Nagging back pain can make getting through each day difficult. Walking, bending, turning, lifting, and even sitting or sleeping can all come with a price: pain ranging from minimal to severe. If you’re experiencing back pain, you don’t have to continue through life this way. Finding the right physician and treatment can make all the difference in giving you a pain-free life.
Office visit
The first step is to schedule a consultation with a qualified, experienced back specialist. Dr. Fischer at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City is noted for helping patients manage their back pain. Customized, innovative treatment plans are developed for each patient depending on their condition, lifestyle, and goals. Conservative back pain management techniques are typically recommended at first, in hopes of avoiding more invasive treatments.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing your back issue is important in providing the most effective long-lasting treatment. Various diagnostic procedures can be performed in the process of determining the exact root cause of your back pain. Some common diagnostic procedures in identifying back pain include:
- Medial branch blocks – injecting anesthetic into the medial nerves associated with facet joints to identify which joints between vertebrae might be causing pain
- Selective nerve root blocks – injecting anesthetic and anti-inflammatory steroid to locate the exact nerve that is originating pain
- Pain mapping – using Xrays and luminescent medicine to pinpoint the location of back pain
- Discogram – conducting a standard imaging test to pinpoint the vertebral disc that is causing pain
Treatment
Once your back pain is diagnosed, there are a number of treatment options to help control pain and address the underlying condition. Here are some common treatment alternatives:
- Epidural injections – injecting steroids into the lumbar, thoracic or cervical regions of the spine to relieve pain related to nerve inflammation
- Kyphoplasty/Vertebroplasty – injecting bone cement into areas with vertebral fractures to stabilize the spine and reduce pain
- Radiofrequency ablation – using an electrical current to heat damaged nerve tissue and reduce pain, often providing long-term pain relief
- Spinal cord stimulation – using highly advanced techniques to attach an electrical current to the pain source, blocking the brain’s ability to receive pain signals from that area
Surgery
A back pain specialist like Dr. Fischer will be able to recommend specific treatment methods most likely to manage your back pain. If conservative options aren’t effective enough, minimally invasive surgery might be the next step. Dr. Fischer performs this advanced surgery proven to repair back problems while giving patients the best care and recovery possible. Less scarring, less blood loss, less damage to surrounding tissues, shorter hospital stays, and faster recoveries are benefits of minimally invasive surgery.
Whatever the ideal treatment is for you, NYC spine surgeon Dr. Fischer can help manage your back pain and restore your quality of life. Call for an appointment today if you suffer from back pain.