Signs That Your Back Pain Is Serious in Vacaville

In many cases, there's no reason to be alarmed when you have back pain because it can be as commonplace as a sneeze, eye strain, and mild headache. Having non-specific low back pain in Vacaville is known to be a frequent ailment. A study has even reported that the chances of anyone experiencing chronic low back pain during their lifetime is as high as 84%.

However, there are also cases where you feel that your back pain isn't right and your gut tells you that something serious may be going on. Some people have even gone to the emergency room just for experiencing low back pain. In 2012, the United States has recorded that 3.15% of all emergency visits are due to low back pain.

If ever you're experiencing low back pain, you should at least know if it could considered be a mild or serious case. Through this, you'll at least know if it warrants a trip to the doctor or emergency room.

Serious signs in VACAVILLE

Back pain is very common and it is normally benign and self-limiting. There are signs and symptoms that you should watch out for, which could indicate that your low back pain is caused by a more serious medical condition and if it requires further evaluation and treatment.

These are the red flags that you need to observe:

• Pain at night
• Persistent fevers
• Blood in the stool or urine
• Unplanned weight loss
• Balance problems
• Sexual dysfunction
• Recent trauma
• Recent IV drug use
• Inability to urinate or have a bowel movement
• Loss of bowel or bladder control
• Progressive numbness or weakness in the legs
• Progressive worsening of pain despite relative rest
• Pain not alleviated or worsened by different positions

There are symptoms that appear suddenly while some can also ramp up gradually. Some conditions can also bring on these "red flags".

Possible conditions that can cause severe back pain

There are conditions that can cause intense back pain, in which many of them center on the bones or discs. Apart from that, there are instances where it could be due to kidney problems or other organs.

These are the possible conditions that can bring about extreme back pain:

• Fractures
• Meningitis
• Osteoporosis
• Tumors
• Disc herniations
• Multiple sclerosis
• Transverse myelitis
• GI ulcers
• Spinal instability
• Spinal stenosis
• Cauda equina syndrome
• Disc or bone infections
• Kidney stones or kidney infections
• Thoracic or abdominal aortic aneurysms

Spotting the signals

Going through the list of possible conditions can be daunting. However, the best thing that you can do is to focus on the symptoms and how you're feeling. Make sure to also observe if you have other symptoms other than back pain, especially on your leg function and bowel/bladder function.

If you have any of the red flag symptoms, the pain persists and doesn't relate to movement, you have a history of cancer, you recently underwent IV drug use, or a vascular disease, then you may be at risk for serious back conditions.

Diagnosis and treatment

Keep in mind that you don't have to go through these signs and symptoms all by yourself. You can always rely on the expertise of a doctor to help you with it.

If any of the red flag symptoms are present, you need to undergo an emergency imaging, evaluation, and bloodwork to verify your condition. Once you suspect that something is wrong, you need to undergo an early treatment because through this, you can avoid more serious conditions and symptoms.

Seek help for your back pain

This may sound dire but you should feel at ease upon knowing that 90% of low back pain presentations in the emergency room are benign. The important thing is that you stay calm as your pain and symptoms are being assessed and rely on medical experts to help you with what you're feeling.

Keep in mind that back pain is very common and most of the time it will be benign and self-limiting. If you are concerned about the presence of any red flag symptoms, then that's the time that you need to undergo an emergent evaluation. You should be transparent with your doctor about the symptoms, even if it's not related to back pain, so that they can develop the most appropriate treatment plan for you.