Back Pain? When To See a Doctor

There are many ways to hurt your back: playing softball on the weekend, helping a friend move or picking something up off the floor. The pain might even show up with no obvious cause.

Back pain is one of the most common complaints that prompts people to seek medical help. It’s also one of the biggest reasons people miss work and is a major source of disability around the world.

Not every back injury demands a trip to your doctor. Particularly for younger people, back pain will often resolve itself within a couple weeks with rest, over-the-counter medications and self-care. But there are times when waiting too long can delay your recovery or increase your risk for serious health issues.

Assessing Your Back Pain

Back pain comes in a variety of forms. You could experience generalized aching in your back. You might feel a shooting or burning pain. The symptoms may get worse when you bend, twist, stand, walk or lift.

With minor injuries, your symptoms are likely to show improvement after a week or so. But in other cases, the pain will only get worse without professional medical care. Often, getting that care sooner rather than later will help you heal faster.

Let’s look at some of the warning signs that should send you to a doctor.

• Pain radiates to other parts of your body: This includes a shooting or burning pain running down your leg. This could be a sign of a damaged disc, pinched nerve or sciatica – a condition affecting the nerve that runs from your lower back and into each leg.
• Numbness or weakness: If your pain is accompanied by numbness or weakness, particularly in your legs or back, this could be a sign of nerve damage. It may be caused by a herniated disc and could cause permanent damage if not treated.
• Your back pain is the result of an accident: Automobile accidents and falls can cause a variety of back problems, including nerve compression and fractures that should be treated immediately.
• Your pain is worse in certain postures or times of day: If your pain is significantly worse in different positions (lying down or sitting) or if it gets worse when you sleep, it could be a sprain or sign of disc degeneration. If you have severe pain when you shift positions, it could indicate a more significant problem, including a fracture or compressed nerve.
• Difficulty controlling your bowels or bladder: This could be a sign of cauda equina syndrome, a rare and dangerous condition where nerve roots in the lower spine are compressed and paralyzed. If this occurs, you should seek help immediately.

Minor Back Pain

If your pain is relatively minor, there are steps you can take at home to see if you can recover on your own. If you want to start with a more conservative approach, try over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Hot and cold therapy can also help.

Try limited bed rest, but you don’t want to overdo it. Total bed rest, once a common remedy, is generally discouraged. Instead, keep your body and back moving with light physical activity – even if it’s just a slow walk around the house or neighborhood.

You can also try gentle stretches at home. But it’s important to not do anything that makes your pain worse. If that happens, stop what you are doing and make that appointment to see your doctor. Having a professional evaluation to identify the cause of your pain is the quickest way to get you back on the road to recovery.