Lower Back Specialist – Back Pain Injections

Lower Back Specialist in the Treatment of Back Pain with Injections

At Regenerat Traumatology Clinic we specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of back pain in Valencia.

Dr. Antonio Vilatela is considered one of the best orthopedic spine specialists in Valencia.

Our objective is to:

• Determine the cause of your back pain.
• Perform the appropriate diagnostic tests to assesse the extent of your back ailment or injury.
• Apply regenerative traumatology treatment or orthopedic surgery to relieve your pain so that you can recover your well-being as soon as possible.

We want to help our patients using the safest, most successful and least invasive treatments possible!

What is back pain?

Back pain or dorsalgia is the pain you feel in your back that may be caused by damage or injury to the muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones and joints of the spine.

Back pain is one of the most common medical problems experienced by most people at some point in their lives.

• It can be acute, usually lasting a few days to a few weeks, or chronic, lasting more than three months.
• Back pain may present as a constant dull a che or as a sudden sharp pain.
• It may be limited to one area or radiate to others, such as the arm and hand, upper or lower back, and leg or foot.

Mild cases of back pain can be corrected with self-care and rest, but in some more severe cases, physiotherapy treatments , regenerative medicine and orthopedic surgery may be necessary.

Causes of back pain

What is the spine?

The spine is a complex structure made up of 24 vertebrae.

• Between each vertebra there are discs that act as shock absorbers and give flexibility to the spine.
• The vertebrae are joined by small joints called facet joints or “facets”.

These joints allow movement and bending of the back. Their inflammation can cause a picture of acute pain, which presents with contracture and stiffness known as facet syndrome.

• A meshwork of ligaments and muscles holds the spine together and provides structural support that allows it to move.

What are the back pain causes?

Back pain can have its origin in any of these structures, but in most cases, this pain is not a consequence of any significant damage to the spine.

This pain usually comes from the surrounding muscles, ligaments or joints, and occasionally from problems in the vertebral discs.

The most frequent pathologies, conditions and treatments for back pain are the following:

• Sacroiliac joint pain: Process of wear and tear and loss of cartilage in the sacroiliac joint (junction between the support of the pelvis and the lower region of the spine).
• Facet arthrosis: Facet joint syndrome is related to the aging process, the loss of cartilage and synovial fluid in the joints of the spine.
• Herniated disc surgery: spinal injury when one of the intervertebral cushioning discs suffers a tear or rupture.
• Pain after back surgery: sometimes patients experience improvement, but as scar tissue forms, leg and back pain reappears or increases.

In some cases, it may be a “failed back syndrome” or “Failed back syndrome”, requiring multidisciplinary management for its resolution.

• Coccyx pain: is pain at the base of the spine at the top of the buttocks. It is a dull ache most of the time, with occasional sharp episodes. It is one of the most common causes of back pain in sports.

Coccygodynia tends to become chronic and greatly diminishes the quality of life of patients, preventing them from performing daily activities such as riding a bicycle or motorcycle. Direct trauma caused by falling backwards is a common cause .

• Spondylolysis: frequent in young athletes, even teenagers, who practice sports such as gymnastics, pole vaulting and soccer, which require frequent hyperextension of the lumbar spine.
• Spondylolisthesis: is a condition of the spine that occurs when one vertebra is displaced or has slipped forward or backward over the one below it, decreasing the diameter of the neural canal.
• Muscular back pain or muscle-ligament strain: this is the most common sports injury caused by an injury to the soft tissues surrounding the spine. In cases where the pain becomes chronic, it may be a cervical-dorsal or lumbar myofascial syndrome. This type of back pain is the result of a number of different factors.

For 9 out of 10 people, back pain is not caused by any specific condition and is called non-specific or idiopathic back pain.

This type of back pain is the result of a number of different factors, such as:

• Bad postures.
• Weakness of the muscles of the back and abdomen.
• Muscle tension or spasm.
• Additional pressure on the spine from too much sitting, for example, in an office environment.
• Little physical activity, unhealthy weight…

Symptoms of Lower Back Pain

The symptoms of back pain can be:

• Throbbing, burning or intense pain that does not go away or comes back after using home remedies such as ice, over-the-counter medications, massage or physical therapies.
• Tension or habitual stiffness, especially after lying, sitting or standing for long periods of time.
• Trouble sleeping.
• Weakness in the lower extremities with numbness or tingling in one or both legs.

How to differentiate acute from chronic back pain?

It can be difficult to distinguish between acute and chronic back pain, but time is the main indicator.

• The most common symptom of acute back pain is a sharp, burning or sudden onset of pain .
• In the case of chronic back pain, symptoms may come on quickly or accumulate over time, but last longer than six weeks or recur.

Risk factors for upper or lower back pain

It can be caused by an accident, a fall or by lifting something heavy.

It may also develop slowly, as a result of age-related changes in the spine.

Although anyone can have back pain, there are a number of factors that increase the risk of back pain:

• Age: the first attack of low back pain usually occurs between 30 and 40 years of age. The older you are, the more likely it is that you will notice some discomfort.
• Physical fitness: Back pain is more common among people who are physically unfit. Weak back and abdominal muscles may not adequately support the spine.
• Weight: overweight and obese people put added strain on their back.
• Occupational risk factors: some jobs such as heavy lifting, pushing or pulling. Office jobs where you spend many hours sitting can cause or contribute to pain, especially if you have poor posture or sit in an uncomfortable chair all day.
• Genetic factors: some causes of back pain, such as ankylosing spondylitis, which is a form of arthritis affecting the spine, are linked to genetics.
• Other diseases: various forms of arthritis such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.