Summer Activity and Back Pain: How to Stay Active Without Making Things Worse
Don’t let back pain steal your summer fun. Here’s your ultimate guide to keeping your summer activities as back-friendly as possible.
Is Your Back Pain Coming From a Herniated Disc or a Facet Joint Problem?
Back pain — it’s one of the most common pain conditions and the most complicated. With all the muscles, joints, nerves, tendons, and ligaments working together in one location, not only is something bound to go wrong, but it’s not always easy to pinpoint exactly what’s malfunctioning.
Enter Dr. David Wu and our team at CurePain.
Two of the most common causes of chronic back pain are herniated discs and facet joint problems. Both can cause significant discomfort, but they affect different spinal structures and often require different treatment approaches.
In this blog, we take a closer look at these two back pain culprits and help you decide which path to relief is best for you.
What is a herniated disc?
Between each vertebra in your spine sits a cushion-like structure called a disc.
These discs act as shock absorbers, helping your spine move comfortably while protecting the vertebrae from excessive stress.
A herniated disc occurs when the outer layer of the disc weakens or tears, allowing the inner material to bulge outward. When this happens, nearby nerves may become irritated or compressed.
This is often what people mean when they talk about a “slipped disc.”
What are fact joints?
Facet joints are small joints located at the back of the spine.
These joints help stabilize the spine and guide movement during bending, twisting, and extension. Like other joints in the body, facet joints can develop arthritis, inflammation, and wear-and-tear changes over time.
When facet joints become irritated, they can generate significant pain and stiffness. In fact, facet joint pain is one of the most commonly overlooked causes of chronic back pain.
Telling the difference
Although both conditions affect the spine, they often produce different symptom patterns.
Herniated discs frequently cause pain that travels beyond the back itself. Because nearby nerves may become compressed, symptoms often include:
- Pain radiating into the buttocks or legs
- Numbness or tingling
- Burning sensations
- Weakness in the legs
- Sciatica-like symptoms
You may also notice nerve-related pain as sharp, shooting, electric, or burning.
Facet joint pain tends to stay more localized, triggering symptoms like:
- Aching pain in the lower back
- Stiffness, especially in the morning
- Pain that worsens with standing or arching backward
- Discomfort after prolonged activity
- Tenderness near the spine
Rather than causing significant leg symptoms, facet pain usually remains centered around the back itself.
Your movement can offer clues
How your pain responds to movement can sometimes help distinguish the source. If you have a herniated disc, you may feel worse when:
- Sitting for long periods
- Bending forward
- Coughing or sneezing
- Lifting objects
That’s because these activities can increase pressure on the affected disc.
Facet joint pain often behaves differently. Symptoms of a facet joint problem get worse when:
- Standing for extended periods
- Twisting
- Leaning backward
- Walking downhill
The facet joints become compressed during these movements, which may aggravate inflammation.
While these patterns provide clues, they aren’t enough to make a diagnosis on their own — an evaluation with an expert like Dr. Wu is crucial.
How we diagnose and treat back pain
We know how complicated back pain can be, so diagnosing it involves much more than simply reviewing imaging studies.
We combine imaging findings with a physical examination, symptom patterns, and sometimes diagnostic injections to pinpoint the source of pain.
The goal is to determine what’s causing your symptoms — not simply what’s visible on a scan.
Once we identify the source of your pain, we can tailor treatment accordingly. Your plan may include a combination of the following:
- Physical therapy
- Anti-inflammatory medications
- Epidural steroid injections
- Facet joint injections
- Medial branch blocks
- PRP injections for pain
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Lifestyle and activity modifications
Many of our patients achieve significant relief without surgery when treatment targets the correct pain generator.
The good news? You don’t have to figure any of it out on your own. Dr. Wu and our team are standing by to get you started on your journey to a pain-free life. And it all starts with booking your first consultation. Call our friendly staff or use our online booking tool to schedule yours today.
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