Do you need Help with Back Pain?

If you’re experiencing back pain, you’re not alone. Back pain is one of the most commonly experienced medical problems in the United States – and not just with athletes. Everyday tasks such as gardening and housework are common culprits of spinal injuries, along with improper posture or age. Back pain can take many forms. Sometimes it appears as a sharp and sudden pain while on other occasions be a constant dull aching.

You’re injured, now what?

Determining whether your back pain requires medical attention will depend on the severity of your injury. Since back injuries can occur at any moment, your primary physician may not be available to provide aid when it strikes.

Urgent care facilities can help you with your back pain. Those like the clinics that are part of UrgentMED can perform x-rays of the c-spine, l-spine, and t-spine in order to diagnose how severe your back pain is. If your back pain requires further medical attention, each of our clinics is closely connected with top rated specialists in the Southern California area. Additionally, we have two physical therapy centers attached to our West Los Angeles Urgent Care and West should your injury require rehabilitation.

Types of Back Pain

Many instances will heal on their own with the use of heating pads, painkillers, and rest. Only the severe types of back pain will require back surgery. So emergency rooms are rarely needed for this type of injury. In most instances, a physician or an urgent care facility would be the appropriate place to have your injury examined.

Back Sprain/Back Strain

Health professionals say that back sprains and back strains are one of the most common healthcare issues they encounter – second only to headaches. Back sprains are instances where a ligament is stretched or torn, while back strains involve the tendons that support the spine being either pulled, twisted or torn.

Acute Pain

Acute back pain is the most common type of back injury. This is the type of sharp, sudden pain that occurs due to activity (lifting something the wrong way, falling, a sudden movement). Acute pain typically doesn’t last longer than six weeks.

Chronic Pain

Back pain is categorized as chronic when the pain persists for longer than three months. This type of pain is much less frequent.

When do I need to see a doctor about back pain?

Most often, back injuries will heal on their own with the aid of rest, pain relievers, and hot/cold compresses. If you experience any of the following symptoms, it’s very likely that your back pain is not an isolated issue. And it will require further medical evaluation:

• Fever
• Persistent pain
• Trouble urinating
• Unintended weight loss
• Numbness/Tingling (particularly in the legs)

If you are experiencing acute pain, back pain directly related to an accident or fall, we highly recommend that you visit a physician. It’s important to ensure that more serious damage was not incurred by the incident.

When dealing with back pain, turn to the urgent care clinics of UrgentMED for fast relief. These walk-in friendly facilities have licensed physicians on hand seven days a week to provide medical assistance when you need it. Urgent care can help with back pain wherever you are as we have 14 convenient locations in the Southern California area. Visit one of our urgent care locations nearest you and get relief today!