When to Go to Urgent Care for Back Pain?

Back pain has many causes, including:

Medical conditions, such as:

• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Arthritis
• Bulging discs
• Cervical radiculopathy
• Degenerative disc disease
• Endometriosis
• Fibromyalgia
• Herniated or slipped discs
• Inflammation and wear of the sacroiliac joint
• Kidney stones and infections
• Pregnancy
• Osteoarthritis
• Osteomyelitis or discitis
• Scoliosis, or curvature of the spine
• Spinal stenosis
• Spondylolisthesis
• Tumors

Accidents and Injuries, such as:

• Car accidents
• Falls
• Spasms
• Spine or vertebral fractures
• Sprains and strains

The following signs and symptoms may be indicative of a serious medical situation:

• Balance problems
• Blood in the stool or urine
• Inability to urinate or have a bowel movement
• Loss of bowel/bladder control
• Pain at night
• Pain not alleviated or worsened by different positions
• Persistent fevers
• Progressive numbness or weakness in the legs
• Progressive worsening of pain despite relative rest
• Recent IV drug use
• Recent trauma
• Sexual dysfunction
• Unplanned weight loss

Back pain that warrants a visit to the doctor:

• Causes weakness, numbness, or tingling in either leg
• Is constant or intense, especially at night
• Spreads down one or both legs, in particular, if the pain goes below the knee
• Occurs with swelling or redness on the back
• Occurs with unintended weight loss

Seek emergency medical care if back pain:

• Causes new bowel or bladder control problems
• Occurs after a bad fall or sports injury
• Occurs after a high-impact car crash
• Occurs with a fever

The treatment for back pain largely depends upon several factors, including:

• How the patient responds to treatment
• If other treatments have failed to provide relief
• The age of the patient
• The cause of pain
• The presence of any underlying health conditions
• The severity of pain


Based on these factors, a back pain specialist will create a treatment plan that addresses the individual concerns of the patient. At Priority Urgent Care and Walk-In Clinic, we use the following therapies to treat back pain:

• Chiropractic care
• Custom orthotics
• Integrative medicine
• Physical rehabilitation
• Spinal decompression

We use these therapies because they do not cause dependencies (such as painkillers), and they work to address the root cause of the pain. They also do not cause serious side effects (like with pain medication and surgery) and do not come with long recovery periods or downtimes (as does surgery).
 
If you are experiencing back pain, come to Priority Urgent Care and Walk-In Clinic today. Our kind and compassionate professionals are experienced in treating a number of causes of back pain and can help you address the underlying cause of your pain for effective and long-term relief! Call us today or book an appointment online. We serve patients from Cromwell CT, East Haven CT, Ellington CT, Newington, CT, Oxford, CT, Unionville CT, Wallingford, CT, and BEYOND!