You Need To Consider Doing This If Your Lower Back Pain Is Not Improving With Massage
Lower back pain is one of the most common complaints people experience, and it can be incredibly frustrating when it doesn’t improve despite trying various treatments. Whether it’s caused by an injury, poor posture, or a more serious condition, lower back pain can make it difficult to perform everyday activities, such as standing, walking, or even sitting comfortably for long periods.
The emotional toll of lower back pain can be just as significant as the physical pain. The constant discomfort and limitations it places on your life can leave you feeling frustrated, anxious, and defeated. If traditional treatments like massage haven’t provided lasting relief, it might be time to explore other options to address the root cause of your pain and regain control of your life.
Massage: A Common Approach to Treating Lower Back Pain
Massage therapy is one of the most popular treatments for lower back pain, and for good reason. It helps to relax tight muscles, improve circulation, and reduce stress, which can all contribute to alleviating pain in the lower back. By using various techniques like kneading, pressing, and stroking, massage can help release muscle tension, promote blood flow, and improve mobility, providing relief from the discomfort caused by lower back pain.
However, massage can be repetitive and time-consuming. For some, regular sessions may feel necessary to maintain any relief, and with each session costing anywhere from $50 to $100, the cost of multiple treatments quickly adds up over time. While it may provide short-term comfort, depending on the cause of your pain, massage may not be addressing the root issue, meaning you might find yourself relying on it as a temporary fix rather than a long-term solution.
Why Getting a Clear Diagnosis Is Crucial
Lower back pain can result from a variety of factors. Here are five common causes of lower back pain:
- Muscle Strain – Overuse, poor posture, or sudden awkward movements can strain the muscles in your lower back, causing pain and stiffness.
- Herniated Disc – A ruptured or slipped disc in the spine can press on the surrounding nerves, causing radiating pain in the lower back and legs.
- Degenerative Disc Disease – As we age, the spinal discs lose their cushioning ability, making them more prone to damage and resulting in pain.
- Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction – Misalignment or inflammation of the sacroiliac joint can radiate pain to the lower back and hips.
- Spinal Stenosis – A narrowing of the spinal canal can put pressure on the nerves in the lower back, leading to pain, numbness, and weakness.
In addition to these common causes, there are two less common but potentially serious causes of lower back pain:
- Fractures – A break or injury in the vertebrae can lead to significant pain and limit movement.
- Infections or Tumors – Infections or tumors affecting the spine or surrounding tissues can lead to severe pain and require immediate medical intervention.
The Need for Imaging to Get a Precise Diagnosis
It’s essential to recognize that lower back pain cannot always be accurately diagnosed based on symptoms alone. Imaging techniques such as X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans are crucial for getting a clear picture of what’s happening in your spine, muscles, and soft tissues. These imaging tools allow healthcare providers to identify the root cause of the pain and determine the most effective course of action for treatment.
The Pain Relief Clinic: Your Partner in Finding a Clear Diagnosis
At The Pain Relief Clinic, we understand how lower back pain can affect your ability to enjoy life and perform daily activities. With over a decade of experience, we specialize in offering non-invasive diagnostic services to uncover the root cause of your pain. If you’ve been living with lower back pain and haven’t found lasting relief, we can arrange for affordable scans, typically within one working day. Medisave can often be used to help cover the cost of these scans, making them more accessible for you.
We also assist with insurance claims, including accident insurance, travel insurance, and company insurance, ensuring that you can access the care you need without the added financial stress.
Once we have a clear diagnosis, we can provide targeted treatments, solutions, and non-invasive technology to help you alleviate your lower back pain and restore your mobility.
Ready to take control of your lower back pain? Send us a message today to arrange an appointment and begin your journey toward lasting relief from lower back pain.
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.