Back pain can be mild, sluggish, upsetting, to persistent, severe or disabling. Back pain can reduce flexibility and affect normal working ability and quality of life. If you have persistent pain, you should always contact your neck and back doctors.
Neck pain occurs in the vicinity of your neck's cervical vertebrae. Your neck is often left unprotected and injured due to its position and range of motion. What are the symptoms to see a back doctor in OKC?
Symptoms
- Dull, burning, or sharp back pain. The pain can be restricted to one point or extend over a wide area.
- Sticking or tingling up or under the arm.
- Rigidity or difficulty that occurs anywhere in the spine (from the neck to the tailbone).
- Sharp, painful shooting from the lower back to the muscle and the toes.
- Consistent ache in the middle or lower part of your back, particularly for a long period of time.
- Loss of control in bladder and stomach, weakness in both arms, signs of a severe condition requiring immediate medical care.
Other Symptoms
- Arm numbness or tingling
- Headaches
- Shoulder pain
- Sharp shooting pains or a dull ache in your neck
Pain suddenly occurring in the back or neck is acute pain due to an injury. Acute pain occurs quickly and can leave chronic back or neck pain sooner. Such pain should not last for more than 6 weeks.
Chronic Pain Causes
Substantial changes in the structure and mechanics of the spine usually cause chronic low back pain.
A lumbar spinal disc is the most common source of chronic back pain, a robust fibrous organ that acts as a ligament between the vertebrae. A backbone can cause pain from:
Lumbar Disc Herniation
Typically, a herniated disc happens when the soft gel-like component inside of a disc spreads or leaks out, irritating neighboring muscles, joints and nerve roots. A herniated disc generally causes sharp, stabbing back pain (sciatica), which is usually more severe than low back pain.
Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
Injuries, wear-tear on the spinal discs are called lumbar degenerative disc disease, which causes chronic low back pains. The condition typically leads to chronic low back pain, which flares up intermittently for a few days or weeks before returning to normal.
Osteoarthritis
Spinal osteoarthritis is a tightness in the facet joints that causes excess friction when the spine is twisted or bent. This friction can lead to bone spells that pinch and cause sciatic pain in the nerve root. Stiffness and tenderness around the joint are other symptoms. In adults over 60 years of age, osteoarthritis is more common.
Spinal Stenosis
A bone spur, herniated disc, or any other irritant can cause leg pain (sciatica) by reducing the spinal cord. While back pain with back stenosis can occur, it is not usually as severe as leg pain from irritation to the root of the nerve. Spinal stenosis in adults over 60 years of age is more common.
Contact Neuroscience Specialists for back doctors in OKC.
**Information presented here is not intended to be qualified medical advice. Nothing expressed herein creates a doctor-patient relationship.