You Need To Consider Doing This If Your Back Pain Is Not Improving With TCM Treatment

Back pain is a prevalent issue that affects millions of people in Singapore. Whether it’s a dull ache, sharp pain, or muscle stiffness, back pain can limit your ability to move freely and disrupt your daily activities. From bending and lifting to sitting at your desk or even sleeping, back pain can interfere with many aspects of life.

This discomfort can impact your work performance, your social life, and your physical activity levels. The emotional toll of chronic back pain can leave you feeling frustrated and overwhelmed, as the pain often doesn’t go away on its own and may become more difficult to manage over time.

TCM: A Popular Approach to Treating Back Pain

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is commonly used in Singapore as a holistic treatment for conditions like back pain. TCM therapies such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, and tui na massage have been effective for many people in managing and alleviating pain. These treatments aim to restore balance in the body, improve circulation, and reduce inflammation, which can help relieve the discomfort associated with back pain.

However, while TCM can be helpful for many, there are instances when it may not produce the desired results, particularly if the cause of your back pain has not been properly diagnosed. Without identifying the root cause, treatments may only address the symptoms, offering temporary relief instead of a lasting solution.

Why Getting a Clear Diagnosis Is Crucial

Back pain can result from various causes, and understanding the underlying issue is essential to effective treatment. Here are five common causes:

  1. Muscle Strain – Overuse, poor posture, or sudden movements can strain the muscles in the back, leading to pain and discomfort.
  2. Herniated Disc – A ruptured or slipped disc in the spine can press on nerves, causing sharp pain and numbness in the back or legs.
  3. Degenerative Disc Disease – As we age, the discs in the spine can lose their cushioning ability, leading to discomfort and stiffness.
  4. Spinal Stenosis – A narrowing of the spinal canal that can put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, resulting in pain and numbness.
  5. Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction – Dysfunction or inflammation of the sacroiliac joints at the base of the spine can lead to lower back pain.

In addition to these common causes, there are two less common but potentially serious causes of back pain:

  1. Fractures or Bone Damage – Fractures in the spine, caused by trauma or other factors, can lead to significant pain and limited mobility.
  2. Infections or Tumors – Although rare, infections or tumors in the spine can cause severe pain and may require immediate medical attention.

The Need for Imaging to Get a Precise Diagnosis

It’s crucial to understand that back pain cannot be accurately diagnosed through physical examination or symptoms alone. Imaging techniques such as X-rays, ultrasounds, or MRIs are necessary to identify the precise cause of the pain. These tools allow healthcare providers to examine the spine, muscles, and nerves, providing a clear picture of what’s happening and guiding the appropriate treatment.

The Pain Relief Clinic: Your Partner in Finding a Clear Diagnosis

At The Pain Relief Clinic, we have over a decade of experience helping individuals with back pain. We use non-invasive methods to accurately diagnose the cause of your pain and create a customized treatment plan. If you’re dealing with back pain and haven’t found lasting relief, we can arrange for affordable scans, usually within one working day. Medisave can often be used to help cover the cost of these scans, making the process more affordable.

We also assist with the necessary paperwork for insurance claims, including accident insurance, travel insurance, and company insurance, ensuring a hassle-free experience for our patients.

Once we have a precise diagnosis, we can provide targeted solutions to address the root cause of your back pain and help you return to an active, pain-free life.

Ready to take control of your back pain? Send us a message today to arrange an appointment and begin your journey toward lasting relief.

What To Expect When I Visit The Pain Relief Clinic

A typical visit will involve our doctor first understanding your medical history, concerns and previous experience with other pain treatments.

For patients who have consulted many people but have yet to receive a clear diagnosis, selecting an affordable imaging scan might be recommended to confirm the cause of your pain..

Some patients have already done scans with other doctors for their pain condition but are still not clearly told what they suffer from.

Dr Terence Tan is happy to offer you a second opinion and recommend how best to manage your condition.

We also see patients who already have a confirmed diagnosis from specialist pain doctors, but are "stuck” because treatment options offered are not practical or acceptable.

We can help by discussing options that you might have potentially never been told of.

A common experience is when a patient has already consulted a specialist doctor for pain management and is told to consider orthopaedic surgery which they find too aggressive.

Or they may have seen doctors for their pain and were prescribed painkillers with potential side effects which made them feel uncomfortable.

Many of our patients have also first tried complementary treatments or acupuncture with traditional Chinese pain doctors.

They look for a second opinion after finding any relief experienced from other treatments to be temporary or requiring repetitive treatments, which add up to time and cost.

Especially in such situations, we emphasize using non-invasive medical technology you likely have not been told about .

This can make a big difference to your results.