Lower Back Pain Specialist

What causes lower back pain?

Acute back pain can last for just a few days, resolving on its own with rest and over-the-counter medications. This type of back pain often results from overused or strained muscles due to physical exertion or lifting heavy objects incorrectly.

For back pain to be considered chronic, your pain must last for 12 weeks or longer. Common causes of chronic lower back pain include:

• Arthritis
• Sciatica
• Inflammation
• A herniated disc
• Spinal stenosis
• Disc degeneration

You can also develop chronic lower back pain as the result of age-related changes that happen in your lumbar, or lower, spine.

How is lower back pain diagnosed?

If you develop persistent pain in your lower back that doesn’t go away with rest and medications, you should seek an evaluation at Orthopedics & Wellness.

During your evaluation, Dr. Roh and Dr. Ojeyemi review your medical history and examine the structures of your lower back. They can often pinpoint the likely cause of chronic pain based on your symptoms.

To confirm a diagnosis, Dr. Roh and Dr. Ojeyemi will often request imaging tests like X-rays or a CT scan. These tests can rule out possible causes of unexplained back pain and help them create a custom treatment plan to address your pain and other symptoms.

What treatments are available for lower back pain?

If chronic lower back pain is the result of a degenerative condition, you could benefit from in-office epidural injections or nerve blocks that deliver anesthetic medications directly to the irritated nerves to ease or eliminate your pain.

Injections combined with physical therapy and regular exercise can strengthen the muscles that support your lumbar spine, further reducing pain and inflammation.

When chronic pain is due to serious injury, herniated discs, or advanced spinal stenosis, Dr. Ojeyemi can discuss surgery with you. He offers several minimally invasive surgeries, including lumbar decompression surgery. This treatment eases the pain related to nerve compression by creating more space in the lumbar spine by removing a small portion of bone.

Interlaminar lumbar endoscopic discectomy can also provide pain relief. During this surgery, Dr. Ojeyemi removes damaged discs or bone fragments pressing on the spinal nerves to provide long-term relief from pain and improve your mobility.

If chronic lower back pain limits what you can do, schedule an evaluation at the Orthopedics & Wellness clinic nearest you by phone or through the online booking feature.