5 Signs You Need to See a Spine Specialist

May 23, 2022

While it is quite common to experience back pain due to strains and sprains, backache should not be ignored if it is providing extreme discomfort. Mostly, people associate back pain with issues like muscle pull but it can be a lot more serious than that. But how can you tell if it is just normal pain or if it’s an indication of something rather serious that requires you to visit a Spine Specialist for treatment?

Similar Readings: What are the Most Common Causes of Back Pain at a Young age?

In what follows, we will explain what kind of symptoms indicate a sign of spinal injury. After reading this article, you will be better able to decide if it is regular back pain or if something is wrong with your spine that requires to see a spine specialist.

1. Persistent Back Pain

The most common reasons for back pain include strained muscle, spasms, pulled tendon, and stress. However, the pain caused by these conditions does not last long. The patient is normally recovered in a couple of weeks. If your back pain has been with you for more than 15 days or it keeps coming back after some period, there are chances that you have encountered a serious spine injury. In such a scenario, seeing a spine specialist becomes inevitable as ignorance can lead to serious medical complications later.

2. Mobility Problems

A Spine Specialist is also to be consulted when you experience acute pain while walking, getting in and out of bed, or on a chair. Limited range of motion is a serious indication of spine injury. There could be a lot of reasons for such a condition. It could be due to damage to one of your spinal discs, pinched nerve, or spinal stenosis. A timely diagnosis can make recovery possible and easier.

3. Numbness in Arms, Legs, and Feet

Back pain due to a spinal injury is often accompanied by the sensation of pain in the neighboring body parts of the origin of the pain. The patient feels the pain radiating from his/her back to the legs, arms, feet, and hands. Tingling legs and numbness in hands are common symptoms of spinal injury. People with spinal injury also complain about losing grip and the inability to perform routine tasks efficiently. For example, button-up shirts, writing on a piece of paper, etc. You should consult a spine surgeon within two days of the occurrence of the symptoms.

4. Bowel & Bladder Problems

Irregularities such as the loss of control of the bowel and bladder are not due to normal back pain. These symptoms indicate that there has been serious damage to your back and your spinal cord might be injured. In such a case, the body doesn’t get the right message as the communication between the nerves in the spinal cord that are in control of the bowel and bladder, and the brain gets affected. It leads to bladder and bowel dysfunction. This is a medical emergency and you immediately seek medical help.

5. Fever

Back pain accompanied by a slightly high fever can be a sign of serious damage to your spine. People make a mistake when they ignore fever coupled with back pain thinking it will get better on its own. We have seen a lot of patients come to us later than they should have and the reason for their delayed visit was their ignorant behavior to serious symptoms like this.

What to Expect?

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, you should immediately seek medical help. The doctor will start with a physical examination to see for any indication of spinal injury. Afterward, you will be asked to get MRI or CT scans of your back. Once the diagnosis is complete, the doctor will tell you if you need surgery or physical therapy for your back pain. There are different kinds of medical treatments given to patients suffering from spinal injuries depending upon their medical conditions.

Get in Touch With a Spine Specialist in Los Angeles

If you have been looking for a Spine Specialist for your chronic back pain and haven’t been able to find any luck so far, you have just landed on the right page. Southern California Brain & Spine Surgery is a well-recognized and well-reputed healthcare facility in Los Angeles. We provide healthcare services to patients suffering from Brain and Spine diseases. Treatments are available for;

• Back and Neck
• Brain and Spine
• Pain
• Stroke and related conditions
• Seizures, tremors, and movement disorders

Hundreds of patients have been given medical and surgical treatment at our facility who now enjoy good health. You can check our patient’s reviews on business listing platforms like Healthgrades and Yelp.

About Dr. Moksha Ranasinghe

Dr. Moksha Ranasinghe is the primary healthcare provider to patients with brain and spine issues at Southern California Brain & Spine Surgery. She is affiliated with the following hospitals;

• Good Samaritan Hospital Los Angeles
• California Hospital
• St. Vincent’s Medical Center
• Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital
• Beverly Hospital

You can read more about Dr. Moksha Ranasinghe medical practice, education, and background on the website.

Book an Appointment with Dr. Moksha Ranasinghe

You can easily schedule an appointment with Dr. Moksha Ranasinghe by filling out the contact form available on our website. You just need to fill out the details as asked and someone from the clinic will call you. The other way you can do this is by calling directly to the clinic at (213) 369-4583 and booking an appointment right away.