Low Back Pain

Low back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal diseases. In the vast majority of cases, low back pain will resolve within 4-6 weeks. You may need further evaluation by a specialist if your pain lasts for longer than 4-6 weeks and/or is uncontrolled by anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxants and/or does not improve with physical therapy. Warning signs for possible nerve or spinal cord compression are numbness/tingling in one or both legs, weakness in one or both legs, severe pain in one or both legs, bowel or bladder incontinence. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms you may need earlier referral to a specialist.

Common causes include strained muscles, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, arthritis of the spine, degenerative disc disease, and vertebral compression fractures. Our doctors will carefully take your history, physical examination, and order x-ray/CT scan/MRI. This will lead us to diagnose the source or sources of your low back pain.

Management of low back pain depends on the etiology of the pain. Our doctors will work with you to first diagnose the source of the pain and then form a comprehensive treatment plan addressing all aspects of your low back pain. Possible treatments range from non-invasive therapy such as physical therapy and medication to minimally invasive options such as epidural steroid injections. These epidural steroid injections provide significant reduction in inflammation and pain. They also help localize and confirm the source of the pain, providing diagnostic information and allowing the creation of a more well-defined and accurate long-term plan of treatment. If a patient has failed conservative, non-surgical options, it is reasonable to consider surgical intervention. We take great care to individualize your treatment so that you are given the tools necessary to get the relief you are looking for.

At Willis Knighton Spine & Pain Specialists, our goal is to reduce your low back pain and improve your function so that you experience an increase in your quality of life. Call our office to schedule an appointment in either our Bossier City or Shreveport locations.

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