20 Feb Could Your Back Pain Be Genetic?
New studies in genetics have shown that there is strong evidence that your low back pain or degenerative disc conditions may be inherited. If you have an immediate family member (parent, sibling, or child) with disc-related lower back pain are four times as likely to have low-back pain themselves. People with an immediate family member–such as a parent or sibling–with disc-related lower back pain were more than four times more likely to have lower back pain themselves. Some causes of back pain, such as ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis that affects the spine, also can have a genetic component. Learn how to prevent and treat your back pain.
Get Tested!
If you fall into a risk category, are currently suffering from back pain, or if you just want a physical assessment of your back to prevent issues in the future, we can help! We start with a medical history and physical to learn about your underlying risks and to get a comprehensive look at you and your needs. Following this information-gathering session, we incorporate state-of-the-art testing to get an indepth look at your spine and the nerves for signs of damage. Once we diagnose the cause of your back cramps, we are able to put together an effective treatment plan to fit your lifestyle. Learn how you can live free of back pain by visiting our office in Westminster.
Isolating Your Back Pain Symptoms
Back pain can be a common symptom of of many different conditions or ailments from the common flu to birth defects. Back pain should not be ignored because it can be an indicator of long-term risks to your total body wellness and mobility. Back pain can manifest in the following ways:
- Inflammation centered in the lower back (lumbar), neck (cervical), and mid-back (thoracic) regions
- Stiffness along the spine or in the muscles surrounding it
- Pops, cracks, and other noises or sensations when you move after resting
- Pain that is worse or better after resting
- Pain that is worsened or improved by exercise
- Spasms throughout the back that make it hard to stand, sit, or even lie down
- Numbness
Getting to the Cause of Your Back Pain
Treating and eliminating your back pain starts with understanding why it started in the first place. Like was mentioned before, there could be a genetic component to your back pain that needs to be addressed. Other back pain can stem from injuries, activities or hobbies that overwork your spine, spinal degeneration from aging, osteoarthritis or joint stress, Scoliosis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, fibromyalgia, nerve compression or herniated disc issues.
New Study Shows Link Between Genetics and Back Pain
In a recent study, researchers from the University of Utah conducted a study and were able to conclude that people with an immediate family member that suffered from disc-related lower back pain were four times as likely to suffer from low-back pain themselves. Disc disease is one of the most common triggers of chronic low back pain. Herniated or degenerating discs can have a genetic component that can be linked back to 2nd and 3rd degree relatives. Know your family history! Find out from your immediate family members–parent, sibling, or child–if they have any chronic back pain or issues. The likelihood that you will suffer from chronic back pain is higher with this genetic link.
How We Treat Your Back Pain Symptoms
At Mile High Spine & Pain Center, we enable the body to heal itself as much as possible with natural pain treatment methods that don’t rely on drugs or surgically invasive procedures. We work to get to the source of your pain instead of merely masking your pain with drugs. We help Westminster and Broomfield area patients with treatments like:
- Electrical stimulation to calm irritated or damaged 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
- Preventive education
Preventing Back Pain from Occurring
What you do today can determine if you fall victim to back pain in the future. Genetic components need to be analyzed so you can take steps to prevent problems. Bad habits need to be eliminated from your lifestyle. We can help you prevent posture-related back pain through a postural analysis and education visit. It is also important that you consider how you exercise and that you ARE exercising. A sedentary lifestyle can cause your major back muscles to weaken. Your core muscles are some of the most important muscles of your body for giving you the stability you need. Unbalanced exercise programs or physical labor, including lifting heavy objects incorrectly can cause back damage and pain. During your back pain consultation with us, we can help put together an effective prevention plan to keep you healthy and active.
Call for Your Free Back Pain Consultation
If you are suffering from back pain, the team at Mile High Spine & Pain Center are ready to help. Mile High Spine & Pain Center provides specialized treatment plans for back pain to patients in the Westminster and Broomfield area and can help you understand where your symptoms are coming from and what it will take to improve. Call (720) 507-0080 today to schedule your free consultation!