Toronto Back Pain Clinic

Do you suffer from Low or Mid Back Pain?

Most of us will experience back pain at some point in our lives. Often the cause is a simple sprain or muscle strain injury that is quite effectively managed with a short course of anti-inflammatory medication and proper physical therapy. However, when pain persists for longer than 3 months, it is referred to as chronic.  (Also see BACK PAIN ALERT)

Chronic back pain can be very disruptive to the quality of your life, and in many cases is the cause of significant disability. When back pain becomes chronic there is always an underlying cause, and sometimes there are several. You need to find and fully understand all the underlying reasons for your chronic pain if you want to properly treat it, and have your best chance at preventing it from recurring.

A frequent example of an underlying cause is poor biomechanics. This is the term we use to describe how the muscles, joints and other structural parts in your feet, legs and back work together when you move, walk, lift, etc. A very common condition known as pes planus (often referred to as “flat feet”) can lead to overuse of certain muscles in the leg and low back, and underuse of others. This can lead to chronic pain over time, as well as weaknesses that can cause muscle tears, irritated or damaged joints and discs, or worse. Pes planus can be managed quite simply with the use of custom-made orthotic footwear. These are specially designed insoles fitting your feet exactly, providing support where you need it.

Other underlying causes of chronic back pain include structural damage to the spine such as osteoarthritis (degenerative changes in the spine that are generally progressive as one ages), spinal stenosis (in which the spinal canal through which the spinal cord passes is narrower than it should be), damage to the facet joints, the SI joints, or even the discs themselves. Trauma, such as car accidents or serious falls can also be a cause of significant chronic back pain and disability.

How we help:

Regardless of the cause, a multidisciplinary approach has been scientifically proven to work best for chronic pain. This almost always involves the need for good physical therapy, which can in many cases provide significant pain relief by itself. Patient education regarding proper posture and lifestyle issues are essential to prevent recurrences. Medication, both prescription and alternative, can also play a significant role in achieving effective pain control.

Our clinic strives to provide the best multidisciplinary care that we can for our patients. We have trained and experienced team members in the areas of massage therapy, acupuncture, physiotherapy and osteopathic therapy. We can provide custom or off-the-shelf orthotics, splints or braces. Our certified pain physicians provide consultation to determine the cause of your pain and will devise an effective treatment plan. As part of our treatment plan, it may be deemed that you would benefit from procedures such as nerve blocks or epidural steroid injection (dependent of course, on the diagnosis) to assist in the primary goal of achieving pain control.

Our specialty:

At the Headache & Pain Relief Centre we specialize in dealing with Chronic Back and Low Back Pain, Chronic Neck Pain, and back pain caused by a Sports Injury, Recreational Injury, and Osteoarthritis as well as Ergonomic / Work Injury.

Our back pain clinic is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada - contact us for more information.

Back Pain Alert!!!

Back Pain AlertMost back pain is mechanical, that means due to a change in either the structure (bones, joints, discs, ligaments, muscles and so on) or in the way all these parts interact. There are rare cases, however, when your back pain may be due to an illness starting somewhere else in your body, or a dangerous progressive condition. Here are some situations that may indicate you have one of these conditions.

IMPORTANT: If you have any of the above conditions, see your doctor, go to a walk-in medical centre, or the nearest emergency room.