Is Back Pain Always Caused By A Herniated Disc in Vacaville CA?

Almost all herniated discs happen in the lower back, which includes symptoms like back and leg pain. In fact, a herniated disc is one of the most common reasons for back pain and is probably the most serious. There are several other back problems that can cause many types of back pain, ranging from mild to acute to chronic back pain. However, they differ when it comes to the symptoms. If you are struggling with back pain, contact our Vacaville CA chiropractors today.

Back problems like arthritis, sciatica, slipped discs, and degenerative disc disease are common. For a back pain treatment to be successful, the symptoms must be accurately identified so that an accurate diagnosis can be made. Not all back pain happens in the lower back, in fact, spine pain can also be felt in the neck, upper, middle, and lower back.

Symptoms In Vacaville CA

A herniated disc can be difficult to diagnose because the pain can show itself in many ways. Although it is one of the most common spinal abnormalities, living with a herniated disc can interfere with one's life. The leg and back can have the most excruciating pain, which can make even simple regular activities like walking to be a very difficult task. In very rare instances, a herniated disc can end up in paralysis.

Even though back pain is sometimes associated with slipped spinal discs, there is no causal link that has been found between back pain and a herniated disc. In fact, certain studies have found that herniated discs are common in adults without pain compared to those who are already suffering from back pain.

Diagnosis

We mentioned just how difficult it is to receive an accurate diagnosis for a herniated disc, but it has been mostly used as a fallback diagnosis when there is no way of telling the exact underlying cause of back pain. In fact, some cases of a herniated disc have been misdiagnosed as sciatica because of the debilitating lower back and leg pain.

A herniated disc can sometimes be misdiagnosed as one of two problems, which include trauma or degenerative disc disease. Since the most common back problems include herniated discs and degenerative disc disease, they are often confused with one another. This is the reason why it's important for the symptoms to be identified prior to getting a diagnosis from your physician.

Since you're not a medical professional, there's no way of telling the difference between a herniated disc and a compressed sciatic nerve. However, once the key features of your symptoms have been identified, you can tell this your physician to get an accurate diagnosis.

Treatment

Once you've got an accurate diagnosis for whatever it is that's causing your back problem, you can now start getting treatment. Unfortunately, not all back pain treatments are working well for all back ailments, and your treatment depends entirely on your diagnosis.

When you have a slipped disc, it requires treatment that focuses on the spine and alignment with the help of inversion therapy and exercise balls. As for sciatica, it has many causes and will need different treatment plans that include chiropractic treatment. It is important for the treatment to be right otherwise; it will just make the back pain worse.

If you need help with your back pain problem, just visit our clinic here at Absolute Integrative Physical Medicine in Vacaville, CA. You can call us at (707) 474-5688 to schedule an appointment with our clinic as soon as possible.