Back Pain
5 Signs it’s Time to See a Pain Management Specialist for Your Back Pain
It’s no surprise that back pain is common. What you may not realize is just how common back pain really is. 80 percent of all adults worldwide will experience back pain at some point in their lives.
It is the one condition men and women experience equally, and a quarter of adults have had some form of back pain in the last three months. Considering the world’s population of more than 7 billion people, that’s 1.75 billion people experiencing back pain either now or in the recent past.
However, in most cases people will not seek medical attention from a pain management specialist, opting instead to take a “wait and see” approach. Fortunately, there are five key signs that you need to make the call.
1. You are frequently taking pain medication.
2. You experience pain doing normal daily activities.
3. You are missing work because of your back pain.
4. Your back pain is getting progressively worse.
5. Your back pain is no worse, but it is no better either.
While back pain is not considered chronic until it has persisted for 12 weeks or longer, most physicians will tell you that even subacute back pain, pain that has gone on longer than 4 weeks but less than 12, can be effectively treated with many techniques at their disposal. If your back pain isn’t getting any better or worse, you may still be a candidate for pain management.
Whether your back pain is sudden and severe or progressing over time, you don’t have to simply “live with it”. Call today for your consultation and find out if pain management is right for you.