According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the vast majority of Americans—around 80%—will suffer back pain at some point in their lives. Some people deal with severe chronic pain, while for others, it is mild and episodic. But most of the time, back pain isn’t an emergency—which can make it more difficult to recognize when it is.
Because back pain is so common, many people have a tendency to try to downplay or “push through” it rather than seek medical attention. They may heat or ice the effective area or use over-the-counter pain relievers to give the pain a chance to go away. Often, that approach is effective (or at least not harmful). But sometimes, back pain can signal something more severe, and a “wait and see” approach can put your health at risk. Here are five signals that your back pain may be a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment.
A recent injury, such as a fall or a car accident, is a good reason to have your back checked out by a doctor. It’s possible that your back pain is just the result of a pulled muscle, but it could also be due to a spinal fracture or a torn muscle or ligament—issues that won’t get better without treatment and may get worse. The bottom line is that even if you are able to walk away from an accident, you should still receive immediate medical attention.
Often, when you experience sudden back pain, you know what is causing it, such as bending and twisting the wrong way and pulling a muscle. But if your back pain is sudden, severe, and unexplained, that could indicate a serious condition such as a herniated disk or a spinal fracture. Leaving those conditions untreated could lead to nerve damage that may be permanent. If you experience sharp back pain that has no immediate explanation, especially if it doesn’t go away, seek help as soon as possible.
Most people don’t think of infection when they think of back pain causes. But if you have back pain that is accompanied by a fever, chills, or other signs of infection, you should not assume that the two are unrelated. There are many infections that can cause back pain, and without treatment, some of them can be life-threatening.
Infections associated with back pain include vertebral osteomyelitis, an infection of the vertebrae, discitis, an infection of the vertebral discs which can lead to nerve compression. Kidney infection (pyelonephritis) and certain abdominal infections like peritonitis and pancreatitis can also cause back pain. In some cases, systemic infections like sepsis can cause back pain. Sepsis can be lethal, and other infections can lead to sepsis if untreated, so never ignore back pain that is accompanied by symptoms of infection like a fever.
When you experience back pain that is accompanied by radiating or “shooting” pain, numbness, or tingling in the arms and legs, you should think nerve compression. Nerve compression happens when a nerve is pinched or compressed by surrounding tissues. A herniated disc is one of the most common causes of nerve compression, and often leads to sciatica (pain that radiates down the leg). Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal) can also cause nerve compression.
Nerve compression can lead to permanent nerve damage, muscle atrophy, chronic pain, and loss of function unless treated promptly.
If you experience a sudden inability to control your bladder or bowels, head straight to the emergency room—this is one of the classic symptoms of cauda equina syndrome. Others include sudden, severe lower back pain, weakness in the lower extremities, and “saddle anesthesia” (numbness in the inner thighs, perineum and buttocks—the areas that would come in contact with a saddle if you were riding a horse). Cauda equina syndrome is compression of the bundle of nerves at the base of the spine. Nerve damage can worsen and become permanent within days, so these symptoms don’t call for watchful waiting—get checked out right away.
It’s important to understand that while loss of bladder and bowel control are common with cauda equina syndrome, it’s possible to have the opposite symptoms: inability to void the bladder or evacuate the bowels. Any worrisome change in bladder and bowel habits call for seeing a doctor right away.
Unfortunately, because cauda equina syndrome is relatively rare, and lower back pain is very common, some medical professionals fail to do the screening and testing to rule out cauda equina syndrome, causing permanent injury to their patients. That failure may constitute medical malpractice. If you are experiencing cauda equina syndrome symptoms, don’t be afraid to ask your doctor to run additional tests.
To learn more about cauda equina syndrome and other serious conditions that involve back pain, or to discuss whether your doctor committed medical malpractice, contact The Fraser Law Firm P.C. to schedule a consultation.
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