Why Isn’t My Back Pain Responding To Treatment?
Category: Back Pain | Author: Stefano Sinicropi
Few things are more annoying than chronic back pain that just won’t go away despite your best efforts, and while the pain is obviously the biggest annoyance, not knowing why your back isn’t responding to treatment is also extremely frustrating. If you’re dealing with unresolved back pain, part of alleviating your pain centers around figuring out why your spine isn’t responding to treatment. In today’s blog, we take a look at some of the reasons why your back pain isn’t responding to your current treatment methods.
Why Isn’t Back Pain Treatment Working?
Even though you’re trying to be proactive, your back pain may not be responding to treatment for a number of reasons. Here’s a look at some of the most common reasons why your back pain isn’t getting any better.
- Treating Wrong Underlying Issue – If you are misdiagnosed, there’s a chance that treatment methods are ineffective because they are targeting the wrong underlying issue. Most doctors can pinpoint an exact spinal issue, but if you try to self-diagnose by reviewing your symptoms against a host of conditions you find online, it’s easy to misdiagnose your issue because many spine problems present with similar symptoms. Get an official diagnosis to help hone in on what you’re actually dealing with.
- Passive Treatments – Oftentimes the most effective treatments require work in the form of exercise, diet and physical therapy. If you’re just taking painkillers or laying in bed, you may not notice much of an improvement in your symptoms. It’s fine to rest and take anti-inflammatories, but be sure to pair these techniques with active modalities for best results.
- Bad Habits – Oftentimes our back pain is caused by our own bad habits, so even if we’re trying to treat them, if we don’t address these underlying habits, back pain can remain. For example, if you don’t give your spine enough rest between exercise or athletic activity, or you have bad posture at work or when you’re sitting on the couch, you can overstress certain areas of your body, even if you’re not active at that moment. Too much or too little activity and poor posture habits are common underlying causes of prolonged back pain.
- Weight And Smoking – If you’re heavier, that means your spine has to handle more stress and pressure, and it can also lead to a faster breakdown of your spinal discs. If you’re struggling to overcome back pain, take a look at your weight and try to shed some extra pounds. Losing just one pound takes four pounds of pressure off your spine, so even a little weight loss can feel like a lot for your spine. Smoking can also damage blood vessels that bring healthy blood to your spine and lead to spinal disc height loss. Mind your weight and give up smoking to see if that helps with your chronic back pain.
- You Can’t Do It Alone – Sometimes back pain needs a professional’s touch in order to resolve, so you may need to resign to the fact that you’re not going to be able to overcome your back pain on your own. You might need a corticosteroid injection or a minimally invasive operation, and the longer you put off seeking out professional help, the harder the issue can become to treat. If you’re dealing with chronic back pain that simply won’t go away, reach out to a back specialist sooner rather than later.
Dr. Sinicropi and the team at the Midwest Spine & Brain Institute have been helping people find solutions to their prolonged back pain, and we’d love to do the same for you if you’re in pain. Contact our office today at (651) 430-3800 for more information.
