Back Pain

Generalised back pain usually does not have a single, clearly identifiable cause and an x-ray or an MRI scan may not necessarily reveal the cause either. Back pain may appear suddenly, or gradually, often as a result of poor posture, excessive heavy lifting, or soft-tissue injury. Medical conditions such as sciatica, a slipped disc, ankylosing spondylitis, or spondylolisthesis also cause back pain, though the course of treatment for pain management grounds may differ. Treatments typically involve exercise, physiotherapy and massage and your doctor may prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, or an opioid. Where sciatica is the cause, an epidural injection could provide significant pain relief.

Some patients may benefit from radiofrequency denervation, but it may not provide benefits for everyone. This procedure involves using radiofrequency waves to block pain-causing medial branch nerves and is achieved by inserting a needle into the target areas under local anaesthesia.