Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

One minute you’re moving some boxes in the garage, the next you’re in extreme pain because you herniated a disc in your spine. Others may wake up one day to find that their mild sciatica pain has suddenly progressed to the point where normal movement is incredibly difficult and increasingly painful. When back pain is extremely debilitating, what are your treatment options? In today’s blog, we explore how intense and debilitating back pain can be effectively treated with the help of a spine specialist like Dr. Sinicropi.

Working To Overcome Extreme Back Pain

For the sake of this blog, we’re going to focus on extreme back pain that isn’t the result of a major acute trauma. If you fall off a ladder and break your neck, you’ll be in need of emergent medical care. In this blog, we’re focusing on less life threatening injuries, like herniated discs, pinched nerves or whiplash symptoms. These injuries can still be quite severe, but they aren’t an immediate threat to your life. Here’s how a doctor can help with these injuries that are causing extreme pain and dysfunction.

• Short-Term Rest – Most doctors will recommend that you take it easy in the short-term, even though they suspect that rest alone will not cure you of your debilitating pain. Odds are your symptoms will lessen while you’re resting, but it’s not going to eliminate the underlying cause of pain. Rest can help to prevent further damage and worsening symptoms while your doctors chart the right path forward.
• Physical Therapy – There’s a good chance that physical therapy will be part of your total recovery program at some point, even if you don’t lead with the treatment technique. PT helps to stabilize structures, strengthen key soft tissues and improve mobility so that it’s less likely that areas are irritated during certain movements, all of which will help to keep symptoms at bay and address the root cause of your discomfort. Expect to engage in a physical therapy program at some point.
• Pain Injections – It’s possible that your doctor will recommend oral or topical medications to help with the discomfort, but for extreme pain, medical experts usually like to try to deliver medication directly to the source with the help of an injection. A corticosteroid injection can deliver concentrated medication right to the affected nerve or tissue, providing quick and long-lasting pain relief. These medications won’t last forever though, so it’s important to pair a pain injection with a more proactive treatment, like physical therapy or strengthening exercises. Many patients with extreme back pain find that these injections make it much easier for them to pursue physical therapy by minimizing discomfort during different movements and exercises.
• Targeted Ablation And Stimulation – Your specialist may try to manage the affected nerve in a couple other ways before targeting it with a more direct surgery. Radiofrequency ablation and nerve stimulation use radio waves and electrical currents to address the nerve or drown out intense pain signals. These procedures can be carried out with small tools or by inserting a tiny stimulator device into the area, and are much less invasive than a surgery to burn or remove the affected nerve.
• Surgery – Of course, surgery is always an option for patients who are dealing with significant back pain. A minimally invasive procedure can stabilize a shifted disc or debride an impinged nerve, but doctors may first try non-operative methods because every surgery carries additional potential risks. Surgery can help to provide some pain relief, but you’ll still need to put in plenty of effort during your recovery period to make the strongest recovery possible and to reduce your risk of a recurrence later in life.

If you’re in extreme pain, we want to help. Let us figure out exactly what’s wrong and how to best move forward with an effective treatment plan. For more information on how we can help, or for assistance with a less painful back issue, connect with Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.

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