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For any patient to receive any type of back pain treatment, the source of the pain must first be determined. This will be best done by a physician. This is because they have the expertise and knowledge to interpret the results accurately. They will also have the proper equipment to perform the required tests.
To prescribe the right back pain treatment will be determined from test that covers your range of motion, current nerve function and physical touching to find localized areas of discomfort. To discount that the pain is not from an illness or infection, blood and urine test should be performed. X-rays are also done to look for cracks in any bones including those that could have developed in the spinal column.
The nerve test is the one most of you will not be comfortable with. This is necessary to determine if surgery is necessary. Electrodes are placed at different ends of a particular nerve. For me it was from my neck to my fingers. An electrical current is then passed down the nerve. Since the amount of current that is sent is know, it is possible to determine if there is a loss along the nerve. In my case there was. Unfortunately this took multiple times to make sure the readings were correct. To isolate the exact area of loss, the doctor had to move the electrodes down my arm. This lasted for over an hour. With every test there was a current applied to the nerve. Now for the really bad news with each necessary current that flows through your nerves, you feel it. It feels just like it sounds, being electrocuted. The pain is tolerable but not preferred.
In the end it was determined I had 2 problems. One of the sources of my back pain was in my neck, the other was in my elbow. The problem in my elbow was treated with surgery. This was when a doctor moved the nerve in my elbow to release the pressure and strain that had been place on the nerve. The source of my back pain from the problem in my neck was not so simple. I was given a choice of back pain treatments. The first was surgery. This choice had the possibilities of not doing any good to paralyzing me.
The second option for my back pain treatment is the path I chose. This treatment was non-surgical. I have learned the proper stretching techniques for the muscles and learned to have better posture. The occasion massage also brings instant relief. This form of back pain treatment is currently working. I have had several opinions and if the pain gets too sever, acupuncture is the next logical step. My major problem is my fear of needles.
There is a third option some people chose, but it is only temporary relief as a form of back pain treatment and that is through pain medicine. My advice to you would be to avoid this as your back pain treatment due to the possibility of an addiction.
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Back Pain Treatment
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