What’s Causing Your Extreme Lower Back Pain?
Extreme lower back pain is one of the most common reasons people visit their physician. In fact, according to the National Institutes of Health, about 80 percent of adults will experience back pain at some point during their lifetime. Finding relief from lower back pain often means determining the source of the pain — which can be challenging.
Many conditions can lead to lower back pain. If left untreated, the pain may increase in severity and result in long-term debilitation. Let’s take a look at what could be causing your moderate to extreme lower back pain and examine appropriate treatment options.
Overlapping Symptoms of Extreme Lower Back Pain
Severe lower back pain can be caused by multiple factors, including bulging discs, sciatica, degenerative disc disease, disc herniation or injury to a back muscle. As mentioned above, the challenge is locating the origin of the pain. Often, pain will radiate to the buttocks, groin, thighs and even the knees.
Pain location helps in determining the source of the impairment. Groin pain, for example, is often associated with a hip condition. Buttock pain typically will prompt examination of the spine for the pain origin. To gain an accurate picture, physical therapists conduct a comprehensive health history and examination, including an assessment of the patient’s gait, range of motion, posture alignment, and further objective and subjective measures.
Frequently, back pain will dissipate with treatment and patience. If back pain lasts longer than 72 hours or is paired with any of the following overlapping symptoms, seek professional treatment:
- Leg Pain- If extreme lower back pain is radiating down your leg, it could indicate lumbar nerve root irritation. This may lead to muscle weakness, numbness, persistent pain and tingling sensations.
- Bowel/Bladder Incontinence- Bowel or bladder issues paired with extreme lower back pain could be due to Cauda equina syndrome. Cauda equina syndrome is commonly caused by a disc herniation or spinal trauma. Immediate medical attention is required. A person suffering from these symptoms need to go to a nearby emergency department for examination and treatment.
- Full Body Reactions- If lower back pain presents with flu-like symptoms, such as fevers, chills, dizziness, sweating, and a general feeling of malaise, are signs your body could be reacting to something else such as an infection. Once again medical attention is required. A physician should be seen as soon as possible to help determine the reason for these symptoms.
Physical Therapy Should Be First Point of Care for Extreme Lower Back Pain
A recent study, published in Health Services Research found that patients with lumbar spine pain benefit from seeing a physical therapist first. Patients consulting a physical therapist as the first point of care have an 89 percent lower probability of receiving an opioid prescription. They also face significantly lower out-of-pocket costs.
“‘This study shows the importance of interprofessional collaboration when studying complex problems such as low-back pain. We found important relationships among physical therapy intervention, utilization, and cost of services and the effect on opioid prescriptions,’ said Dr. Ken Harwood, lead investigator for The George Washington University.” Physical therapy is in the front line of treatment for low back pain and the fight against the opioid epidemic.
Treatment in NJ for Extreme Lower Back Pain
When extreme lower back pain occurs, you need to find relief. And fast.
Proper treatment for extreme lower back pain depends on the source and causes of the pain. As the above study concludes, those with low back pain are well advised to seek out the services of a physical therapist who upon examination of the individual, determine the appropriate next step toward recovery. That may involve physical therapy interventions as indicated. However, physical therapists will also refer to the appropriate health care professional upon determining the impairments are beyond the scope of physical therapy.
If extreme lower back pain is burdening your quality of life, don’t hesitate to schedule a no-obligation appointment at one of our 23 convenient New Jersey clinics. At Twin Boro, we take the time to properly evaluate and treat patients dealing with extreme lower back pain to help them find relief.
Call us at1-732-444-3578 to schedule your appointment today.
Twin Boro Physical Therapy: Voted Readers’ Choice Best of New Jersey
Voted Readers’ Choice Best of New Jersey, Twin Boro has provided NJ residents with high quality physical therapy and rehab for over 39 years! It’s our award-winning approach, proven results and reputation that sets us apart. By incorporating the One2Four program into each patient’s program, the latest and most reliable scientific research and techniques are incorporated into effective evidence-based practice. We deliver only the highest standard of care with the unique One2Four approach.
It’s no surprise that Twin Boro Physical Therapy has also been voted the best physical therapy practice in New Jersey by the readers of mycentraljersey.com.
