Back Pain

Back Pain services offered in San Antonio, TX

Back pain can strike at any age and, for many, turns into a chronic, disabling condition. The experienced physicians at Advanced Spine and Pain Center specialize in comprehensive care for back pain, beginning with conventional medical care and providing a wide range of interventional treatments to effectively ease the pain and restore the quality of life. If you need relief from back pain, call one of the three offices in San Antonio, Texas, or book an appointment online today.

Back Pain Q & A

What causes back pain?

Your lower back is vulnerable to injuries because it bears the weight of your upper body. Back pain may develop when you pull the ligaments and muscles during everyday activities. You may also sustain a sports injury, fall, or auto accident that injures your back.

Degenerative changes also occur as you get older, causing painful conditions such as:

Herniated discs
Facet joint osteoarthritis
Degenerative disc disease
Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)
Slipped vertebrae
Thickened ligaments
Bone spurs
Pinched nerves (radiculopathy)
Compression fractures (due to osteoporosis)

Though less common, failed back surgery also leads to chronic back pain.

What symptoms accompany back pain?

Your back pain may range from a dull ache to a sharp pain that makes it hard to move. If the condition causing your pain pinches a nerve, the pain may shoot down one leg.

Pinched nerves also cause other symptoms, including tingling and burning sensations. In severe cases, a damaged nerve leads to numbness in the extremities and possibly muscle weakness.

How is back pain treated?

Your provider reviews your medical history, learns about your symptoms, and completes a physical exam. They may need to obtain diagnostic imaging like X-rays, an MRI, or a CT scan to identify the underlying cause. Then they develop a personalized treatment plan based on your diagnosis and symptoms.

Your treatment begins with the most appropriate conservative therapies. Your provider may recommend physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxants, and modifying your activities.

If your pain doesn’t improve with conservative treatments, the interventional specialists at Advanced Spine and Pain Center offer a wide range of specialized treatments that target the source of your pain.

Your treatment plan may include:

Epidural steroid injections (to reduce nerve inflammation)
Facet joint injections (to treat arthritis pain)
Spinal cord stimulation (treats all causes of pain by blocking nerve signals)
Radiofrequency ablation (blocks nerve signals by wounding the nerve)
Sacroiliac joint injection (reduces inflammation in the joint connecting your hip and spine)
mild® procedure (to decompress the lower back)
Intracept® (radiofrequency ablation for vertebrogenic pain)
Nerve blocks (to stop pain signals)
VIA Disc™ NP (to restore degenerated discs)
Kyphoplasty (to repair a compression fracture)
Vertiflex™ procedure (to relieve pinched nerves with the Superion™ Indirect Decompression System)