How Do I Know If My Back Pain IS Serious?

​Back pain is a common issue that many people experience, but it can be difficult to determine when it’s just a minor issue and when it requires immediate attention. Understanding the type of pain, the mechanism behind it, and recognising red flags are key in identifying whether your back pain might be more serious. Here’s how to tell when to seek urgent medical help and when myotherapy might be the right solution for your discomfort.

​Types of Back Pain
Back pain can vary widely in intensity, location, and quality. Understanding the characteristics of your pain can help you assess whether it’s something that may resolve with time or requires more urgent care:

• Dull, Achy, or Bruise-like Sensation: This type of pain is often related to muscle strain or overuse. It’s usually not serious but can become problematic if left untreated, especially if it persists or worsens.
• Sharp, Shooting, or Intense Pain: If your pain is sharp, shooting, or feels like a shocking sensation that radiates into the limbs, it could indicate nerve involvement, such as a pinched nerve or disc herniation. This kind of pain might be associated with sciatica, where pain travels from your back into your legs.
• Referred Pain: Pain that travels from the back down into your arms or legs can signal nerve compression, particularly if it’s accompanied by tingling or numbness. It often worsens with certain movements or positions.
• Pain with Weakness: If you experience pain that is coupled with weakness in your arms or legs, this could be an indication of nerve damage or compression, which should be evaluated promptly.
• Pain with Specific Movements: Pain that worsens with particular movements, such as rotating toward the painful side, could be a sign of a facet joint sprain. Similarly, pain that increases when you contract a muscle may indicate an injury to the muscle or tendon fibers, such as a strain or tendinopathy.
• Breathtaking Pain: Any pain that is so intense it takes your breath away or feels unbearable could suggest a serious issue such as a spinal injury, fracture, or significant nerve involvement, especially if there has been a specific incident or injury.

Mechanism of the Pain: Why Did It Start?
The onset of your back pain can provide important clues to its seriousness:

• Acute, Traumatic Onset: If your pain started suddenly after an accident, fall, or another trauma, it could indicate a serious injury. Situations such as car accidents, slipping and falling, or twisting awkwardly can lead to fractures, ligament tears, or disc injuries. Its always important to get medically checked after any serious incident, even if you don't think you have been injured.
• Gradual Onset: If your pain has built up over time, it could be due to repetitive strain or muscle imbalances. This type of pain is often less urgent but still requires attention to prevent it from becoming chronic. Prevention of chronic, ongoing pain conditions is highly recommended!

Red Flags That Require Immediate Attention
Certain symptoms, known as "red flags," indicate the need for immediate medical attention. If you experience any of the following, it’s essential to consult a doctor as soon as possible:

• Severe Pain Intensity: If your pain is extreme and doesn’t improve with rest, you may be dealing with a more serious condition like a herniated disc or spinal fracture, especially if there has been any potential acute trauma to your back like a fall or taking a heavy hit in the back. This could also indicate signs of infection in the bladder or kidneys, or of kidney stones.
• Bladder or Bowel Dysfunction: Difficulty controlling your bladder or bowel, or pain when urinating, could be a sign of cauda equina syndrome, a serious condition requiring emergency care. These changes can be noticed as incontinence, bed wetting, increased or decreased frequency of going to the toilet, less mind-body awareness of when you need to go, sudden and immediate need to urinate or empty your bowels, as well as any altered sensation in the skin or muscles surrounding the genitals and buttocks. These are serious symptoms that should not be ignored, even though they can be embarrassing to discuss.
• Loss of Sensation or Numbness: Numbness or tingling in your legs, feet, or buttocks, especially if accompanied by weakness, could suggest nerve compression or damage.
• Significant Increase in Pain with Coughing, Sneezing, or Straining: If your pain worsens significantly when you cough, sneeze, or perform activities that increase intra-abdominal pressure, such as lifting, it could indicate pressure on a nerve root, often associated with a herniated disc.
• Unexplained Bruising or Swelling: Significant bruising or swelling in the back without an obvious cause could be a sign of an underlying injury, such as a muscle tear or even a more serious issue like internal bleeding.
• Increased Pain with Neck Flexion: If bending your neck forward increases your back pain, it could be a sign of a spinal cord issue or nerve root compression, which requires medical evaluation.
• Loss of Strength: If you’re unable to lift or move your limbs effectively, or have the feeling of extreme heaviness of your limbs, this could be an indicator of significant nerve compression or a more serious spinal injury.

How Can Myotherapy Help?
For many types of back pain, especially those not associated with these red flags, myotherapy can be an effective, non-invasive treatment option. Myotherapists use a combination of techniques to alleviate pain, improve mobility, and address the root cause of your discomfort. Some common methods include:

• Massage and Myofascial Release: These techniques target muscle tension and tightness, helping to relieve discomfort and improve flexibility.
• Dry Needling and Cupping: These methods are often used to release trigger points, reduce muscle tension, and improve blood flow to the affected areas, which can speed up recovery.
• Exercise Prescription: Your myotherapist can also design a personalized exercise program to help you build strength, improve posture, and prevent future injuries.

Back pain can be alarming, but not all pain is cause for immediate concern. By understanding the type of pain you're experiencing, its onset, and being mindful of red flags, you can better assess whether your back pain is serious. For many cases of back pain, myotherapy provides a safe and effective treatment to reduce pain, improve mobility, and support long-term recovery. However, if you notice any red flags, consult with a doctor immediately to rule out serious conditions.

If you are free of red flags, its likely that our team of excellent Myotherapists can help with a strategy for your back pain. Book online to consult with one of our experts.