See a medical professional right away if you are experiencing severe back pain
Severe back pain should be evaluated right away in order to relieve pain, reduce any further damage and be sure that any underlying disorder is treated appropriately.
Severe back pain can be categorized as:
1. Naturopathic - caused by damage to nerve tissue, usually feels like burning or stabbing severe back pain.
2. Nocioceptive - caused by injury or disease not related to the nervous system and typically involves pressure and aching pain such as the pain of arthritis.
Some people who experience severe back pain feel a mix of the two types of pain.
To diagnose severe back pain, your physician will examine you to rule out organ- related disorders such as gall bladder disease or kidney stones and may do one or more of the following tests:
1. x-rays - painless, non-invasive imaging procedure that visualizes bone and soft tissue
2. CT scan - (computerized tomography scan) - painless imaging procedure that takes many x-rays through the body at various depths to create a cross-sectional image; best for evaluating blood, bone and tissue.
3. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) - painless, non-invasive procedure that uses magnets to excite hydrogen atoms, forming a cross sectional picture. MRI is considered the best diagnostic tool available for spinal disorders.
4. Myelogram- invasive procedure involves injecting dye into the area surrounding the spinal cord then taking x-rays. Used to diagnose disc ruptures and nerve compression.
5. Bone scan - Invasive procedure involves injecting dye into the blood system and scanning for high concentrations of the dye. The dye concentrates in areas of high bone tissue turnover that can mean tumor growth, infection or fractures.
6. Blood tests - tests may be used to look at chemical profile, hemoglobin and hematocrit, white blood cell count, etc.Blood tests can identify infections, inflammatory processes, tissue indicators for specific diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.
7. Electrodiagnostic Studies -- uses electrical stimulation to measure the speed of nerve impulses to identify possible nerve compression; needle test (electromyogram [EMG]) to study the effect of nerve compression on the muscle.
Treatment of severe back pain may include bed rest, narcotic pain killers, physical therapy, spinal manipulation and, in the case of some types of disc involvement, surgery.
Most severe back pain is not life-threatening though it can be very debilitating.
