Neck & Back Pain Specialist

What causes neck and back pain?

Neck and back pain occur when there’s damage to one or more of the structures and tissues in your spine. These include the vertebrae (the bones that form your spinal column), the discs in between the bones, which cushion them and give your spine stability, and the connective tissues (tendons and ligaments) holding everything together.

There are muscles surrounding and supporting your neck and back and cartilage on the bones that prevent them from rubbing against each other. There are also many nerves that come off the spinal cord (a rope of nerve tissue inside your spinal column). The nerves exit through gaps in your vertebrae and travel to the other parts of your body.

Some of the likely causes of neck or back pain include:

• Spinal stenosis
• Herniated or bulging discs
• Degenerative disc disease
• Whiplash injuries
• Vertebral compression fractures
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Scoliosis (abnormal spinal curvature)
• Spondylosis
• Spondylolisthesis

In many of these conditions, the worst pain is due to radiculopathy, which is compression of the nerves coming off your spinal cord. Changes in your spine’s alignment or protrusions into the spinal canal (like herniated discs) trap or pinch the nerves and cause severe pain. 

Radiculopathy also causes numbness, weakness, and tingling or prickling sensations. These symptoms can travel from your neck into your arms or from your lower back into your legs. One common example is sciatica (lumbar radiculopathy), which causes a sharp, shock-like pain down one leg.

How are neck and back pain treated?

Assuming your condition isn’t one (like a spinal trauma) that requires urgent surgery, the Total Spine Institute team uses non-surgical treatments for neck and back pain. These might include:

• Rest and activity modification
• Physical therapy
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Platelet-rich plasma injections
• Epidural steroid injections
• Facet joint injections
• Nerve blocks

The right combination of treatments can successfully relieve neck and back pain for most patients. For those whose pain doesn’t improve, The Total Spine Institute team offers a variety of surgical options.

What surgery might I need for neck and back pain?

The surgery your provider at Total Spine Institute recommends depends on the condition causing your pain and factors like your age and overall health. Some of the advanced surgeries they perform for neck or back pain include:

• Microdiscectomy
• Discectomy and fusion
• Artificial disc replacement
• Spinal decompression

The Total Spine Institute team specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery and robotic-assisted surgery. These techniques minimize damage to your tissues, so you feel less pain and recover more quickly.

They also use cutting-edge technologies for optimal results, such as the Coflex® Interlaminar Stabilization® device and the Vertiflex™ Procedure Superion™ Indirect Decompression System.

For an accurate diagnosis of your neck or back pain and a successful resolution, call Total Spine Institute today or book an appointment online.