Back pain affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. It is a major cause of work absence and pain that can have serious implications if it becomes chronic. Seeing a specialist in a back clinic may be just what you need to find relief and start feeling better.
When you first see a medical spine doctor, they will ask you to describe your pain: where is it located, does it feel like a broad ache or more of a sharp stab? They will also want to know how long the pain has been going on. This information helps them determine if you have an acute back problem related to an injury or whether you have chronic/persistent back pain.
Your doctor will then conduct a physical exam. They will move your back muscles and spine in certain ways to check for pain, muscle tenderness, stiffness and numbness. They will also do a basic blood test to look for infection.
Once they understand the extent of your pain and your medical history, your spine specialist will create a treatment plan that is specific to you. This could include nonsurgical treatments such as medications, physical therapy or injections. If the pain is severe and has not responded to these treatments, your doctor may recommend surgery.
This procedure is called laminectomy. It is used to treat spinal stenosis, which is narrowing of the space that nerves go through in your spine. During this procedure, your doctor removes the boney plate (lamina) on the back of a vertebra to make more room for the spinal nerves.