Low Back Pain

Lower back pain diagnosis can at times be extremely difficult given the wide variety of tissues in the lumbar area and its’ vicinity that could potentially be causing that pain. Besides the usual suspects such as sprains and strains, ruptured discs, traumatic sports injuries, spinal stenosis, and scoliosis, the physician must rule out infections, tumors, kidney stones, abdominal aortic occlusion and/or aneurysm, etc. Other things that need to be ruled out include but are not limited to: fibromyalgia, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. As one can imagine the list goes on and on. Extensive medical history and physical exam are supplemented by a wide choice of imaging and diagnostic studies: X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, discography, EMG studies, bone scans, ultrasound imaging, etc. Minimally invasive interventional pain management procedures are also an option for those who suffer from pain. The job of a well-trained and experienced pain management specialist is to try to minimize patient’s pain and hopefully delay or even completely avoid the surgery. It is pain management specialist’s responsibility to properly diagnose, treat, and to create an individually tailored treatment approach for every single patient.