Pain Treatments Health Center
Treatments for back pain vary widely. It's important to understand all of your options. Whether you choose to use over-the-counter pain relievers, physical therapy, a minimally invasive procedure like microdisectomy, or more extensive surgery such as anterior/posterior lumbar fusion, knowing about each treatment extensively will help speed up recovery.
The more knowledgeable you are, the more comfortable you will be participating in your treatment and recovery.
Topics
- Alternative Care
Less traditional treatments like acupuncture, alexander technique, and pneumatic vests can be used to treat back or neck pain.
- Artificial Disc Replacement
Artificial disc replacement surgery involves replacing a painful disc with an artificial disc.
- Neck and Back Surgery
For progressing pain or pain that does not resolve with conservative treatment, surgery is often considered to relieve neck or back pain when the precise cause of the pain is known. Cirugía de cuello y espalda en español
- Chiropractic
Chiropractic treatment may include physiologic therapeutics, exercise, nutrition, and posture along with the traditional spine adjustments.
- Diagnostic Tests
Different tests may be performed in the process of diagnosing back or neck pain, including imaging studies, physical evaluations, or specialized injections.
- Heat and Cold Therapy
The application of heat or cold to painful areas of the body can speed up healing or reduce inflammation.
- Pain Injections
Steroid injections are used to reduce inflammation and pressure on a nerve within a joint. Other injections affect the nerves directly or tissues around the nerve. Inyecciones contra el dolor en español
- Pain Management
There are many modalities for reducing pain, such as cold laser therapy, electrotherapy, and other methods of reducing pain rather than directly address the cause of the pain.
- Pain Medication
There are many types of pain medications used to help treat back and neck pain symptoms- acetaminophen, NSAIDs, and muscle relaxants are a few.
- Physical Therapy
Added strength in the structures supporting the spine can reduce the pressure within the discs or joints in the spine. Physical therapy targets specific muscles to help recovery from back pain.
- Spinal Fusion
When joint movement within the spine is contributing to pain, fusing the vertebrae together stops the motion, with the intent of removing the pain.
- Spine Specialists
There are many specialists who treat back pain, including surgeons, chiropractors, physiatrists, physical therapists, and others.