Most back issues last a few weeks and get better with hot and cold packs, stretching, massage, and other DIY remedies. If you have tried everything, even bought a new mattress, but the pain doesn't subside, it is time to see a doctor. Back pain that persists for over six weeks requires urgent medical care to identify the root cause.
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7 Signs Your Back Pain Might Be an Emergency
The Advanced Physicians Team • December 1, 2022
7 Signs Your Back Pain Might Be an Emergency
Many people experience back pain at some point, which gets better with over-the-counter painkillers, exercises, ice, heat, and other home remedies. However, some back problems are severe and warrant a visit to the ER or your primary care physician. Many red-flag signs of back pain relate to the spinal cord, fractures, organ-related damage, or damage to the spinal nerves. The following back pain symptoms necessitate immediate medical help.
1. You Have Injured Your Back
Back pain after a car accident or fall can indicate broken bones or damage to internal organs. You could have a spinal injury if you fell from a significant height, dove into shallow water and hit the bottom, or got tackled while playing sports.
Often, people assume they are fine if they walk away from an accident without glaring issues. However, your injury may have created tears in the ligaments and muscles in the back, and you should see a doctor immediately.
2. Persisting Pain
3. The Pain Keeps You Up at Night
Back pain from a minor injury or overuse reduces with rest, and you should be able to sleep through the night. However, if you can find a comfy spot or the pain worsens at night, you should see a doctor. Back issues that worsen at night indicate a severe problem, such as degenerating disc, spinal tumor, or spinal bone infection.
4. Numbness and Weakness
Back pain accompanying tingling, weakness, and numbness indicates nerve damage that worsens without treatment. If you lift something heavy, you might have a herniated disc, and your doctor conducts a physical exam to determine the location of the slipped disc. Compressed spinal nerves from sciatica, spinal stenosis, and other disorders also cause numbness in your back and legs.
5. Fever
Sometimes, back pain triggers whole-body reactions like fever, chills, and night sweats. An unrelenting fever accompanied by back pain may indicate a kidney infection, spinal column infection, or another life-threatening systemic infection. In this case, go to the ER quickly to receive much-needed urgent care.
6. Sharp and Radiating Pain
Back pain caused by mild conditions manifests as a dull ache that only lasts a few weeks. A sharp pain indicates a problem with an internal organ or torn ligaments or muscles. If the pain radiates to the legs or glutes, you may have a nerve compression condition, and medical attention is necessary.
7. Incontinence
Back pain paired with groin numbness and bladder/bowel incontinence should not be ignored. This pairing may indicate a rare condition called cauda equina syndrome, where compressed nerve roots in the lumbar spine cut off all sensations.
This condition requires surgery within 48 hours to make a full recovery. If you don’t get immediate attention, you may experience long-term incontinence, sexual dysfunction, or paralysis.
Back Pain Treatment at Advanced Physicians
If you have tried everything to ease your back pain with no luck, consider chiropractic care as a drug-free alternative to treating back issues. Chiropractors use hands-on adjustments to treat problems that affect the body's muscles, nerves, joints, and bones.
Advanced Physicians emphasizes patient-driven treatment, which means we customize a treatment plan based on your medical history, medications, diet, exercise, sleep habits, and other factors.
Our chiropractic adjustments relieve back pain caused by various issues, such as degenerative disc, osteoporosis, sciatica, and sacroiliac joint pain. In addition to manual adjustments, your chiropractor may recommend exercises, physical therapy, massage, and nutrition for long-term results.
Contact us today at Advanced Physicians for relief from chronic back pain.
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