The lower back is a well-engineered structure of muscles, ligaments, nerves, joints, and bones that work together to provide strength, flexibility, and support. But, because of its complex structure, the lower back is susceptible to pain and injury.
The National Institute of Health records that 80% of Americans will suffer from back pain at some point in life. Unfortunately, looking for a solution is a frustrating process laden with highs and lows of relief and sudden discomfort affecting the range of motion and general mobility.
The pain experienced is split into two: acute pain lasting between several days to four weeks and chronic pain lasting more than three months. Fortunately, many surgical and non-surgical options exist to treat lower back pain.
At Eastshore Healthcare, we focus on regenerative medicine to address the root cause of your lower back pain. Contact us for an initial consultation and guidance on how nonsurgical treatments can help ease your pain symptoms.
Symptoms of Lower Back Pain
The symptoms of lower back pain vary depending on the underlying cause. But generally, if you experience the following, you should seek medical advice for an accurate diagnosis.
- Stiff neck and an overall reduced range of motion
- A tight spot or knot in the back muscle
- Loss of coordination and balance
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Muscle weakness
- Tingling or numbness in your limbs, often on both sides of your body
- Swelling
- A stiff lower back
- Pain in the chest, arm, or shoulder
- Numbness or weakness in the foot or leg
Causes of Lower Back Pain
Back pain can sometimes develop without the causes that appear in imaging studies or tests. Common conditions that cause lower back pain include:
- Ligament or muscle strain—Strenuous activities such as lifting heavy items repeatedly or sudden awkward movements can strain muscles and ligaments. If you’re not fit, constant back muscle strain can lead to painful muscle spasms.
- Ruptured or bulging disks – The disk is a cushion between the bones in your spine. The nucleus pulposus (a jelly-like substance) inside the disk can rupture or bulge, putting pressure on a spinal nerve.
- Arthritis – Arthritis in the lower back can result in the spinal cord narrowing, also known as spinal stenosis.
- Osteoporosis – Painful brakes can form on the vertebrae, causing the bones to become porous and highly brittle.
- Axial spondylarthritis – It’s an inflammatory disease that causes the bones in your spine to fuse, making the spine less flexible.
Benefits of Regenerative Medicine for Lower Back Pain
Regenerative medicine harnesses the human body’s healing properties to restore function to damaged or weakened tissues or organs. The procedure mainly involves using PRP therapy and stem cell therapy to restore damaged joints or tissues.
At Eastshore Healthcare, we’ve found use for regenerative medicine in treating joints and lower back pain. Some of the benefits of using regenerative medicine over surgical procedures include:
Natural Repair of Damaged Tissues
Regenerative medicine focuses on amplifying the body’s ability to heal itself naturally. The healing process is triggered using body materials like platelets and stem cells. For example, PRP therapy uses shots of 8x concentrated platelets from the blood to trigger healing by stimulating the growth factors. As such, the healing is safe, effective, and natural, with almost no risk of rejection or adverse effects.
Reduces Inflammation
The main cause of lower back pain is inflammation of the lumbar regions. Regular therapies rely on anti-inflammatories to manage the symptoms without fixing the real cause, which results in short-lived effects. Regenerative medicine introduces healing factors that help the body fight inflammation and reduce pain.
Avoid the Risks of Surgery
There are surgical options to treat lower back pain, but they come with a host of complications and risks. Nerve damage can cause serious pain and, for some people, paralysis or weakness. Moreover, you’ll need time to heal, and the incision sites are susceptible to opportunistic infections.
Since regenerative medicine consists of noninvasive treatments, little downtime and minimal risk are involved.
Non-Surgical Procedures for Lower Back Pain
Some top non-surgical treatments for lower back pain fall under the regenerative medicine category. Alternative Treatments include:
Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cells are human cells that can differentiate into any cell type. Generally, stem cell therapy uses mesenchymal stem cells because they can self-renew. Aside from repairing and renewing damaged tissues, stem cell shots accelerate growth factors and reduce inflammation and pain in the lower back.
PRP Therapy
Platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) is effective for easing lower back pain. PRP harnesses the power of platelets to ease the pain. PRP shots are simply platelet concentrate derived from the blood.
The platelets are directly injected into the target area in the back and stimulate natural growth factors to improve healing. PRP therapy for your back pain will take half an hour and is effective and safe.
Other non-surgical low back pain treatment options include:
- Radiofrequency ablation – This innovative procedure leverages electric current to numb the nerves and prevent them from sending pain signals to the brain stem. It’s a minimally invasive treatment that lasts 30 – 45 minutes. It’s effective and has a fast recovery.
- Trigger point injection – Direct medication shots are made into focal points associated with the pain. These points may be centers of spasms, tension, and inflammation. The medicine directly targets these spots to relieve pain fast with minimal risk.
- Interventional spinal injection – These shots are designed to improve support and strength to the lower back by delivering medications like anti-inflammatories and steroids. These injections are often paired with other procedures to optimize healing and faster recovery.
- Physical therapy – Exercise is a good option for lower back pain, but it should be done under the guidance of a physician. Different types of exercises work for different people depending on their condition and symptoms. Some physical therapy for your lower back pain includes aerobic exercises, testing limits for pain tolerance, restraining posture, and core strengthening exercises.
- Diet – Diets rich in trans-fats, processed foods, and refined sugars are inflammatory. You should consult a health expert to determine how your diet contributes to your back pain and the alterations you can make.
Contact Eastshore Healthcare
Lower back pain should not interfere with your quality of life. If the pain persists after taking over-the-counter medications, you should contact us. At Eastshore Healthcare, we specialize in regenerative medicine and have had success treating muscle spasms, disk degeneration, osteoarthritis, sciatica, strain, and herniated discs.
Contact us or call (717)652-5550 for an initial consultation and to determine the best pain treatments based on your symptoms and the cause of your lower back pain.