How Do You Know If Your Low Back Injury Is Serious?

Did you know that 80% of Americans at one point will suffer through a bout of lower back pain?

But how do you know if what you’re feeling is serious enough to visit a doctor or chiropractor? In this video, I’m going to help identify the signs between a minor problem and one you’re going to want to go get checked out. Stay Tuned!

Hey everyone, Dr. Rowe here at SpineCare in St. Joseph, MI.

So if you’re watching this video, it must mean that you’re going through a low back injury. Fortunately, you’re not alone. Lower back pain today is as common as the common cold. In fact, studies show that at least 15% of individuals report that they are experiencing some degree of low back pain at this very moment.

And we all know it’s the simple things that can make it appear: moving and twisting the wrong way, lifting that box you knew was too heavy, or just having bad posture. But when it strikes, it’s definitely not fun!

So with a new, or acute, lower back injury, there are different ways pain comes about. This may include inflammation and irritation to the muscles and tendons, ligaments, joint capsules, cartilage, and blood vessels around the spine. These tissues may be pulled, strained, stretched or sprained. 

If it’s severe enough, disc bulges and annular tears (those are small tears that occur in the outer layer of the spinal disc) can happen that may produce severe pain, including sciatica.  

The good news is a lot of back injuries are just minor, and if treated properly, are likely to repair and heal quickly. On average, 50% of lower back pain episodes will resolve within two weeks, and 80% by six weeks.

But for those that feel your back pain right now is pretty severe, how do you know when your back pain is serious enough to need attention? So let’s help answer this and take a look at some warning signs that indicate it’s time to get it looked at right away. 

First thing on the list, your current pain level. Physicians like to grade pain on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being the worst pain imaginable. 10 would be like smacking a hammer to your thumb. If you’re high on the scale, and it’s affecting daily activities such as sleeping, driving, or just doing basic everyday tasks, get it looked at. Severe pain is never normal. 

Next, if your low back injury is from a traumatic event, such as a car accident or fall. At this point, scheduling a visit to your chiropractor or doctor is a good idea. Even if you're able to get up and walk right after it happened, there’s a possibility of underlying spinal injuries that could progress and get worse if not treated properly. Get it checked out as soon as possible. 

You can’t move, stand, or walk. If you’re stiff as a board, and the swelling and pain has made your back unusable, it’s time to get it looked at. A simple strain will cause discomfort, but if you’re having excessive swelling and the muscles feel like they’re on fire, there might be significant damage to the soft tissue surrounding the spine. When muscle tightens up, it decreases the range of motion of the back, effectively locking it down.

We call this muscle guarding. It’s a self-defense mechanism, so you’re less likely to damage the area any further. Muscle guarding is a warning sign that there’s inflammation and irritation around the spine, and if it’s so bad that you can’t move or stand up straight, it’s time to make that appointment. 

Radiating or shooting pain into the buttocks, thighs, legs, or feet. This is a big red flag because it raises the possibility of it involving nerve impingement, including a lumbar disc herniation affecting the sciatic nerve. Severe, sharp shooting pains are never normal, and would need to be discussed with your healthcare provider. If left untreated, it can progress into our next sign that your back injury is serious.

Numbness and/or tingling in the legs or feet. If what you’re experiencing could be described as a "pins and needles" sensation, or even a complete loss of feeling – it’s a signal that a nerve issue is present in the affected area of the back. Again, this raises the possibility of a herniated disc or another condition called spinal stenosis.

This, without a doubt, requires a visit with your chiropractor for proper diagnosis and treatment. Prolonged irritation of nerves may lead to permanent damage, and in some cases, future disability. Don’t wait on this one to get it checked out!

Having a fever accompanying your lower back pain. While rare, this one is pretty important. If you’ve had a recent surgery or internal procedure (like a colonoscopy) and are experiencing a fever greater than 101 degrees with new, abnormal back pain, it may be linked to a spinal joint infection. 

Fevers are caused by the body trying to fight a viral or bacterial infection. There’s a different number of things that could be causing these symptoms, including myelitis (a viral infection that affects the spinal cord directly) and osteomyelitis (a spinal bone infection). 

Other conditions that can cause a spinal joint infection are intravenous drug use, long-term use of steroids (such as those to treat rheumatoid arthritis), and dental surgery. All of these activities may increase the chance that bacteria will be introduced into the bloodstream. Again, this condition is pretty rare, but should be checked out at as soon as possible by your doctor. 

Loss of bladder or bowel control. Incontinence and bowel issues is very serious and warrants immediate medical attention. Certain conditions, such as cauda equina syndrome, can result in the compression of spinal nerves that travel down to and affect the organs that control bladder and bowel function. 

It's important to note that the onset of cauda equina syndrome doesn't have to be sudden; it can happen gradually until spinal nerves are severely affected. Other signs and symptoms generally include pain, numbness or weakness in the legs. Numbness around the anus may be present also. 

So if you've been having a loss of bladder or bowel function, and are also experiencing back pain, it's of utmost importance to get medical attention right now.

If you have Severe, Constant Abdominal and Lower Back Pain. Generally speaking, low back pain typically is localized to the lumbar spine area, and rarely does it travel to the abdomen. However, certain abdominal issues can often radiate to the lower back and may be felt as acute back pain. 

Abdominal aortic aneurysm can result when there’s an enlargement of the aorta (large artery) in the abdomen. The most common symptoms of this are constant, sharp and crushing pain in the lower back and abdomen. Pain so severe that it can prevent someone from standing up straight, leaving them literally doubled over in pain.

This condition is serious, since if the blood vessel ruptures it may cause internal bleeding. 

Last, is if you just have lingering, unresolved pain. Just like I mentioned earlier, most low back pain heals quickly, within 2 weeks in most cases. But if you've been having unrelenting, consistent pain in the low back that isn't’ resolving, it's definitely time to visit your local chiropractor to figure out what's going on. Don’t sit there bearing unneeded back pain, get it looked at and get some relief!

So I hope this video helps answer some questions on whether it’s time to visit a healthcare professional about your low back injury and pain. I will say this, when it doubt, always get it looked at! It’s better to be safe than sorry. 

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the section below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.