முதுகு வலி — சென்னை

Back pain is one of the most common health issues, affecting people of all ages. It can range from a dull, constant ache to sudden sharp pain that makes it difficult to move. Surgery is rarely needed — Dr. Kiruthika identifies the source and treats it with image-guided, regenerative day-care procedures.

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இந்தப் பக்கத்தின் தமிழ் மொழிபெயர்ப்பு தயாராகிக்கொண்டிருக்கிறது — தற்போது ஆங்கில உள்ளடக்கம் காட்டப்படுகிறது.

Is this you?

Why it happens

Poor posture, a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, heavy lifting, a previous spine injury and age-related degeneration are the usual risk factors. The pain itself comes from a small number of structures — a disc, a facet joint, or the muscles and ligaments around them — and each is treated differently, which is why finding the exact source matters.

How Dr. Kiruthika assesses it

History and physical examination first, then imaging — X-ray, MRI or ultrasound — when needed. Age-related change on a scan is common and often painless, so the examination, not the report alone, decides what is treated.

Conditions treated

Lumbar disc disease and disc herniation (slipped disc)

The soft centre of a disc bulges or pushes through its outer ring — a lumbar disc prolapse — and can press on a nerve root, causing back pain with pain, tingling or numbness down the leg. Most prolapses shrink over weeks to months. Treatment: medication, targeted physiotherapy, and an epidural injection under X-ray guidance when leg pain is severe or not settling. Regenerative therapy — PRP or bone marrow concentrate — is considered for chronic disc-related pain. Surgery is reserved for progressive weakness or bladder or bowel symptoms.

Sciatica (nerve root compression)

Pain along the sciatic nerve — buttock, back of the thigh, calf, sometimes the foot — usually from a disc pressing on a nerve root. Epidural and nerve root injections reduce the inflammation around the nerve; relief typically begins within one to two weeks and allows rehabilitation to progress.

Facet arthropathy (facet joint arthritis)

The small facet joints at the back of the spine wear like any other joint. Pain is worse on standing, arching backwards and twisting, and usually stays in the back and buttock. Treated with image-guided regenerative therapy injections into the affected joints, alongside core strengthening.

Muscle strain and ligament sprain

The commonest and most benign form of back pain — from prolonged sitting, weak core muscles or a sudden load. Ultrasound-guided trigger point injections, a physiotherapy programme and posture correction. PRP supports healing of a sprained ligament. Rarely needs imaging.

Coccydynia (tailbone pain)

Pain at the tailbone on sitting, often after a fall or childbirth. Treated with an image-guided injection at the tailbone and a cut-out cushion. Surgery is almost never needed.

Treatment options, least to most invasive

  1. Self-care — rest, posture correction, stretching and core strengthening
  2. Medical — pain medicines and physiotherapy
  3. Interventional & regenerative — epidural injections, regenerative therapy injections for the facet joints, Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy and bone marrow concentrate (BMAC) therapy
  4. Surgery — rarely needed unless there is severe nerve compression. Dr. Kiruthika refers directly to a spine surgeon in these cases.

On the day

Procedures take twenty to forty minutes in a day-care procedure room, under local anaesthesia with light sedation if needed. You are observed briefly, walk out, and can return to desk work within a day or two.

Red flags

Seek urgent medical attention today if you have loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the area you sit on, weakness that is getting worse, fever with the pain, a recent fall or major injury, or unexplained weight loss. These are not conditions for an outpatient injection.

Questions patients ask

When should I see a doctor for back pain?

If back pain lasts more than two weeks, radiates to the legs, or comes with weakness or numbness.

Can regenerative medicine help back pain?

Yes — especially for disc problems, ligament injuries and chronic back pain.

Do I need an MRI before the consultation?

Bring any scans you have. If you have none, Dr. Kiruthika will say after examination whether one is needed. Not every back pain needs an MRI.

When is surgery unavoidable?

Progressive weakness, numbness in the area you sit on, or loss of bladder or bowel control. These are urgent and need a surgeon.

Book your consultation

Message on WhatsApp Do I actually need surgery? Call +91 72000 52857

Epidural & nerve root injections

For slip disc, sciatica and cervical radiculopathy.

Ultrasound-guided injections

Precise injections into joints, tendons, bursae and around nerves — no blind injections.

BMAC therapy

Bone marrow concentrate for disc degeneration and tendon tears.

Read more

What to bring to your first pain consultation

A short, practical checklist so your first visit moves straight to answers — scans, medicines and the questions worth asking.