Common causes of back pain include, but are not limited to:
- Lumbar spondylosis or degeneration
- Lumbar stenosis with or without sciatic pain
- Ruptured or herniated disc
- Degenerative disc disease
- Sacroiliitis
- Muscle strains or deconditioning.
Back Pain
About 80% of adults experience back pain at some point in their lives. Back pain is one of the most common reasons people go to the doctor. It is the most common cause of job-related disability, and a leading contributor to missed workdays.
There are many causes of lower back pain. Luckily, back pains rarely require surgery and can be treated with conservative measures and interventional treatment options.
Compression Fractures
Compression fractures cause severe, quick onset pain typically in the mid to lower back. Elder patients, especially those with osteoporosis, are at risk of compression fractures. Compression fractures can easily be identified on imaging and if acute, an outpatient interventional procedure can oftentimes provide immediate relief.
Neck Pain
Neck pain is a common complaint affecting much of the adult population. Approximately 30%-50% experience some form of neck pain each year, with 50%-85% never receiving the symptomatic relief they require.
Common causes of neck pain originate from strained or inflamed muscles. Arthritis, including osteoarthritis and other causes of arthritis, can cause more severe forms of neck pain, especially within elderly individuals. Some pain may persist despite previous surgical interventions.
Neuropathy
Neuropathy is damage or dysfunction of one or more nerves, typically resulting in numbness, tingling, muscle weakness and pain in the affected area.
Joint Pain
Joint pain can be discomfort, pain or inflammation arising from any part of a joint including cartilage, bone, ligaments, tendons, or muscles. Most commonly, however, joint pain refers to arthritis within the joint itself. Degeneration and pain can occur from the individual joints in our spine to the large joints in
our upper and lower extremities.
Headache/Migraine
Headaches are unpleasant pains in your head that can cause pressure and aching. The pain can range from mild to severe, and usually occur on both sides of your head. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common headache type is a tension headache. Triggers for this headache type include stress, muscle strain, and anxiety.
Migraine headaches are more intense or severe compared to the common headache, and often exude other symptoms in addition to head pain.
Roughly 36 million people—12% of the population—suffer from migraine headaches. Women are affected three times more than men.
The presentation of headaches varies from person to person. The most important aspect of treatment is making the right diagnosis, then developing and following the correct treatment program.
Advanced Techniques
Chronic pain significantly debilitates roughly 10% of the population in the United States resulting in decreased functionality and poor quality of life. For this reason, the treatment of chronic pain is ever evolving as new and innovative technology and treatment are being discovered.
At Magic Valley Pain Specialists, we embrace new and proven technologies. We are constantly pursuing new treatments that will help our patients enhance their quality of life.