Some people think that aches and pains are just the price we pay for getting older, and as long as we can grit our teeth and get through the day, there’s no need to see a doctor because of your discomfort. Although some natural degeneration does occur as we get older, it doesn’t mean that pain is normal. If you’re ignoring treatment simply because you can tolerate the discomfort, you may be in line for a number of new issues in the near future. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at five problems associated with untreated back pain.
Untreated Back Problems Can Get Worse
If you continue to go about your day as normal when you have back pain, you may soon find that you’re dealing with new problems. Oftentimes our normal daily actions led to pain in the first place, so failing to change our habits will continue to stress and strain our spine in the same manner. Here’s a look at five new issues you could encounter as a result of your untreated back pain.
- Worsening Pain – The most common symptom associated with untreated back pain is worsening pain. Continuing to stress your back without any targeting strengthening or stability exercises oftentimes causes symptoms to worsen. A dull pain that comes and goes in waves may soon become a severe chronic pain.
- Weight Gain – Back pain can lead us to become less active. While rest is part of a comprehensive treatment plan, activity avoidance alone doesn’t tend to address the underlying issue. If your only treatment is avoiding certain activities, you may find it harder to burn calories, and that can lead to weight gain. Weight gain tends to make symptoms more pronounced as your spine is now tasked with helping to disperse more weight.
- Spreading Discomfort – You may not notice it, but your body may start to naturally try to protect your back from further injury as you continue to go about your day. You may change the way you sit, stand and walk, and these posture shifts will put stress on different areas of your body. It’s not uncommon for joint issues to develop as back pain changes how you move. If your body is trying to protect your spine from more injury, your hips and knees may take on a heavier burden, and soon those areas are starting to hurt as well.
- Fatigue – You may also start to notice that you’re beginning to feel more tired or fatigued than normal. Pain is a stressful mechanism on your body, and if your brain is chronically interpreting and trying to drown out pain signals, it will become fatigued faster. Untreated back pain can also make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep, which can leave you feeling tired in the morning. Your feelings of fatigue may be a result of your untreated back pain.
- Harder To Treat – Finally, the longer you put off treatment, the harder it is to fully treat when you finally decide to see a specialist. Structures will continue to break down and suffer more damage, and by the time treatment starts, you may not be able to achieve the same level of relief as you could have if you had taken care of the problem earlier in life. Treatment success is closely tied to how quickly the problem is identified and actively treated.
Don’t put off treatment for your spinal issue any longer. For help with a diagnosis or individualized treatment plan, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today.
