Back pain is one of the most common problems among American adults. Because back pain is so common, it can be hard to decide when you should treat it yourself and when it’s time to seek professional help.

At The Spine Care Center in Manassas, our experts have treated thousands of people with back pain. If you are suffering from ongoing back pain, then get in touch with our office to schedule an appointment. Our compassionate and knowledgeable spine care doctors will work to help you find effective back pain treatments that allow you to fully live your life.
In general, our physicians recommend that you seek medical attention for your back pain if:

Pain Medicine Doesn’t Help

If traditional over-the-counter pain medicines aren’t helping to fully relieve your pain, or if you don’t improve in a few days, then it’s time to see a spine doctor. Minor aches and pains are easily handled by these medicines, but when they don’t work, then it may be an indication that something more serious has occurred. This is particularly true if over-the-counter treatments have worked before but no longer have the same effect.

At The Spine Care Center, we offer a number of advanced back pain management and surgical spine solutions, such as injections, implantable nerve stimulators, minimally invasive spine surgery, and several other treatment options to provide you with long-term relief.

You Have Other Symptoms, Too

Back pain by itself is bad enough, but if it causes other symptoms, then you should seek treatment immediately. Other symptoms may include:

  • Shooting pain down your arms or legs
  • Numbness in your arms or legs
  • Trouble controlling your bowels or bladder
  • Trouble walking
  • Trouble lifting or gripping objects
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Fever

These symptoms may indicate that you have a more serious problem, like sciatica, spinal stenosis, infections, or a spinal tumor. Regardless of the cause, it’s important to seek out treatment so that your physician can help you recover as quickly as possible. Your Spine Care Center physician may recommend imaging tests like an MRI or a CT scan to help accurately diagnose spine problems.

You Can’t Sleep 

Sleep deprivation is associated with higher blood pressure, obesity, depression, and increased risk of accidents. If your pain is so severe that you have difficulty falling or staying asleep, it is putting you at risk of much bigger problems.

Most back pain does not get worse at night and is typically improved by lying down. If your pain is worse at night, or when you lie down, that can also indicate that your back pain has a more serious cause, like disc degeneration or spinal stenosis.

You Have a History of Health Conditions

Some health conditions or medicines can increase your risk of serious back problems. You should see your doctor about back pain if you have a history of:

  • Cancer
  • Osteoporosis
  • Steroid use
  • Use of immunosuppressant medicines

It’s Been More Than a Few Days

Even if you are not experiencing the symptoms listed above, you should still see a doctor if you have back pain that occurs consistently for more than a few days. A spine doctor can help you find the cause of your pain and provide you with a personalized solution to improve your spinal health.

At The Spine Care Center, we see a lot of patients who believe they have just “thrown their back out,” but don’t get better with time. These are people that can be helped by our cutting-edge back pain treatments.

Is it time you see a doctor about back pain? Contact The Spine Care Center in Manassas at (703) 257-2266 or request an appointment online. No matter what’s causing your back pain, our spine doctors will work to find an effective solution.

Schedule your appointment with our office today!