Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

One aspect of spine care that we preach frequently is that you need to proactively treat an issue soon after it develops. If you put off treatment or keep going about your day as if nothing is wrong, a number of different issues can develop. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at five potential complications associated with untreated spine pain.

The Problem With Avoiding Back Pain Treatment

We understand that you may not want to take time out of your day to consult with a spine specialist or do your physical therapy exercises, but these short-term obligations will help ensure that you don’t run into these five problems down the road.

1. Chronic Pain – Unless it is a very minor injury, it’s unusual for a back injury to completely resolve on its own without targeted treatment. While pain may decrease, there’s a decent chance that you’ll be left with some discomfort because the injury never fully healed or restrengthened. Chronic, dull pain is incredibly common in patients who don’t proactively treat a back injury.
2. Worsening Pain – Another issue that patients may run into if they try to grit their teeth and push through back discomfort is worsening pain. If you continue to stress and strain your spine while it is in a weakened state, injuries and symptoms can become more severe. Don’t put off treatment until symptoms get so bad that you can’t bear it, because odds are your symptoms will slowly worsen if you don’t do anything to help your spine recover after an injury.
3. Treatment Difficulties – With any health issue, it’s much easier to treat a problem in its infancy. If you put off treatment and the problem worsens, you may find that more hands-on care is required. What was once treatable through conservative means may now require a surgical procedure to correct. It gets harder to fully treat a spine issue when the problem is ignored and allowed to worsen.
4. Mentally Draining – Prolonged back discomfort due to inadequate treatment isn’t just a physical issue, it can also be extremely taxing on your mental and emotional health. You may find that you are more irritable or moody because your back discomfort is ever-present, and that’s no way to go through life. There is a significant connection between chronic pain and worsening mental health, so treat your back pain for your body and for your mind.
5. Decreased Quality Of Life/Independence – Finally, untreated back pain can lead to a significant decrease in your quality of life and make you less independent in life. You may shy away from activities you once loved or find yourself unable to perform certain tasks due to your back discomfort. Instead of losing your independence because of your back pain, confront the issue head on with treatment and maintain a high quality of life. Need help with this process? Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute can help!

For more information on the importance of treating new back pain, or for help overcoming spinal discomfort, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.

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