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Surgery is a treatment option if you're still experiencing considerable amount of back pain despite using medications and other non-surgical methods, and if your back pain symptoms result from conditions that can be corrected by surgery. Below are possible indications for surgery:
- Herniated disc
- Fractures of the spine and dislocations
- Painful spondylolisthesis
- Neurologic deficits caused by nerve compression or instability
If drugs and other forms of back pain treatment fail to improve your condition, your doctor may suggest that you consider surgery. Surgery is usually the last resort for the treatment of back pain, except in cases of surgical emergency.
Epidural steroid injections are given by physicians. You will be asked to lie flat, face down, on an x-ray table. The x-ray will be used to see the location of the tip of the needle, your doctor will guide the needle to the area adjacent to the inflamed spinal nerves. The administration of steroid injection lasts about 15 minutes, some people may require light sedation.
Epidural steroid are given weekly, usually up for 3 consecutive weeks. With this dosing schedule, many patients experience improvement of symptoms within a few weeks. This often helps in controlling inflammation may provide long-lasting pain relief for treating back pain.
Steroid Injections for back pain treatment are typically Cortisone injections. Cortisone is a steroid that is produced naturally in your body. It is released from the adrenal gland when your body is under stress. Cortisone is produced synthetically and is used for treating various disorders. Cortisone suppresses the normal immune response, thereby reducing pain and inflammation.
Giving epidural steroid may help people who suffer from back pain which is caused primarily by inflammation in the spinal nerves.
Methylprednisolone is a type of oral steroid is typically prescribed for low back pain. Oral Steroids are non-narcotic prescription drugs that are effective for treating inflammation. These drugs are sometimes used for treating low back pain caused by degenerative disc disease.
Oral steroids are generally limited to short term use to prevent complications. They are also used only for flairs of severe pain.
Take Methylprednisolone Oral steroids for low back pain are prescribed in a Medrol Dose Pack which starts with a high dose that jump-starts the effect of the drug and provide initial low back pain relief, then decreasing the dose over five or six days.
Methylprednisolone should be taken exactly as directed by your doctor. This medication should not be taken in larger amounts or for longer than prescribed.
Medrol Dose Pack |
If you miss a dose, call your doctor or pharmacist for instructions.
Sometimes making changes to your dose may be recommended by your doctor to make sure that you get the best results from Methylpresolone. Certain conditions may change your need for steroids, these include: serious illness, fever, infection, or if you have surgery or a medical emergency.
Source: Backpainpro.info |
Methylprednisolone blocks the release of chemicals in the body that are responsible for producing inflammation. People suffering from back pain caused by inflammatory disorders in the spine may benefit from Methylprednisolone. This agent is used to for treating various conditions ranging from, skin allergy to breathing disorders.
Muscle relaxants are usually prescribed along with rest, physical therapy, or exercise. While these drugs are effective in relieving muscle pain due to injuries, they do not work well in managing other types of pain.
Commonly prescribed muscle relaxants include:
- tizanidine (Zanaflex)
Muscle relaxants are usually used for acute muscle problems, but they are sometimes incorporated into the treatment of back pain conditions that cause painful muscle spasms. They are effective for short-term symptomatic relief of acute and chronic low back pain caused by strains and other injuries to the muscles. These drugs help ease discomfort by preventing muscle spasm. Muscle relaxants act on the central nervous system.
Gabapentin must be used as prescribed. If it upsets your stomach, you can take it with food or milk. You should take the drug at regular intervals. Gabapentin is available in tablets, capsules and oral suspension.
In case you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the only the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. You should not double or increase the dose to make up for the one you've missed.
Gabapentin is used for treating partial seizures in adults with epilepsy. It is also used to treat certain types of neuropathic pain as associated with back pain.
Anticonvulsants are traditionally used for the treatment of seizures but have been found to have an impact in dealing with neuropathic pain. Gabapentin (Neurontin) and Pregabalin (Lyrica) are among the drugs that are used as first line treatment for neuropathic pain. They have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of specific neuropathic pains, these include painful diabetic neuropathy and shingles. These drugs are also used for headache and fibromyalgia.
Many studies have shown that anticonvulsants are effective in controlling chronic back pain caused by nerve damage (neuropathic pain).
Anticonvulsants are medications that are prescribed primarily to treat seizures, but they have been in use for many years to treat certain types of chronic back pain. Based on research, the mechanisms responsible for certain types of neuropathic pain are same as those that occur in certain types of epilepsy.
Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs): A newer class of antidepressants, can relieve pain in many of the conditions that tricyclic antidepressants are indicated for. Though SNRI's have a better side effect profile, these drugs do not work quite as well as tricyclic antidepressants.
Antidepressants are used for treating many chronic pain conditions even when the symptoms are not caused by depression. Among the various antidepressants available, Tricyclics that are usually prescribed for pain, these drugs include:
Tricyclic antidepressants are thought to increase neurotransmitters in the spinal cord that reduce pain signals. They do not produce immediate effects, but once the appropriate dose is determined for the individual patient, favorable results may be seen within a week. The pain relieving action of these drugs is still not fully understood.
When used as a back pain treatment, Clonidine injection is given through a thin, tube-like catheter that's inserted into the epidural space, the area just outside the membrane which encloses the spinal cord. Clonidine is given continuously using an infusion pump.
The dose of this medicine varies from patient to patient. For adults, the average dose is 30 mcg per hour, given as a continuous infusion.
