Mid-back Pain


This page offers the answers to some of the most common questions related to pain occurring within the mid-back area, as well as the procedures used to diagnose and treat it effectively. Click on the questions to reveal the answers. Additional questions and answers about spine-related pain and our procedures are featured in the Ask the Doctors section.

  1. We use a continuous x-ray machine and we place an anesthetic on the structure that we feel could clinically be creating the pain. This may be a disc, nerve or a joint. If you immediately notice that your pain is relieved as soon as we place the anesthetic on the disc or nerve it will give us an answer to the cause of your problem.

  2. Certainly, but unless you know exactly what is causing your back pain, you might be getting the wrong kind of physical therapy. For example, a problem with a disk in your spine is very different than pain generated by a joint. If the physical therapist moves your body in the wrong direction during your therapy, they may actually make your pain worse.

  3. Yes. A significant number of our patients achieve good relief for a long time. You probably have had back problems for a long period of time now. The reason why you’re experiencing heightened pain now is probably due to inflammation in the area that is generating the pain. Once the inflammation is gone, the pain probably will not return for a long time.

    In the U.S., most people over the age of 40 have problems that appear in an MRI, but in fact don’t report any pain. This tells us that you can live with a herniated disk in your spine without any pain.

  4. Yes. An MRI is an indirect image of the spine and does not always show everything. In addition, an MRI usually is taken while you are laying down. Nerves can shift when you change positions, especially if your pain is worse with when you stand or sit. The disk can leak part of its “jelly” center—or nucleus—around the nerves, which can cause significant chemical inflammation and pain. Our procedures can dramatically reduce the pain and inflammation resulting in increased circulation and healing.

  5. No, the goal of our procedure is to decrease the inflammation. The relief from your pain is achieved when we reduce or eliminate the inflammation.

  6. In many cases, it can prevent a patient from having to undergo an operation. Many people who have this treatment have sustained relief and studies confirm this.

    However, if you still have pain and require surgery, our procedure will provide your surgeon with information about the exact location of your pain, which will enable a better outcome for your surgery if required.

  7. Yes, we’re now using a radio frequency probe that eliminates certain types of back pain for years. Our physicians can tell you if this new procedure would be appropriate for your pain.

  8. These procedures can be repeated up to 2 to 3 times within 12 months. If you require more procedures, then we usually would recommend surgery for your situation. The good news is that our procedure will provide your surgeon with information about the exact location of your pain, which will enable a better outcome for your surgery if required.

  9. Unfortunately, the “latest and greatest” spine treatments are easily peddled in America. Studies have shown that treatment for pain has a placebo response rate between 20% and 30%. That means that any “snake oil” or sugar pill will make about 25% of people feel better—at least temporarily.

    About 80% of all initial back injuries also resolve spontaneously and most disk herniations will resorb in time without any treatment. So, it is easy to see how these new “treatments” can claim success by using a few patients who felt better. The same goes for magnets, many balms and tonics.

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