Comprehensive Treatment for Chronic Back Pain

Our comprehensive treatment options for reducing your back pain may range from conservative to aggressive, depending the level of your pain and its duration, results of past treatments, and any identifiable acute conditions causing your present pain.

Medications

For mild to moderate back pain, your doctor or pain management specialist may initially recommend over-the-counter pain relievers. If the pain doesn't decrease, a muscle relaxant may be prescribed. Narcotics, such as codeine or hydrocodone, may be prescribed briefly.

Injections

If your pain persists, or radiates down your leg, your doctor may inject cortisone, an anti-inflammatory medication, into the "epidural" space around the spinal cord to decrease inflammation. Nerve blocks may also be used, which are injections including local anesthetics, steroids or opiates directed onto or near nerves to relieve pain.

Physical Therapy and Exercise

Physical therapy may be recommended to reduce your pain by conditioning the muscles in your back and neck. Treatments may include: exercises to improve flexibility and strength, posture and body mechanic instruction, and techniques to manage your pain.

Surgery

We recommend surgical options when unrelenting back pain is reducing your quality of life and other approaches to relieve it have proven unsuccessful. Our full range of advanced surgical options include:

Microdiscectomy

The surgical removal of herniated disc material that is pressing on the nerve root or spinal cord. Can often be performed as an outpatient procedure.

Foraminotomy

The surgical removal of tissue that is compressing the nerves in the back or spinal column.

Laminectomy

The surgical removal of bone, disc, tumor or other structure compressing the spinal nerves.

Spine Fusion

The surgical joining of two vertebrae to eliminate painful movement in the spinal column.

Vertebroplasty

Bone cement is injected into a fractured vertebrae to quickly relieve pain from spinal fractures. This procedure is a highly successful, minimally invasive outpatient procedure.