Most back pain comes from strained muscles, worn or herniated discs, arthritis in the spine joints or a pinched nerve. At Advanced Physical Medicine in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, we find the source and treat it without surgery, using ultrasound-guided injections, physical therapy, MLS laser, regenerative medicine and, for long-lasting pain, spinal cord stimulation.
Back pain can be a dull ache, a sharp catch or a burning pain that runs into the leg. Common symptoms include:
Pain that lasts more than three months is considered chronic. Chronic back pain often has more than one source, such as a worn disc together with tight, guarded muscles, so the best results usually come from treating each part.
The spine is made of bones, discs, joints, nerves and muscles, and any of them can hurt. Causes we treat every day include:
Pain in the buttock that runs down the leg can also come from piriformis syndrome.
Dr. Stephen Wilson, MD, is double board-certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine and has more than 25 years of experience treating pain. We examine you, review imaging, and use EMG and nerve conduction testing when a nerve may be pinched. Your plan may include:
Epidural steroid injections calm inflamed nerve roots from a herniated disc or stenosis, and facet and SI joint injections treat arthritic joints. Most of our injections use ultrasound guidance. See our interventional procedures. If pain runs down your leg, see sciatica treatment.
Our in-house physical therapy team builds core strength, flexibility and safe lifting habits so the pain is less likely to come back.
MLS laser therapy reduces pain and inflammation, and trigger point injections release painful muscle knots in the back.
PRP and prolotherapy, part of our regenerative medicine program, may help injured ligaments and joints in the back heal.
For back and leg pain that has not improved with other care, including after back surgery, spinal cord stimulation may be an option, starting with a short trial.
Most back strains improve within a few weeks. Book a visit if your pain lasts longer than that, keeps returning, travels down the leg or comes with numbness or tingling.
Go to the emergency room for back pain with loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the groin, quickly worsening leg weakness, a fever, or after a serious fall or accident.
A lumbar strain usually causes aching and stiffness in the lower back, muscle spasms, and pain that gets worse with bending or lifting. It normally does not cause numbness or tingling in the leg.
Gentle movement, heat or ice, good posture at your desk and short breaks from sitting usually help. If pain in the middle of the back lasts more than a few weeks, have it checked.
One-sided low back pain is often a muscle strain, a facet or SI joint problem, or a pinched nerve. Kidney problems can also cause pain in that area, so pain with fever or urinary symptoms needs a doctor quickly.
Most people with a herniated disc improve without surgery, using therapy and, when needed, an epidural injection. If surgery is the better choice for you, we will explain why and refer you.
Advanced Physical Medicine accepts most major insurance plans. Some treatments, such as regenerative injections, may be self-pay, and our staff will go over coverage and costs with you before you start.
Book a visit with Advanced Physical Medicine at 24345 Harper Ave, St. Clair Shores, Michigan, or call us at (586) 563-3300. We will find out what is behind your back pain and talk you through every option before anything is decided.
