Back pain can come from muscles, discs, joints, nerves, arthritis, spinal changes, prior injury, or pain that persists after surgery. Pacific Pain & Wellness Group evaluates back pain with a focus on identifying the likely pain source and matching treatment to the patient's diagnosis, function, medical history, and goals.
This resource hub helps patients understand back pain treatment options and connects related Pacific Pain & Wellness Group pages for chronic pain, injections, nerve treatments, medication management, spinal cord stimulation, and selected advanced options.
When back pain needs evaluation
Back pain should be evaluated when it persists, returns frequently, limits walking or daily activity, disrupts sleep, travels into the leg, causes numbness or tingling, or does not improve with initial conservative care. Urgent symptoms such as new weakness, loss of bowel or bladder control, fever, major trauma, or severe unexplained pain require immediate medical attention.
A pain management evaluation may include review of symptoms, prior imaging, prior treatments, medications, physical function, and whether pain appears to be related to joints, discs, nerves, muscles, or another source.
Back pain and chronic pain
Many patients with persistent back pain are also managing chronic pain. The chronic pain treatment hub explains how long-term pain care may include interventional treatments, medication management, non-surgical strategies, and coordinated support when pain affects mood, sleep, and daily function.
Pacific Pain & Wellness Group's chronic pain management page also explains how the clinic approaches persistent pain conditions.
Epidural injections for spine-related pain
Epidural injections may be considered for selected patients with spine-related pain, including pain patterns that travel from the back into the leg. The goal is to reduce inflammation around irritated spinal nerves when the diagnosis and clinical picture support that approach.
For more background, read Pain Management Injections for Chronic Back and Nerve Pain.
Facet joint injections and radiofrequency ablation
Some back pain comes from the small joints in the spine. Facet joint injections may help evaluate or treat selected joint-related spine pain. When diagnostic blocks suggest that targeted nerves are contributing to pain, radiofrequency ablation may be considered for longer-lasting relief in appropriate patients.
Nerve blocks and spinal cord stimulation
Diagnostic and therapeutic nerve blocks may help clarify pain sources or provide relief for selected conditions. For certain chronic pain patterns that have not responded to other treatments, spinal cord stimulation may be reviewed after a full evaluation.
Medication management and non-surgical options
Pain medication management may be part of a back pain plan when clinically appropriate. Medication decisions should account for diagnosis, other medications, side effects, medical history, function, and risk. Pacific Pain & Wellness Group may also discuss non-surgical strategies and referrals depending on the patient's condition.
Ketamine and selected chronic pain cases
For carefully selected chronic pain patients, ketamine infusions for chronic pain may be discussed as part of a broader physician-guided plan. Ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic medication; use for chronic pain is off-label and requires eligibility review, medical supervision, and safety monitoring.
For broader context, see the ketamine infusions resource hub.
Request an appointment
If back pain is limiting your mobility, sleep, work, or quality of life, the next step is a clinical evaluation. Pacific Pain & Wellness Group can help determine whether your symptoms fit an injection, nerve block, radiofrequency ablation, medication management, spinal cord stimulation, ketamine discussion, or another care path.
Request an appointment to discuss back pain treatment options.