About a month ago, I fell when I was skiing and I hurt my back. I know that I probably should have gone to the doctor, but I didn’t, and eventually it felt better. I’ve felt mostly fine since, but my back pain reemerged again just this past week. It feels similar to how it felt when I first hurt myself, so I think it’s connected. But I’m not sure what to do about it other than to take over-the-counter painkillers–my next doctor’s appointment isn’t for a while, and I don’t really know who I would see otherwise (I also don’t want to end up seeing some special doctor that my insurance doesn’t cover–I’m only a poor college student!). Are there any home remedies that are good for back pain? What other options do I have?
Sorry to hear that you’re back to having back pain–but perhaps this is the wake-up call that you need to go see an expert (in person–your letter to us doesn’t count!) and ask about your problem.
Back pain is incredibly common: roughly 80% of us deal with it! But that doesn’t mean that it’s no big deal. Besides, your situation doesn’t sound like the sort of ache and pain that can arrive with aging–it sounds nearly certain that your first round of back pain was caused by your injury, and it’s entirely possible that your current second round of back pain is rooted in the same issue.
Back pain can be tough to understand, say practitioners at Irondequoit Chiropractic Center. It can be caused by everything from a sudden injury to long-term problems with posture or weight, and multiple factors can complicate the same back injury. And the injuries themselves take all different forms, too! There aren’t a lot of things that apply universally to all forms of back pain, so your best bet to to seek out a doctor who specializes in back pain.
But what about your insurance? You were concerned, after all, about getting your pain covered. Well, the answer to that will depend on your insurance plan, but the advice the experts would give is simple: call up your health insurance company and ask! Health insurance policies frequently cover specialists with co-payment plans, say brokers at Cosmo Insurance Agency, and your insurance company is sure to be able to tell you what your plan covers. You may have to get a referral from your primary care physician to see some kinds of specialists–if that’s the case here, give their office a call and make a special appointment. There’s no need to sit around and wait while dealing with back pain!
“The first wealth is health.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
