Back Injury Treatment Specialists in NJ

Last updated: Dec 21, 2021

Back Injury

No matter how careful or fit you are, a back injury can happen at any time — in a car accident or when playing contact sports. You can hurt your back by twisting awkwardly. When you’re in pain, come to Redefine Healthcare in northeastern New Jersey for top-quality care. Allow a pain management specialist to relieve your pain while addressing the underlying problem. Call today for an appointment with Dr. Freeman pain doctor in NJ and get immediate care.

Common back injuries can either be acute and short-term or chronic and long-term. Acute pain can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Chronic pain can last for months, making it difficult to pinpoint the cause. Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts more than 12 weeks.

Back injuries might leave you with a dull ache or a sharp pain in your back. You can injure your back in a variety of ways and in a number of areas, including your upper back, middle back, or lower back. The older you get, the more likely you are to get hurt, but a back injury may happen to anyone at any age, especially active adults.

Maintain your back strength with doctor-approved exercises. Lift with awareness of your body and pay attention to your posture. These precautions can help you avoid back injuries. If you do hurt your back, visit the pain management experts at Redefine Healthcare’s pain center in NJ which has four locations in northeastern New Jersey.

The Many Ways You Can Injure Your Back

Your central nervous system contains 31 pairs of nerve roots that exit your spinal cord. They control everything from body movements to pain signals. If your back is compromised, either through a nerve impingement or a pulled muscle, you will have pain and possibly even limited flexibility.

Acute lower back pain is the most common injury symptom. Almost 80% of adults suffer from low back pain, which is often caused by work-related or sports-related accidents.

Causes of back pain include:

• Overstretching, which causes a muscle or tendon strain or a ligament sprain;
• Tearing a ligament, tendon, or muscle;
• Lifting a load that’s too heavy for you or doing it improperly;
• Getting hit directly on your back in an accident or fall;
• Having an existing medical condition, such as arthritis or osteoporosis, leading to a compression fracture.

Take Care of Your Back

To avoid being left on the sidelines, make time for pre-activity stretches and warm-ups to keep your body strong and supple. Concentrate on preparing your back for the twisting and reaching required in your sport or exercise activity. Warm-up before the game if you’re a weekend warrior.

You’re at risk if you don’t exercise regularly or lead an otherwise sedentary lifestyle. Infrequent exercise throughout the week, followed by an extreme increase on the weekend, can result in painful back injuries, especially as you become older. If this describes you, make sure you warm up before joining the fun.

Risk Factors for Back Injuries

You may believe you are invincible if you are young and reasonably strong. It’s a common attitude among young adults — active men and women in their twenties and thirties — yet it lays the groundwork for a careless back injury.

You may have a high risk of injuring your back or spine if you:

• Are between 30 and 50 years of age;
• Have suffered the loss of bone strength from osteoporosis that can lead to fractures;
• Noticed a decrease in muscle tone and elasticity;
• Suspect that your vertebral discs have begun to lose fluid, decreasing their ability to cushion the bones of your spine;
• Aren’t physically fit through a regular exercise regimen;
• Have weak back and abdominal muscles that don’t support your spine;
• Are pregnant and have back pain, although it usually resolves post-partum;
• Have gained weight, which puts additional stress on your back;
• Work at a job requiring heavy lifting, pushing, pulling, twisting, or vibrating your spine;
• Have a desk job, but practice poor posture with inadequate back support;
• Suffer from anxiety and depression, possibly causing muscle tension.

Treatments for Back Injuries in NJ

Back pain can be scary if you don’t know what’s causing it. That is the value of a correct diagnosis. Then, your pain management specialist can create a customized treatment plan for you. Upper back injury treatment may differ from low back injury treatment. It all depends on the source of your pain. At Redefine Healthcare, you can expect non-surgical procedures that effectively deal with your back pain.

Your back injury treatment may involve:

• Physical therapy to strengthen surrounding muscles and restore the flexibility of your spine;
• Painkilling medications, either taken orally or injected into your problem area, allow you to participate in healing physical therapy without pain;
• Lubricating injections that include anti-inflammatory medicine to speed healing and reduce pain;
• Topical treatments that work from the outside in, lessening your pain.

Even if you’re physically active, work to stay fit, and stick to your weekly exercise routines, you may still end up injuring your back. Anyone can sustain a back injury.

To get an accurate diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and a management plan, you need to consult the best pain management team in New Jersey. Contact Dr. Freeman, the best pain doctor in NJ, and the team at Redefine Healthcare to receive the treatment that gets you back into the game. Get fit and healthy for long and active life.