Young Woman With Back Pain

Steroid Injections: A Non-Invasive Treatment for Fast, Extended Back Pain Relief

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Living with back pain from injury or wear and tear can be overwhelming. When the pain is severe, and you can’t sleep well and have to start canceling important commitments, relief cannot come soon enough.

Steroid injections are a non-invasive, fast-acting, and extended pain relief solution for back pain.

Relief from Upper Back Pain 

There are many possible reasons for pain in the upper back. Common problems such as bulging or herniated disc and disc degeneration can compress nerve roots and cause local inflammation.

The pain often remains around the nerves in the upper back and neck area. But, depending on the condition, it can travel down into the shoulders, arms, and hands.

Upper back or cervical steroid injections stop this pain by reducing inflammation and coating the nerves.

Relief from Lower Back Pain 

Nerves run from your spinal cord out to your lower back and down your legs. When spinal discs become damaged, they can cause inflammation and irritation of the nerve roots close to the spinal cord.

The pain from this inflammation can radiate from your lower back down into your legs. A lower back or caudal steroid injection can reduce inflammation and relieve the pain.

What can I expect during a steroid injection procedure?

Steroid injections are outpatient treatments. For spinal injections, you will lie on an x-ray table, face down.

Before both the cervical and caudal steroid injections, you may receive a calming intravenous or IV medication. The procedures usually take less than 15 minutes.

Upper Back Injection Procedure:

Patients lay face down. One or two injections are administered to the upper back.

A single injection contains a mixture of anesthetic for immediate pain relief and steroids for long-term pain relief.

When you receive two injections, the first is a smaller needle with a local anesthetic, and the second is a larger needle with the steroid.

Lower Back Injection Procedure:

  • Like the upper back or cervical injection procedure, patients lay face down.
  • They receive one or two injections into the lower back, above the tailbone.

How long does the pain relief last?

Many patients report immediate pain relief. For many, this is due to the anesthetic, which wears off within hours.

It usually takes the steroid two or three days to set in and relieve the pain. For some patients, relief can last for months.

Back Pain Treatment at Texas Pain Physicians

You don’t have to lose any more sleep or cancel any more appointments because of back pain. If you think steroid injection may be the answer, we can meet with you ASAP.

Our physicians are experts in pain management who can help you decide on the best treatment.

Book an appointment online or give us a call at (972) 636-5727 today!

Still Active Over Age 40? 5 Tips to Prevent Injuries and Chronic Pain

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As you age, you suffer more injuries, aches, and pains. Staying active helps keep your body strong and injury-free. But if you don’t take steps to do it safely, it can also be a source of injuries and pain.

Below are some tips for avoiding common injuries and chronic pain in five vulnerable areas of the body.

1. Lower Back

Potential Injury: Running, jumping, falling, lifting, crouching, and other physical demands of sports can easily overextend the spine and injure the lower back. Exercises that strengthen the core can prevent lower back pain.

Sitting too much can decondition the abdominal and gluteal muscles, putting added pressure on the spinal column.

Prevention: Carefully performed yoga and abdominal exercises can build up the abs and strengthen the lower back.

Before playing sports, do stretches such as the child’s pose, knee-to-chest, and piriformis to loosen the lower back. Stretching the lower back helps prevent strain.

2. Kneecap (meniscus)

Potential injury: As people age, injured and achy knees resulting from wear and tear on the meniscus, the main ligament in the knee located under the kneecap, is more common.

Age-related tissue degeneration, such as cartilage breakdown resulting from fluid loss, increases the risk of meniscus strains and tears.

Prevention: Weight-bearing exercises using technically-sound exercise form strengthens the knee area and decrease the risk of injury.

3. Rotator Cuff

Potential injury: The most injury-prone area in the shoulder is the group of muscles and tendons known as the rotator cuff.

Rotator cuff tendonitis is common. It occurs when the muscles and tendons of the rotator cuff become inflamed from overuse.

Though not as common, rotator cuff tears are more severe injuries than tendonitis and may require surgery to repair.

Prevention: Stretching exercises with and without resistance bands help to add flexibility and strength. Weight-bearing exercises build muscle but also come with injury risk.

Practicing correct form and having sufficient recovery time between training sessions lowers injury risk.

4. Hamstring

Potential injury: The dreaded pulled and torn hamstring. Aging weekend and seasonal athletes know all about it.

Preventing it: Taking time to warm up and stretch the legs and hamstrings before participating in sports will reduce the risk of hamstring pulls and tears.

Strength training exercises like squats and lunges performed with correct form and plenty of rest in-between training sessions will also help prevent injury.

5. Elbow

Potential injury: Tennis elbow, or elbow tendinitis, is characterized by burning pain in the elbow joint and weakened grip strength. It’s a common condition that affects non-tennis players, too.

Performing any repetitive motion long enough, such as throwing a football, propelling forward with ski polls, or using a computer mouse, can cause it.

Prevention: Avoid making repetitive hand and arm movements, if possible. To relieve strain on the shoulder muscles, use the elbow and forearm tendons whenever possible.

 

Texas Pain Physicians Treatment

Are you an injured, 40+ weekend or seasonal athlete?

Whether it’s sore knees, achy tennis elbow, or a torn meniscus, our board-certified pain management doctors will work out a treatment plan tailored to you.

Give us a call at (972) 636-5727 or book an appointment online today!

6 Non-Surgical Remedies for Back Pain

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“Oh!” you gasp as your feet touch the floor and you reach for the chirping alarm. You wonder whether your back pain is here to stay.

According to the American Chiropractic Association, back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide.

Good news! There are lots of effective home treatments for back pain.

1. Use topical treatments.

If you have severe back pain accompanied by inflammation, apply an ice pack or cold compress to help reduce inflammation.

A warm or hot compress can also relieve pain by loosening up muscles.

2. Use OTC medications.

Here are some common over-the-counter medications that can provide temporary pain relief:

  • Muscle relaxants
  • Tylenol (acetaminophen) and aspirin
  • Ibuprofen and naproxen (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
  • Topical pain relief products (ointments, sprays, gels, creams)

3. Do some stretching and exercise.

To recover from back pain, you need to move and do some exercise.

Try to do low-impact physical activities such as walking, biking, and swimming.

For severe back pain, light exercise and gentle stretching such as light yoga or chair yoga can help gradually restore normal movement and extension without causing too much discomfort.

For chronic (non-severe) back pain, exercises that strengthen the core can reduce pain over time. 

4. Try therapeutics.

Therapeutic methods can lessen and eliminate back pain. Patients report positive results from massages, chiropractic alignment, bioelectric therapy, and acupuncture.

5. Eat a healthier diet.

Inflammation is a common cause of chronic pain. A diet high in processed foods, simple carbohydrates, and refined sugar can cause and worsen inflammation.

Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole foods can decrease inflammation. Whole foods are foods that have been processed as little as possible and contain no additives or substances.

6. Try sleep hygiene and sleep aids.

Getting enough sleep lowers stress, allows the body to heal faster, and increases pain tolerance.

Practice good sleep hygiene by going to bed at the same time every night and avoiding exposure to screens that emit blue light.

Try to stop watching TV and using cell phones and computers at least an hour before bedtime.

Sleep aid supplements like melatonin and magnesium may help induce sleep.

7. Try some stress relief methods.

Stress can contribute to chronic back pain. Cognitive-behavioral therapy and meditation may help relieve stress.

Back Pain Treatment at Texas Pain Physicians

You don’t need to settle for a back pain-filled life a day longer. Texas Pain Physicians has board-certified doctors specialized in pain management who can help you discover the right treatments for you.

Give us a call at (972) 636-5727 or schedule an appointment online today!