Back Pain

Your healthcare professional examines your back and assesses your ability to sit, stand, walk and lift your legs. The health professional also might ask you to rate your pain on a scale of zero to 10 and to talk about how your pain affects your daily activities.

These assessments help determine where the pain comes from and how much you can move before pain or muscle spasms force you to stop. Exams also can help rule out more-serious causes of back pain.

One or more of these tests might help pinpoint the cause of the back pain:

X-ray. These images show arthritis or broken bones. But the images alone won’t find conditions affecting the spinal cord, muscles, nerves or disks.
MRI or CT scans. These scans generate images that can reveal herniated disks or problems with bones, muscles, tissue, tendons, nerves, ligaments and blood vessels.
Blood tests. These can help determine whether an infection or other condition might be causing pain.
Nerve studies. Electromyography (EMG) measures the electrical impulses produced by the nerves and how the muscles respond to them. This test can confirm pressure on the nerves caused by herniated disks or narrowing of the spinal canal, called spinal stenosis.

Symptoms

When to see a doctor

Request an appointment

Complications

Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.

The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:

High blood pressure.
Diabetes.
Heart failure.
Some types of heart valve disease.

Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:

Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Don't smoke or use tobacco.
Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Reduce and manage stress.

By Freedmans Health Clinic Staff

Living with atrial fibrillation?

Connect with others like you for support and answers to your questions in the Heart Rhythm Conditions support group on Freedmans Health Clinic Connect, a patient community.