Emergency Room for Back Pain

Lower back pain is a common condition, particularly among older people. The lower back pain most people experience is usually the result of changes in the spine as a person ages, stress from jobs that require heavy lifting, repetitive motions, or long periods of sitting, obesity, and sedentary lifestyle. Any new or unexplained back pain should be evaluated by a doctor as soon as possible to rule out a medical emergency and to ensure that further harm isn’t going to be caused by ignoring the problem.

You should go to Surepoint ER for back pain if the pain is severe enough to hinder the normal function of your body, if the pain is sudden and severe, if the pain is the result of a traumatic injury like an automobile accident or sports injury, or if it is accompanied by other symptoms that may be an indicator of a serious underlying condition that may require immediate treatment.

If back pain is accompanied by any of the following “red flag” symptoms, you should get to the nearest emergency room right away, because they could be signs of a serious medical condition that needs immediate treatment.

“Red flag” symptoms to watch out for include:

• Difficulty/inability to walk or stand
• Difficulty/inability to control bowel movements or bladder
• Difficulty with urination
• Debilitating pain in the lower back and/or legs
• Pain that radiates from the back around to the abdomen
• Numbness in the area of the groin, genitals, buttocks, or legs
• Numbness in one or both arms
• Shoulder pain
• Jaw pain
• Fever
• Nausea and vomiting

If this describes any back pain symptoms you or someone you know are experiencing, don’t wait. Get to the nearest Surepoint ER location for evaluation and treatment.

When you come to Surepoint ER for back pain treatment, one of our emergency care physicians will ask questions and run tests to determine the cause of your back pain. If the pain and the underlying cause are severe enough, the physician may order other diagnostics to check for other serious complications.

The way your back pain will be treated depends on the cause of the pain and its severity. Because the causes of a back pain emergency can be so varied – from traumatic injury to a variety of other conditions that affect the spine, surrounding tissues, and other organs – we would have to run all of the proper tests to determine the source of the pain and recommend an appropriate treatment plan.

The best way to prevent an emergency involving severe back pain is to take proper safety precautions in situations where spinal injuries or injuries to the tissues surrounding the spine may happen and to be proactive about maintaining your overall health, just as you would to prevent a heart attack or stroke.

Precautions you can take include:

• Being aware of dangerous situations while walking around – avoid uneven surfaces, slippery surfaces, loose floor coverings, ice, and any other dangerous surfaces that could cause a slip and fall accident.
• Use the proper safety equipment when playing sports or doing work or other activities that could result in injury.
• Follow all of the proper safety precautions when engaging in activities that could result in spinal injury, like sports or manual labor. If others who are nearby are being unsafe, stay clear of them and notify the appropriate personnel.
• Watch small children, elderly family and friends, and family and friends who have mobility issues closely. Be ready to help them if they look like they could fall or are about to put themselves into a dangerous situation.
• Wear your seatbelt when operating a motor vehicle, and regularly check to make sure all of the safety features, such as airbags and antilock brakes, are working properly.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet and avoid unhealthy foods
• Get regular exercise
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Keep your blood pressure under control
• Manage your cholesterol levels
• Manage stress in healthy ways, such as exercise, meditation, hobbies, or spending quality time with friends and family
• Limit use of alcohol
• Quit smoking
• Get regular health checkups and keep your physician informed if you notice anything unusual about your health – this could prevent an emergency before it becomes an emergency