatigue, they play a major role in back pain. Therefore, managing stress, mood, and anxiety through activities you enjoy and relaxation techniques can be highly beneficial in managing back pain.

References:

1. https://www.cddft.nhs.uk/media/795662/back%20pain.pdf
2. https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Back-facts.pdf
3. https://www.sfh-tr.nhs.uk/media/11061/15-things-you-didnt-know-about-back-pain-may-2020.pdf

Back Pain Specialist Near Me: Evaluate, Diagnose, and Treat the Underlying Cause of Your Persistent and Debilitating Symptoms at Pro Spine & Pain

Whether you’re experiencing lower back pain and dysfunction due to reduced physical activity or an acute injury, consider consulting a team of compassionate and experienced interventional pain management specialists. These professionals offer a comprehensive range of solutions, including injection-based treatments and minimally invasive surgeries, to effectively address lumbar spine disorders involving bones, ligaments, discs, deformities, nerves, and the spinal cord.

How to Find a Back Pain Specialist in Your Area

If you’re looking for back pain treatment nearby, here are a few tips:

• Reach out to friends and family for recommendations.
• Search online for “back pain specialist near me,” “back pain treatment near me,” and “back pain relief near me.”
• Read reviews of local interventional pain management physicians online and schedule consultations to get to know their practice.

At Pro Spine & Pain, our knowledgeable and experienced team specializes in pain management. We take a hands-on approach to rehabilitation, guiding you through back pain treatment using physical therapy, conservative options, minimally invasive surgical procedures to stabilize vertebral bones and spinal joints, and injection-based therapies like nerve blocks, epidural steroid injections, and nerve ablation. Our board-certified specialists are committed to providing world-class spine care, helping you achieve pain relief, regain function, and enhance your quality of life.

If you’ve had enough of discomfort and aches, seek back pain management necessary to get back to your normal day-to-day life. Get in touch with our specialist doctors who are the leading pack in back pain treatments in Wisconsin. Our Pro Spine & Pain experts are available at five convenient locations.