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Lower Back Pain

Texas Spine Consultants

Orthopedic Spine Surgeons serving Dallas, Addison, & Plano, TX

Your lower back supports most of the weight of your upper body and is very susceptible to injury. In fact, it’s estimated that 80% of adults in the United States at some point in time experience lower back pain. But if your pain is chronic, our ortho providers, Michael Hennessy, M.D., Robert Viere, M.D., Andrew Park, M.D., Chester Donnally, M.D., and Heidi Lee, M.D. at Texas Spine Consultants, LLP in Addison, Texas and Plano, Texas, can evaluate your back and provide a treatment plan that helps you get relief. Call the office today or schedule an appointment using the online booking tool.

Lower Back Pain Q & A

What is lower back pain?

Lower back pain is pain that affects the lumbar area of your back, which sits just below your rib cage and just above your buttocks. Symptoms of lower back pain vary in both intensity and type, ranging from a dull ache to a sharp shooting pain. Your pain may be acute and resolve on its own with rest and over-the-counter pain medication, or linger and turn into a chronic pain condition.

Lower back pain is a common problem, and the leading cause of job-related disability and a major contributor to missed days of work.

What causes lower back pain?

In most cases, lower back pain is caused by a mechanical problem that affects your muscles, ligaments, or bones in your lower back.

Common causes of lower back pain include:

  • Muscle and ligament sprains and strains
  • Disc degeneration
  • Skeletal irregularities such as scoliosis
  • Herniated disc
  • Radiculopathy
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Spondylolisthesis


A traumatic injury, such as bad fall on the football field, can also lead to lower back pain. Less, common certain health conditions, such as an infection or tumor, can also result in lower back pain.

How do I know the cause of my lower back pain?

Dr. Hennessy determines the cause of your lower back pain after a comprehensive examination that may include diagnostic testing, such as an X-ray or MRI. Depending on your symptoms, he may also recommend nerve testing to assess the damage.

How is lower back pain treated?

Dr. Hennessy takes an individualized approach to the treatment of your lower back pain based on the underlying cause of your discomfort. While Dr. Hennessy is a surgeon, he more often than not recommends conservative treatments for lower back conditions.

Your treatment plan may include:

  • Pain medication
  • Steroid injections
  • Physical therapy
  • Nerve blocks


If you fail to get relief from your lower back pain with conservative treatments, Dr. Hennessy may suggest surgery. The procedure he performs depends on the root cause of your pain. But Dr. Hennessy is a skilled surgeon with many years of experience and is an expert in minimally invasive procedures, which reduces your risk and recovery time.

If necessary, he can perform XLIF® lateral lumbar interbody fusion, a minimally invasive procedure that removes discs, or the Intracept procedure, which targets the basivertebral nerve to relieve low back pain.

For compassionate care from a hands-on physician, call Texas Spine Consultants, LLP today, or use the online booking tool to schedule an appointment.