Back / Spine Pain
Overview
We are creatures who walk upright and we pay the price with an inherently unstable, vertical spine that is susceptible to injury and degeneration. Back pain is the most common reason people see their doctors or miss work. It is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Causes of back pain are numerous: injury, failed back surgery, nerve damage, muscle or ligament strain, disc degeneration, arthritis, osteoporosis, pressure on the spinal cord, and joint degeneration. You are at greater risk to develop back pain if you smoke, are overweight, do not exercise, use poor lifting technique and if you’re past middle age.
How Our Doctors Diagnose
In addition to a physical examination and thorough discussion of the pain you’re experiencing and your medical history, we have an array of tests and imaging to help diagnose the source of your pain: x-ray, MRI, CT scans, blood test (to detect infection or viruses), bone scan, discography, and nerve studies such as electromyography.
Treatment Options
- Dorsal root ganglion therapy (DRG)
- Spinal cord stimulation (SCS)
- Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS)
- Epidural steroid injection (ESI)
- Facet joint injections
- Lumbar epidural steroid injections(LESI)
- Transforaminal epidural steroid injections (Transforaminal ESI)
- Radiofrequency ablation (neuorotomy) (RFA)
- Analgesic and anti-inflammatory medication
- Physical therapy
- Hot and cold therapy
