A Guide to Spine Disorders and How Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center Can Help

Did you know that one in three people will suffer from a spine disorder at some point in their lives? Spine disorders can be extremely painful and debilitating, which is why it is important to seek treatment as soon as possible. Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center offers services that can help improve the health of your spine. In this blog post, we will discuss some different types of spine disorders and how our team can help treat them.

Understanding Back Pain

When searching for help with back pain, it is best to start by taking a full inventory of your symptoms. Many different irritations and inflammations fall under the category of back pain. However, each one has its own set of likely causes. Narrowing down your symptoms to the regions where they occur and the sensations you feel will give our Austin team plenty to work with as they head into the testing and diagnosis phase.

What are Spine Disorders?

Spine disorders can refer to a variety of issues that affect the spine, such as scoliosis, herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, and more. These conditions typically cause pain in the back or neck and can limit mobility. The goal of treatment is to reduce pain and improve overall spine health.

Your backbone, or spine, is made up of 26 bone discs called vertebrae. The vertebrae protect your spinal cord and allow you to stand and bend. A number of problems can change the structure of the spine or damage the vertebrae and surrounding tissue. They include:

• Infections
• Injuries
• Tumors
• Conditions, such as ankylosing spondylitis and scoliosis
• Bone changes that come with age, such as spinal stenosis and herniated disks

Spinal diseases often cause pain when bone changes put pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. They can also limit movement. Treatments differ by disease, but sometimes they include back braces and surgery.

Common Spine Problems

1. Herniated Discs:

A herniated disc is a condition in which one of the vertebrae rubs against another, causing pain and discomfort. Symptoms can include:

• Lower back and leg pain
• Numbness or tingling in the legs or feet
• Muscle weakness

Treatment for herniated discs typically involves physical therapy, medications, lifestyle changes, and possibly surgery. Our team of experts can develop a personalized treatment plan to help manage your herniated disc symptoms.

2. Degenerative Disc Disease:

Degenerative disc disease is a condition in which the discs between your vertebrae become worn down and lose their ability to cushion your spine. Symptoms can include:

• Lower back pain
• Loss of spinal mobility
• Stiffness or soreness in the lower back

Our team can provide treatment options to help improve spinal mobility and reduce pain. These may include exercises, physical therapy, injections, or surgery.

3. Spinal Stenosis:

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal that can cause pressure on your nerves and/or spinal cord. Symptoms can include:

• Pain in the lower back, neck, legs, or arms
• Numbness and tingling in the legs and feet
• Difficulty walking or standing for long periods of time.

The goal of treatment is to reduce pressure on your nerves and improve spinal health. This could include medications, physical therapy, lifestyle changes, or in some cases, surgery.

4. Chronic Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most common complaints we hear at Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center. Chronic back pain can be caused by a spine disorder or other underlying medical condition, such as arthritis. Our team can help diagnose and treat the source of your chronic back pain in order to provide lasting relief. Treatment options might include:

• Physical therapy
• Exercise and stretching
• Medications
• Injections or nerve blocks
• Surgery, if needed.

Treatments

The advancement of spinal treatments and the spread of chiropractic care now provides many more options that don’t come with so many side effects and risks. We help Austin area patients with treatments like:

• Electrical stimulation to calm irritated or damage nerves
• Spinal alignment therapy to straighten out slipped vertebrae and relieve pressure on discs
• Recommendations for braces or other support appliances to protect the back during activities that put it at risk
• Steroid shots to reduce pain in one specific area

Make an Appointment with Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center

If you are experiencing back pain, don’t wait any longer to get it checked out. Our team of experts at Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center can provide the diagnosis and treatment plan that is right for you so that you can get back to living a healthy, pain-free life. Call us today to make an appointment and take the first step towards feeling better.