Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most widespread causes of lost work time and long-lasting discomfort, and it often turns into a chronic health problem. If back pain is affecting your life, board-certified pain management specialist Carlos Viesca, MD, and his team offer effective treatments to help reduce and resolve your pain at Border Pain Institute. For compassionate care from a physician who puts your needs first, contact the El Paso, Texas, office by phone or through the online booking button.

What causes back pain?

Some back pain can develop over time because of long-term tissue deterioration, while others happen suddenly when you sustain an injury. Having poor posture is also likely to contribute to back problems.

Sometimes back pain results from a combination of factors. For example, deterioration of the discs that cushion the vertebrae in your spine could lead to a narrowing of your spinal canal (spinal stenosis) that puts pressure on the spinal cord, causing acute pain in your back or legs.

Causes of chronic back pain include:

• Osteoarthritis
• Scoliosis
• Osteoporosis
• Spinal stenosis
• Sciatica
• Degenerative disc disease
• Spondylosis
• Spondylolysis
• Herniated discs

Acute injuries to the back are most often caused by moving awkwardly or putting too much strain on your back, such as pulling a muscle when lifting a heavy object. Falls, auto accidents, and sports injuries are also common causes of acute back pain.

What can I do to prevent back pain?

You can do a great deal to help prevent back pain. For optimal back health, you should:

• Get regular exercise (but don’t overdo it!)
• Do stretching exercises
• Avoid slouching and make sure your work area is ergonomically correct
• Use safe lifting techniques
• Take up yoga or Pilates
• Practice core-strengthening exercises
• Maintain a healthy weight

The team at Border Pain Institute can help you keep your back strong and healthy by giving you advice on how to look after your spine.

What treatments are there for back pain?

Mild muscle strains usually respond to a combination of rest, gentle movement, medicated creams, and hot or cold compresses. For anything more than mild back pain, or if a few days of treatment at home aren’t reducing your back pain, you need to visit Border Pain Institute.

At your consultation, the team carries out a thorough physical exam and discusses your symptoms with you. They might ask you to move in specific ways to see how restricted your movements are to evaluate possible nerve damage in your back.

There are also diagnostic imaging tests such as X-rays and CT or MRI scans that the team might well use to pinpoint the source of your pain and assess the extent of an injury or deterioration.

The treatment you need for your back pain depends on what’s causing it, and the team partners with you to create an individualized treatment plan tailored to your specific needs and the nature of your condition. Possible therapies that might be in your plan include:

• Physical therapy
• Massage therapy
• Acupuncture
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
• Muscle relaxant medication
• Topical pain-relieving medication
• Cortisone injections
• Nerve blocks

Border Pain Institute provides ongoing care and monitoring and adjusts your treatment plan as needed. If you need more invasive treatments, the taem works closely with different specialists in back pain, including spine surgeons, in case surgery is necessary.

Back pain can take its toll on both your physical and emotional health. For comprehensive care from a physician focused on helping you get the relief you need, feel free to reach out to Border Pain Institute by calling the office or requesting an appointment online.