Managing Low Back Pain With Movement
Whether caused by sleeping in the wrong position, picking up a box that was too heavy or unknown reasons, pain in your low back can severely impact your quality of life. While your first instinct may be to rest until the pain subsides, gentle exercise may be a better option. According to the National Institutes of Health, physical activity can alleviate pain and strengthen the core muscles that help support your back. Regular exercise may also help decrease the likelihood of experiencing chronic low back pain in the future. A primary care physician or physical therapist can help you design an exercise plan to manage your low back pain. This may include low impact options, such as swimming, tai chi or yoga.
When to Choose Imaging
If your low back pain persists after four to six weeks of a gentle exercise plan and pain medication, your doctor may order imaging services to learn more about your pain. Imaging services may also be appropriate if your low back pain is accompanied by other complications, including:
• Difficulty walking
• Fever
• History of cancer
• Loss of balance
• Trauma
• Trouble urinating or passing a bowel movement
American Health Imaging is committed to diagnosing your back pain accurately and efficiently. Our board-certified radiologists rely on state-of-the-art equipment to capture images that will help you and your doctor understand the cause of your low back pain so you may design a treatment plan that gets results. Low back magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an effective way to capture images of your spine and surrounding soft tissues. For this imaging test, you will recline on a bench that moves into the MRI machine. The screening is completely painless, although the scan can be noisy. You will be offered earplugs to lessen the sound and may drink or be injected with contrast dye for more detailed pictures. Images are typically available to view on the same day as the scan.
Visit our website to learn more about imaging services at AHI or call (855) 674-2464 to schedule your imaging test.