Signs It’s Time to Deal With Your Back Pain

Up to eight out of 10 adults will develop back pain. The pain turns into a long-lasting condition for about 25% of them. The best way to prevent chronic pain and get relief from an acute episode is to seek medical attention.

Our back pain patients at Alliance Spine and Pain Centers often wait longer than they should, hoping that their pain will improve without a visit to the doctor. But waiting too long can worsen long-term outcomes. These signs tell you it’s time to seek help.

Pain duration and severity

The level of pain you deal with is one of the most crucial signals that it’s time to seek medical care. Each person has different tolerance levels, so only you can decide when you need help.

It’s important to schedule an appointment with our specialists if your back pain starts after an injury so we can diagnose or rule out common back injuries like a damaged disc or fracture.

You should get a back evaluation if your pain:

• Doesn’t improve in 1-2 weeks
• Gets worse
• Is frequent or severe
• Is worse in certain positions
• Wakes you during the night
• Worsens when walking or standing
• Radiates down one or both legs
• Is bad enough to limit movement and interfere with daily activities

Many back conditions improve without treatment in six weeks. However, that doesn’t mean you should endure pain while you wait to see if it heals.

Avoid waiting too long. Early treatment lowers your risk of developing chronic pain, and most back conditions heal faster with appropriate care.

Additionally, postponing medical attention could affect the treatment for certain conditions, making conservative care less effective or possibly eliminating some treatment options. For example, if a spinal compression fracture heals before treatment, you can’t get a minimally invasive procedure that fully restores the bone.

Signs of a pinched nerve

It’s crucial to schedule an immediate appointment if you have signs of a pinched spinal nerve. The longer a damaged nerve goes untreated, the higher the risk of developing a permanent nerve injury and other complications.

The signs of a pinched nerve are unusual sensations such as tingling, burning, and numbness. You may experience these sensations in your back and one or both legs. In severe cases, a pinched nerve can affect leg muscles, causing weakness in one or both legs.

Head straight to the emergency department if you experience any of the following symptoms. They’re signs of severe complications:

• Loss of bladder or bowel function
• Sudden disabling pain
• Leg numbness and weakness
• Difficulty walking
• Loss of balance
• Saddle anesthesia

Saddle anesthesia is the loss of sensation in areas that would touch the saddle if you were horse-riding: the inner thighs, buttocks, groin, and anal area.

Pain plus infection

Spinal infections are rare, but they pose a serious threat to your health and require immediate medical attention. These infections typically begin elsewhere in the body, and then the bacteria, virus, or fungus travels through the blood and reaches the spine.

Signs of a spinal infection include: 

• Severe back pain
• Fever
• Chills
• Muscle spasms
• Pain when urinating
• Difficulty urinating
• Loss of bowel or bladder control
• Numbness or weakness in your legs

If you’ve just had back surgery, an infection may develop at the incision site, causing swelling, redness, drainage, and tenderness.

Our Alliance Spine and Pain Centers team has extensive experience relieving back pain with treatments ranging from conservative care to today’s most advanced interventional therapies. We have more than 20 convenient locations in Georgia. Schedule an appointment online or call the nearest office today.