From a constant ache to an intense stabbing sensation, lumbar or lower back pain can make driving, walking, and even sitting unbearable. However, you don’t have to resort to lumbar surgery, At Garden State Pain & Orthopedics, our team of pain relief experts has helped countless patients regain the bounce in their step with a variety of surgery-free treatment options. If lower back pain is negatively impacting your life, call for more information, or book an appointment online at one of our convenient locations in Edison, Clifton, Hazlet, Paramus, or Jersey City, New Jersey.
Lower back pain is among the leading ailments of both men and women in the United States, and the likelihood of developing it increases with age. About 80 percent of adults experience low back pain at some time in their lives, while 20 percent have chronic symptom, persisting for a year or longer.
The lowest two lumbar vertebrae bear most of the weight, so they’re more susceptible to degeneration and injury. Pain in your lower spine is most often the result of:
First, the doctor diagnoses the cause of your pain by taking a medical history and conducting a physical examination. Based on the results, a personalized pain-relief plan is created. Among the possible treatment modalities that may be used are:
There are a variety of possible injections that may be recommended. All are administered with the guidance of a live X-ray called fluoroscopy. The type of injection is dependant on the source and severity of your pain. They include:
This is a minimally-invasive procedure. Your doctor uses X-ray images to guide the placement of a very thin tube into the herniated lumbar disc. A special radiofrequency device inserted through the tube emits radio waves that dissolve a small portion of the herniated disc, effectively decompressing the disc and taking pressure away from the nerve.
If your lower back pain is caused by facet joints in your lumbar spine, you may be a candidate for an endoscopic lumbar rhizotomy. This is a minimally-invasive procedure that uses an endoscope, which is a slender, tubular medical instrument.
Your doctor at Garden State Pain & Orthopedics inserts the endoscope through a very small incision, using fluoroscopic X-ray to guide the endoscope to the targeted area of your spine. A camera in the endoscope provides a close-up view of the facet joint and its nerves. Once the nerves are visualized, the nerve can be cut or cauterized to stop pain signals from traveling to your brain. As a result, you no longer feel pain.