Back Pain
Back pain can affect daily activities, mobility, and quality of life. Evaluation may include your medical history, a physical examination, and imaging to understand the cause.
Request My ConsultationStart by understanding your symptoms
Back pain can be a persistent ache or a sharp, shooting sensation. It may stay in the lower back or extend into the buttocks and legs. Stiffness, muscle spasms, and pain with bending or lifting can make daily tasks harder.
Understanding the underlying cause helps guide treatment. Your medical history, examination, and imaging are part of that evaluation. Care is tailored to your symptoms and situation.
How it feels
Aching, shooting pain, stiffness, and spasms can affect people differently.
What affects it
Sitting, standing, bending, lifting, or twisting may change your symptoms.
How care is planned
Options include physical therapy, medication, and surgery in some cases.
Procedures, explained simply.
Explore each category for a short explanation and available videos. Your team will explain which, if any, fit your diagnosis.
Decompression / laminectomy
Decompression creates more room for spinal nerves. A laminectomy removes part of the bone at the back of a vertebra to relieve pressure.
Microdiscectomy
Microdiscectomy removes the portion of a herniated disc pressing on a spinal nerve. The animation below explains disc removal.
Artificial disc replacement
Also called lumbar arthroplasty, this motion-preserving procedure replaces a damaged lower-back disc with an artificial disc designed to maintain movement at that level.
Spinal fusion
Fusion joins two or more vertebrae to limit movement between them. The approach depends on your anatomy, diagnosis, and treatment plan.
- PLIF / TLIF: approaches from the back of the spine.
- ALIF: an approach from the front of the body.
- Lateral fusion: an approach from the side of the body.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS)
An implanted device delivers electrical pulses to help manage certain types of persistent pain. A temporary trial helps assess whether stimulation is helpful before a permanent implant is considered.
Kyphoplasty
For selected painful vertebral compression fractures, a small balloon creates space inside the fractured bone. After the balloon is removed, bone cement is placed to help stabilize the vertebra.
Post-op with Chase
Find the video for your procedure. Follow the personalized instructions from your care team.
Understand your care
Common symptoms
- Dull, aching pain: persistent discomfort that may worsen with prolonged sitting or standing.
- Sharp or shooting pain: a more intense sensation that may travel into the buttocks or legs.
- Stiffness: difficulty moving, bending, or twisting comfortably.
- Muscle spasms: sudden, involuntary contractions that can be painful.
- Pain with movement: symptoms that increase with bending, lifting, or twisting.
Treatment options
Treatment options include physical therapy, medications, and, in some cases, surgery. Treatment begins with identifying the underlying cause of your pain.
Specialized care, customized to you.
Contact Huntsman Spinal Clinic to discuss your care.