Lower Back Pain

Why do I have lower back pain?

Lower back pain is due to damage affecting the vertebrae that make up the lower half of the spine, the surrounding tissues, or a combination of the two. As well as the lumbar vertebrae, your back contains nerves, muscles, spinal discs, ligaments, and tendons, any of which could suffer an injury or undergo degeneration.

Likely causes of your lower back pain are:

• A fall or other acute injury
• Exceeding your fitness levels when exercising
• Straining too hard or reaching too far
• Poor posture
• Repetitive movements over long periods
• Making sudden, awkward movements
• Not using correct lifting techniques

You may have a condition like a herniated disc that puts pressure on the nerves in the spinal canal, or degenerative disc disease that causes the discs to harden and shrink. You could potentially have arthritis in the vertebrae, the most likely being the wear and tear of osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease. 

To find out what’s causing your lower back pain, visit Atlas Neurosurgery and Spine Center.

What treatments are there for lower back pain?

Once they’ve made a diagnosis of the cause of your lower back pain, the team at Atlas Neurosurgery and Spine Center creates a treatment plan that incorporates the therapeutic approaches most likely to improve your lower back pain. Initial treatments could include:

• Epidural spinal injections
• Stretching and strengthening exercises
• Medications
• Physical therapy

Many patients with lower back pain find a combination of these treatments reduces their pain and restores their mobility. Some patients, however, may need a surgical solution to their lower back pain.

What surgical treatments are there for lower back pain?

If your lower back pain doesn’t improve using conservative treatment approaches, or you have a condition that requires surgery, then your provider at Atlas Neurosurgery and Spine Center goes over surgical options with you. 

Depending on what’s causing your lower back pain, potential surgeries include:

• Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF)
• Balloon kyphoplasty
• Direct lateral interbody fusion (DLIF)
• Lumbar corpectomy and fusion
• Lumbar laminectomy
• Minimally invasive lumbar discectomy
• Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF)
• Posterolateral lumbar fusion
• Spinal fusion
• Spinal decompression
• Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF)

The team at Atlas Neurosurgery and Spine Center has considerable expertise in carrying out spinal surgery using advanced techniques and minimally invasive methods. 

To get help for your lower back problem, call the office today to schedule a consultation or book online.