Back Pain Symptoms

Back pain can be:

• Acute: lasting less than 3 months. Most people gain relief after 4 to 6 weeks of home treatment.
• Recurrent: a repeat episode of acute symptoms. Most people have at least one episode of recurrent lower back pain.
• Chronic: lasting longer than 3 months.

This color enhanced sagital (lateral) MRI image of the cervical spine shows severe multilevel degenerative changes of the spine with spinal cord compression. The bony spine is blue and the spinal cord is gold. THere is a disc herniation at C3-4 and less at C4-5 causing spinal cord compression.

The term "lower back pain" is used to describe a spectrum of symptoms. Depending on the cause, lower back pain may be dull, burning, or sharp, covering a broad area or confined to a single point. It can worsen gradually or suddenly and may or may not be accompanied by muscle spasms or stiffness.

Leg symptoms can be caused by lower spine problems placing pressure on a nerve to the leg. The symptoms can occur on their own or along with lower back pain. Leg symptoms can include pain, numbness, or tingling, usually below the knee.

Weakness in both legs, along with loss of bladder and/or bowel control, are symptoms of cauda equine syndrome, which requires immediate medical attention.

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Numbness and tingling are felt when nerve impulses are not traveling properly from the skin to the brain. A patient with back problems may also experience numbness in other parts of the body, especially the legs and feet. These symptoms, when reported, indicate some kind of nerve damage in the peripheral nervous system or the central nervous system (i.e. the spine or the brain) and requires prompt and serious attention.

Common causes of numbness include the following:

• Radiculopathy - A pinched nerve due to a herniated disc.
• Stenosis - A narrowing of the spinal canal, which can compress sensory nerve fibers causing loss of sensation.
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Stroke
• Diabetes

LSI performs endoscopic procedures such as a foraminotomy, laminotomy, percutaneous endoscopic discectomy, or a facet thermal ablation to relieve your back pain symptoms to help you start living your life again without restrictions. The professional Laser Spine Institute staff has performed these procedures hundreds of times granting patients a new lease on life.

If you still have questions left unanswered please take a moment and view our back pain FAQ page where the experts at LSI have comprised a list of the most common questions they encounter. Feel free to contact us if you have any further questions or would like to know how LSI can help you start living life to its fullest.

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