Back Pain

Back pain can strike at any age and may limit your mobility without the right care. At Advanced Pain Institute in Arcadia, Encino, and Pasadena, California, interventional pain specialist Isaac Michael MineHart, MD, can relieve your back pain and prevent reinjury with a wide range of treatments, such as physical therapy and spinal cord stimulation. Call Advanced Pain Institute today or schedule an appointment online to learn more about back pain.

What causes back pain?

Numerous bones, muscles, tendons, joints, and spinal discs provide support and flexibility for the back. Any of these structures can break down, strain, or sustain an injury. While back pain can subside on its own, chronic discomfort can limit what you can do. 

Common causes of back pain include:

Muscle strain

Pulling a muscle in your back can cause inflammation and stiffness. Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE) may be enough to relieve your pain. However, the injury may not heal properly without care. The muscle can also develop scar tissue, which causes long-term discomfort.

Herniated disc

The discs in between the vertebrae in your spine cushion and support the spinal column. These hard discs contain a soft center that can push through small cracks in the shell. Patients without an obvious herniation can have sciatic pain due to a leaking disc. Over time, a herniated disc can irritate your surrounding nerves, leading to chronic pain.

Arthritis

Arthritis is a chronic disease that affects the joints. The most common types are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Osteoarthritis, the most common type, causes the cartilage surrounding the joints to break down. RA is an autoimmune disease that leads to swelling inside the joint lining.

Spinal stenosis

Spinal stenosis is a progressive condition that causes the spinal canal to narrow. As the space shortens, it presses on the nerves outside or inside the spinal cord. 

Epidural Fibrosis

Epidural fibrosis is a result of an excessive production of scar tissue forming near the base of a nerve. As it progresses, patients can experience moderate to severe back pain.

How is back pain diagnosed?

Dr. MineHart performs a series of tests to diagnose the cause of back pain. After performing a physical exam and medical history review, he may order imaging scans. These typically include X-rays, bone scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography CT), and nerve conduction studies.

What are the treatments for back pain?

Dr. MineHart delivers comprehensive care for back pain. As an interventional pain specialist and sports medicine provider, he can create an individualized treatment plan that targets your needs.Dr. MineHart also treats intractable back pain, which is a severe, constant, and debilitating pain not curable by any known means. Through consultation with Dr. MineHart, you can find a treatment, or several, that ease your pain and help you cope with this chronic condition. A disc may have a tear that doesn’t require surgery, but can be treated by diagnostic discography and PRP.

Some of the most common treatments Dr. MineHart recommends for back pain include:

• Physical therapy
• Heat and ice therapy
• Corticosteroid injections
• Postural changes
• Lifestyle modifications
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy
• Therapeutic disc injection
• Therapeutic facet joint injection
• Therapeutic selective nerve injection
• Therapeutic epidural injection
• Lysis of scarring adhesion with Hypertonic saline
• Epidural Neurolysis (RACZ Catheter Procedure)

Spinal cord stimulation can also help treat neck, back and neuropathy pain. A spinal cord stimulator interferes with your pain signals to relieve pain without medication or surgery. Dr. MineHart also offers the Intracept® Procedure, an outpatient procedure that targets relief for chronic low back pain.

Dr. MineHart offers reasonable pricing for all patients, and is happy to serve both lien patients and personal injury patients. Call Advanced Pain Institute today or schedule an appointment online to learn more about back pain.