Back pain

You can experience different types of pain sensations depending on where and why you’re feeling back pain.

• dull muscle aching

• stiffness

• muscle twitches or spasms

• burning, shooting, or stabbing pains that might spread down into your legs or feet

• pins and needles, numbness, or weakness

You might find movements, including bending, twisting, lifting, standing, and walking, can make it worse or cause sudden pain.

You might also find your pain is affected by:

• being more active than normal

• staying in one position for long periods

• lifting something in an awkward position

• a flare-up of an underlying condition such as rheumatoid arthritis

Back pain can have many causes, including:

• straining your muscles or tendons due to heavy lifting or repetitive movements

• spraining a ligament in a sudden twist or fall that overstretches it

• pregnancy and birth – pressure and extra weight during pregnancy, hormonal changes, and giving birth are common causes of back pain

• certain medical conditions, including arthritis, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, scoliosis, a slipped (herniated) disc, endometriosis and fibroids, kidney or urinary tract infections, or a fracture or tumour (rarely)

Diagnosing your back pain usually involves an initial consultation where our pain specialist will:  

1. Take a history to get a full understanding of your pain and how it affects you – for example, how severe it is, where it is, what makes it worse or better, and how it affects daily life. They will want as much detail from you as possible because this can help narrow down the cause.

2. Do a physical examination of the painful area.

3. Review any relevant scans and other previous investigations.

4. Talk through their initial findings and what will happen next.

They may also:

• recommend further imaging tests such as an MRI, ultrasound or X-ray

• recommend studies of your nerves, such as electromyography

If your back pain is caused by a health condition, you may not be able to prevent it. But there are some lifestyle tips that can help reduce your risk of back pain. These include:

• stopping smoking if you smoke – it increases your risk of arthritis

• managing your weight if you’re obese

•  looking after any health condition that can cause pain, such as arthritis

• stretching and warming up before activity or sports, then stretching and cooling down afterwards

• wearing the right protective gear when playing sports

• stopping what you’re doing if your back hurts

Complications are most likely to come if you don’t get your back pain diagnosed and treated, or manage the underlying health condition as well as possible. These might include worsening of the pain, or making the damage worse.

Your consultant will talk you through any potential complications of treatments you may need to manage the pain, such as medications or surgery.

Once your consultant has identified the root cause of your back pain, they’ll recommend the most appropriate next steps and will arrange treatment to ensure you make the best possible recovery.

Treatment options for back pain include:

• condition-specific medication for issues such as endometriosis, kidney infections and rheumatoid arthritis

• medications such as pain relief, anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers

• physiotherapy

• injections to relieve pain and inflammation

• nerve stimulation

• a range of surgical options

Our consultants have access to multidisciplinary teams who can be brought in to support your personalised pain management plan.

At Welbeck, our pain medicine specialists are experts in their field and are dedicated to providing world-class care to every patient.

With access to colleagues across other specialties, our consultants are also able to refer within the Welbeck ecosystem if required to ensure you receive the treatment you need as quickly as possible, all under one roof.  

All appointments, testing, treatment, and follow-up appointments take place within our state-of-the-art facilities, enabling us to deliver accurate diagnostics and advanced treatments.

Your health is important to us, so we strive to offer same-day appointments whenever possible.

Our consultants are recognised by the major health insurance companies. If you have private health insurance, your treatment at Welbeck can begin once you have obtained authorisation. We also provide care to self-paying patients. Learn more about the different payment options at Welbeck.

Get in touch today to book an appointment.