Start with someone who specializes in non-surgical treatments for back pain. This may include a physiatrist, chiropractor, physical therapist, orthopedic physician assistant, or nurse practitioner. They can evaluate your condition and offer appropriate treatments to help alleviate pain. Most back pain will go away after a few days, but if you've been feeling pain for more than a week, it's time to call a doctor.
The doctor will do any necessary tests or tests to help get to the bottom of the pain before it becomes a bigger problem. As with many health problems, prevention and early treatment of problems are critical. Your primary care doctor is usually a good place to start, if you have one. Your doctor should already have a fairly thorough understanding of your medical history, especially if you see him every year. This information can help them determine the possible causes of back pain.
You can expect your primary care doctor to perform a physical evaluation and ask you questions about the onset, duration, and severity of low back pain. Another common treatment option for low back pain is to visit a chiropractor. Chiropractors are not doctors, but they must complete their training and have a license to practice. Chiropractors will manipulate joints with their hands to alleviate pain.
They primarily treat the spine, including the back and neck, but they can also treat other parts of the body. An orthopedist is a doctor with specialized training in the musculoskeletal system. This includes bones and muscles, as well as connective tissues, such as tendons. and ligaments.
Orthopedists may recommend conservative treatments, such as physical therapy and support equipment, such as braces. In more serious cases, you may need to see an orthopedic surgeon to find out if surgery is necessary to treat back pain. Physical therapists specialize in movement and can help treat movement dysfunction. Many (but not all) physical therapists have a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree.
However, a physical therapist is not a doctor (MD). Physical therapists can develop a treatment plan that includes specific exercises and stretching that you can do at home or in a clinic under supervision. These exercises can improve range of motion, strengthen specific muscles, and train the body to move more effectively. This can help improve posture and correct gait imbalances.
Depending on the circumstances related to low back pain, your primary care doctor may refer you to a pain management specialist. This type of doctor has special training in diagnosing and treating chronic pain, such as low back pain that lasts 3 months or longer. Neurologists (doctors who treat nerve pain) and anesthesiologists (doctors who use medications to help reduce pain) are specific types of pain management specialists. All of these conditions can cause pain in the lower back.
A rheumatologist may prescribe medications that prevent the immune system from causing inflammation in the spine. A massage therapist may work alone or as part of a larger practice that incorporates other specialties, such as chiropractic and physical therapy. A massage therapist is not a doctor, but most states require that they have a license to practice. Like a massage therapist, an acupuncturist may have their own office or share an office with professionals from related disciplines.
Acupuncturists aren't doctors, but most states require a license and many require board certification. Physical therapy takes home exercise to the next level. You can even do it along with other home treatments. Our experienced physical therapists will evaluate pain and how effectively your muscles and back work and move (range of motion).
They then make a treatment plan around this. You'll learn flexibility and strengthening exercises. You can also receive massages and myofascial releases, heat or cold therapy, hydrotherapy, or even transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. (TENS).
