Question: I have a pain in
my upper right back, a sharp burning pain, and have had it for months
now, all I can think that might have caused it is I had slipped on
a wet floor and hurt my back then. It feels as if there's a hot ice
pic that sticks me in the back. It gets so bad at times that I have
to sit down for the pain to ease up a little. Elsie
Answer: Dear Elsie,
There are two main type sof back
pain, neuropathic and nociceptive. Neuropathic pain occurs when nerve
tissue has been damaged and feels like a burning or stabbing pain.
A common cause of neuropathic pain is a pinched nerve in the back.
Nociceptive pain occurs outside
the nervous system and feels like a constant dull ache like arthritis
pain.
Neuropathic pain is common in
the back with symptoms such as burning, tingling and numbness. Drugs
such as Aleve and Motrin can offer some pain relief.
In order to get an exact diagnosis
for neuropathic pain, a doctor needs to perform a check-up and physical
exam.
