Alternatives to Surgery for Chronic Back Pain

Chronic back pain can be debilitating and impact your quality of life. While some doctors may jump to recommend back surgery as a treatment option, it is not always the best or only option. Back surgery can be expensive and requires extensive recovery. Even worse, many people are disappointed in the level of pain relief after undergoing surgery. Failed back surgery syndrome, or FBSS, can occur, leaving patients in pain. At Hanowell Spine Clinic, we focus on alternatives to back surgery that offer relief for chronic back pain.

Chronic back pain can be complicated to diagnose, which is why surgery does not always relieve the source of pain. Even if diagnostic imaging and tests show a spinal fracture or herniated disc that could be the source of pain, it may not be the only contributing factor. Surgery may repair the damage, but it does not always relieve the pain patients are experiencing. Our team at Hanowell Spine Clinic prefers to recommend conservative, minimally-invasive treatments that offer relief without surgery.

Injection Therapies for Back Pain

Targeting the source of pain with injection therapies can be very effective in relieving and managing chronic back pain. We use ultrasound or image-guided injections to pinpoint the source of chronic back pain. Some of the types of injection therapies we offer for back pain include:

• Epidural steroid injections
• Trigger point injections (muscle spasms or muscle pain)
• Facet joint injections (osteoarthritis pain relief)
• PRP injections (regenerative medicine)
• Vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty for compression fractures
• SI joint injections
• Long and short axis sacroplasty

Most injection therapies can be performed in an office setting and do not require downtime or recovery. Some more complicated injection therapies, like vertebroplasty or sacroplasty, may require some downtime, but is minimal in comparison to surgery.

Myofascial Release Therapy

Many chronic back pain patients suffer from issues involving the muscles, tendons and fascia tissues in the back. Myofascial release therapy can help loosen tightened muscles through massage, exercises and stretching, both in-clinic and at home. This can be an effective option for treating many types of chronic back pain, often combined with other treatments.

Surgery for back pain should always be a last resort when conservative or alternative therapies have proven ineffective. If you suffer from chronic back pain and live near Covington, Monroe or Conyers, GA, come see us at Hanowell Spine Clinic. We offer many minimally or non-invasive treatments to give you relief from back pain.