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Most people will experience an episode of low back pain. For many of them, the pain can become a growing problem that interferes with almost every aspect of their lives including work, family and leisure activities.
A visit to a physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) physician, also called a physiatrist, can help people get back to active, pain-free lives.
What Causes Low Back Pain?
Low back pain can be triggered by a wide variety of causes including:
· Radiculopathy. A pinched nerve, also called sciatica, usually from a herniated, or slipped, disk.
· Myofascial Pain. Generally an aching pain in muscles that can come from poor posture, sitting at a computer or other job-related tasks. Sometimes myofascial pain causes soreness in different parts of the body like the legs.
· Tendon, Ligament and Soft Tissue Pain. Localized pain when an area is stretched or its muscles are overused. This results in tenderness.
Sometimes, the pain may come from a combination of factors or something not even related to the spine or back. Examples would be appendicitis, kidney disease, uterine disorders and urinary tract infections.
Accurate Diagnosis Leads to Management of Pain
With such wide variety of causes, it is important to identify the root cause of your back pain. PM&R physicians have the specialized training that enables them to not only accurately diagnose the cause, but tailor a treatment plan to alleviate the pain as well.
By diagnosing and managing low back pain, PM&R physicians help patients return to their daily activities.
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The PM&R treatment approach emphasizes comprehensive care. PM&R physicians take the whole person into account, and treat the patient not just the symptom. |
PM&R Treatment of Low Back Pain
PM&R treatment is nonsurgical. Typically less than 5 percent of those with low back pain need surgery to correct their problem. Should a patient require surgery, the PM&R physician will coordinate care both before and after surgery for maximum rehabilitation.
Some of the treatments used by PM&R physicians for low back pain include:
· Medically supervised exercise program
· Medication
· Electrical stimulation/electromyography
· Injections
The rehabilitation of low back problems occurs in three phases.
1. During the first phase, called the acute phase, physiatrists treat pain and inflammation.
2. Once your pain has been controlled, you move into the recovery phase. Here, flexibility and strength are developed to help get you back to your daily work, sports and leisure activities.
3. The goal of the maintenance phase is to minimize recurrence of the problem and to prevent further injury. Patients learn ways to avoid causing the injury again.
Why PM&R for Low Back Pain?
Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) is a medical specialty dedicated to restoring optimal function for people with injuries or illness. These physicians, also called physiatrists, are specialists in diagnosing and treating problems of the musculoskeletal system. Physiatrists offer a non-surgical approach to pain and injury, which makes them the ideal choice for low back pain.
After completing medical school, a physician becomes a physiatrist after completing an accredited four-year residency program in PM&R. Many physiatrists also go on to become board certified in the specialty by passing a series of exams.
With this advanced training, physiatrists are expert in examining all aspects of back pain — they may determine that there are underlying problems in other parts of your body that are causing your low back pain. Most important, physiatrists have many treatment methods available to reduce or eliminate your problems and to decrease the possibility of a recurrence.
They conduct a thorough exam and collect your medical history to identify the source of your pain, injury or disability, even when standard diagnostic tests don't find specific problems. In addition, physiatrists direct your treatment team if you need any other services, such as those of a physical therapist or athletic trainer. The result is a customized treatment program tailored for you.
By evaluating the impact of a condition on the whole person — medically, socially, emotionally and vocationally — physiatrists help their patients understand and take control of their health.
To locate a PM&R physician in your area or to learn more about physical medicine and rehabilitation, visit aapmr.org. Your primary care physician also can refer you to this specialist.