Back pain symptoms may include feelings of muscle ache, stabbing or shooting pain, stiff or limited flexibility in the back or lower back, inability to stand with proper posture and radiating pain down one or both legs.
Back pain can have many causes, and many times, back pain will resolve itself in two to four weeks with rest, ice and heat. In fact, 80 percent of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives, making back pain one of the most common reasons people visit back pain clinics or miss work. Back pain that lasts longer than a few weeks is not normal.
Causes of Back Pain
Muscle Strains
Did you know that muscle-related pain is one of the most common reasons for overall back pain? It is true. Muscle related pain can be caused by improper lifting techniques, overuse, poor posture or a sudden awkward movement or fall.
Spinal or Disc Problems
Bulging or Herniated Discs: Spinal discs are soft cushions between vertebra. Sometimes, the soft jelly-like substance inside the disc can bulge out of place or rupture, putting pressure on the surrounding nerves causing back pain. Disc related back pain can be caused by an injury. Interestingly, some people who have bulging or herniated discs will never experience any back pain.
Sciatica
Sciatica refers to pain that stems from the sciatic nerve, a large nerve extending from the lower back down the back of each leg. Sciatica is not a disorder, but a symptom of another underlying problem, such as spinal stenosis, a pinched/irritated nerve in the lower back or a herniated disc.
Other Painful Conditions
If you have spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, scoliosis, compression fractures, arthritis or osteoporosis you may also experience pain in the back. These back pain conditions can be treated with conservative, minimally invasive procedures.
Risk Factors for Back Pain
There are a few factors that can increase your risk of developing back pain, such as: smoking, obesity, age, physical labor, sedentary work and depression.
Diagnostic Testing
To help determine the cause of your back pain, there are several diagnostic tests that can be performed by a back pain doctor or back pain specialist. These may include Xrays, MRI, CT Scan and an Electromyography (EMG). An X-ray shows the alignment of the bones in your spine and whether you have any broken or arthritic bones that may be causing back pain. MRI and CT Scan tests show images of bone, muscle, tissue, nerves, blood vessels, tendons and ligaments. These tests can show disc herniation, muscle tears, ligament problems and can help your clinic doctor or back pain specialist understand your back pain. Electromyography (EMG) is a test used to study nerve and muscle function.
Back Pain Treatment Options
At Nura, our clinic doctors and back pain specialists value the importance of an interdisciplinary approach. There are a number of treatment options that help reduce back pain, which include:
Physical Therapy
Epidural Steroid Injection
Discography
Facet Joint Injection
Trigger Point Injection
Radiofrequency Ablation
Sacroiliac Joint Injection
Preparing for Your Doctor Appointment
Before your back pain appointment with your clinic doctor or back pain clinic specialist, take note of some important facts.
Is your back pain the result of an injury?
What movements increase or decrease your back pain?
What are the symptoms you have been feeling?
How long have you had this back pain?
What does your back pain feel like? Dull, aching, stabbing or shooting?
What type of work do you do?
What treatments or medications have you already tried to resolve your back pain?
Call us for more information and help at 763-537-6000 or visit us at www.nuraclinics.com
After experiencing heart troubles, a patient may be advised to undergo pacemaker implantation. But what does that entail? In this post, we will provide answers to the following questions:Why should a patient get a pacemaker?Is a pacemaker a major surgery?Is pacemaker surgery invasive?Are there pacemaker risks for the elderly?How do you go about replacing a pacemaker battery in the elderly?How do older adults recover from pacemaker surgery?Why Should One Get a Pacemaker?Doctors may recommend a temporary pacemaker to patients with a slow heartbeat after a heart attack, surgery, or overdose. This is done when the patients heartbeat is otherwise expected to recover. Afterward, a surgeon may implant a pacemaker permanently to correct a chronic irregular heartbeat or to help treat heart failure.Is Getting a Pacemaker a Major Surgery?No. Pacemaker surgery is a minor surgery that can take around 1-2 hours. Most patients go home within 24 hours after the procedure.How Invasive Is Pacemaker Surgery?The surgeon implants the pacemaker under the skin of the chest with no need for open-heart surgery. The patient will be put under local anesthesia but may receive some medications to keep them comfortable or help them fall asleep.Is There a Risk of Pacemaker Surgery in Elderly Adults?Pacemaker problems for the elderly are uncommon, but the Mayo Clinic notes that pacemaker replacement surgery risks include:Infections near the heart, where the device was implantedBlood clots near the pacemaker siteBlood in the area between the lung and chest wallBlood vessel or nerve damage near the pacemakerBruising, swelling, or bleeding at the pacemaker siteCollapsed lungShifting of the device or leads, which could rarely lead to cardiac perforationFurthermore, patients should call their doctor if they experience any of the following side effects after surgery:Abnormal heart rhythmBreathlessnessChest painDizzinessFaintingFever for longer than 2-3 daysHeart rate dropping below the pacemakers lowest settingHiccups for long periods of timeRedness, swelling, or pain at the site of the pacemakerSwollen arm on the side, where the surgery took placeWeakness for prolonged periods of timeHow Do You Go About Changing Pacemaker Battery in Elderly?A pacemaker should last 5-15 years before replacing the battery. Pacemaker battery replacement in the elderly is usually less invasive. Furthermore, pacemaker battery replacement recovery is usually less than the initial implant procedure.What Is Pacemaker Surgery Recovery in Elderly Like?Some patients recover a few days after pacemaker implantation while others take months to recover. Patients are usually advised to take 3-7 days off of work after the procedure. However, a cardiologist may recommend taking more time off if theyre concerned about the patients overall health. Patients will also need to get a checkup 4-6 weeks after the procedure to see if small adjustments need to be made. Additional checkups will also need to be completed every 3-12 months.As for lifestyle changes, patients will not be allowed to drive for at least six weeks or reach up on the side they had the procedure on for about 4-6 weeks. Additionally, cardiologists recommend avoiding sports for 4-6 weeks after pacemaker surgery. Overall though, most patients are back to resuming normal activities within four weeks.To learn more about our home care services, contact our caregiving team today online or call us at (763) 325-1950.
Florida Senior Consulting is now an in-network referral partner for major market health providers through CarePortFlorida Senior Consulting, based in Sarasota county, is proud to announce they are now an in-network service provider through CarePort.CarePort is the best practices referral network utilized by entities such as Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Lee Memorial Health System, Encompass, HCA, and Moffitt Cancer Center.CarePort is a referral service platform that guides patient decision-making during discharge and increases referrals to top-performing, high quality providers. Thousands of providers across the U.S. use CarePort to better coordinate and manage patient care.CarePort has worked with 14 million people in 2,000 hospitals across the country. They handle 41 million referrals per year.Florida Senior Consulting has the distinct designation of being the only care management and placement agency in Florida to become an in-network referral partner through CarePort.For more information, visit floridaseniorconsulting.com.
Hospital stays, planned or unplanned, are never a first choice for a vacation. Despite our desire to be relaxing on a beach or enjoying the mountains, you or someone you love will unfortunately end up spending time in a hospital. Once stable, hospital patients frequently say the same thing, I just want to go home. When you are in a hospital, your road home may be direct, or it may include a short detour to a short-term rehabilitation center/skilled nursing facility. Safety and function are two key points to consider when choosing the best road home.Acute hospitals have the staff, equipment and expertise to care for unstable patients. The need for acute hospital care ends once the patient is stable. With advances in medicine, the amount of time needed to become stable is getting shorter and shorter. Families are often surprised at how fast their loved one discharges from the hospital. This is because stable patients are not always safe patients, which is a concern for both patients and families. If a patient is stable, but not safe to go home, they will most likely need additional time at a short-term rehabilitation center/skilled nursing facility to regain their safety. Physical function is another area needing consideration when deciding if going home is the right choice. If the patient can independently perform basic activities of daily living, they will most likely go directly home. If they need help with these activities, a quick stay at a short-term rehabilitation center/skilled nursing facility is key. Examples of these basic activities are eating, drinking, using the restroom, transferring between positions such as, lying to sitting, sitting to standing, standing to sitting, and walking. These basic functions can be lost during an extended hospital stay. This is normal and easily remedied with a quick stay at a short-term rehabilitation center/skilled nursing facility. If you find yourself in a situation where your safety or function is keeping you from going home, remember that a stay at a short-term rehabilitation center/skilled nursing facility is exactly what you need. Your hospital case manager will help you navigate your road home. I highly recommend having someone tour at least three short-term rehabilitation centers/skilled nursing facilities on your behalf to find the one that fits your unique need. Editors Note: This article was submitted by Troy Hamler, N.H.A. Troy Hamler is the Executive Director for The Center at Northridge and may be reached at 303-280-4444.
Our Mission + ValuesNura is committed to improving the lives of people living with the most complex chronic pain through exceptional care. The work we do every day is guided by the core values that serve as the foundation of our company culture. CompassionIntegrityTeamworkInnovationExcellenceA Comprehensive Approach to CareThe key to our approach is a multi-disciplinary plan of care that typically includes medication management, physical therapy, and behavioral health counseling all coordinated to address your own unique situation, and all provided under one roof.We identify and precision-treat the physical generators of pain with a full range of minimally invasive interventional procedures, including advanced implantable pain control options for the most difficult cases.We are considered a national center of excellence for implantable pain control, and train visiting physicians from around the country on the latest techniques. David M. Schultz, MD, the Medical Director of Nura Surgery Centers, has been named a Top Doctor by Mpls-St. Paul magazine every year since 2002.
Our Mission + ValuesNura is committed to improving the lives of people living with the most complex chronic pain through exceptional care. The work we do every day is guided by the core values that serve as the foundation of our company culture. CompassionIntegrityTeamworkInnovationExcellenceA Comprehensive Approach to CareThe key to our approach is a multi-disciplinary plan of care that typically includes medication management, physical therapy, and behavioral health counseling all coordinated to address your own unique situation, and all provided under one roof.We identify and precision-treat the physical generators of pain with a full range of minimally invasive interventional procedures, including advanced implantable pain control options for the most difficult cases.We are considered a national center of excellence for implantable pain control, and train visiting physicians from around the country on the latest techniques. David M. Schultz, MD, the Medical Director of Nura Surgery Centers, has been named a Top Doctor by Mpls-St. Paul magazine every year since 2002.
Our Mission + ValuesNura is committed to improving the lives of people living with the most complex chronic pain through exceptional care. The work we do every day is guided by the core values that serve as the foundation of our company culture. CompassionIntegrityTeamworkInnovationExcellenceA Comprehensive Approach to CareThe key to our approach is a multi-disciplinary plan of care that typically includes medication management, physical therapy, and behavioral health counseling all coordinated to address your own unique situation, and all provided under one roof.We identify and precision-treat the physical generators of pain with a full range of minimally invasive interventional procedures, including advanced implantable pain control options for the most difficult cases.We are considered a national center of excellence for implantable pain control, and train visiting physicians from around the country on the latest techniques. David M. Schultz, MD, the Medical Director of Nura Surgery Centers, has been named a Top Doctor by Mpls-St. Paul magazine every year since 2002.