Back and Neck Pain
Neck pain and back pain are two of the most common symptoms for which patients seek medical treatment. Pain occurs suddenly or develops gradually. The pain may be located in one area or throughout the lower back or through the legs and feet.
There are multiple causes leading to spinal pain, to name a few, damage to the bones, disks, muscles or joints of the spine, all resulting from injury or degenerative disease. These various causes all require medical attention.
The NYPBMH Back and Neck Pain Center is dedicated to providing patients with the best clinical treatment for disorders of the spine. The Center provides great care due to the qualified staff of specialists who is expertise in a range of disciplines. The Center's multidisciplinary approach affords patients the greatest number of treatment options. Diagnosis and treatment are centrally coordinated, so that patients may benefit from more than one opinion and avoid duplication of screening and testing procedures.
Coordinated Care
Our entry point consists of a consultation with the medical director, a physiatrist (rehabilitation medicine specialist) with expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of back pain.
Diagnosis
Patients will undergo a comprehensive medical history and physical examination. If any tests are necessary for diagnosis, they will be ordered by our staff. Depending on the symptoms displayed, testing may include x-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, nuclear scans, electromyograms (EMGs) and/or blood work. All tests will be performed at New York Methodist Hospital and results will immediately available for the physician to review.
In most cases, the medical director will be able to provide a preliminary diagnosis during the first visit and may be able to begin treatment immediately.
Conditions Treated
All major spinal disorders are treated at our Center. These include:
- Muscle spasms, which can cause acute pain.
- Fractures to the spine or spinal cord injury, caused by spinal trauma.
- Osteoporotic compression fractures and other fractures to the spinal column.
- Scoliosis, a congenital deformity that causes curvature of the spine.
- Spinal tumors, which may be secondary to other forms of cancer.
- Spinal stenosis, narrowing of the spinal canal, which may cause pain radiating into the legs.
- Herniated or slipped disks, which put pressure on spinal nerves, causing leg or arm pain.
- Spondylolysis, a stress fracture of the vertebrae or spondylolisthesis, which occurs when one vertebra slips out of alignment.
- Arthritis of the spine.
- Disk disease.
- Compression of the spinal cord that causes weakness in the hand or leg.
Treatment for Back and Neck Conditions
Our Center focuses on non-operative treatment, which most commonly include medication and/or rehabilitation (physical or occupational) therapy. Depending on the condition being treated, bed rest, corticosteroid injections, bracing, radiation therapy, neuropsychology techniques, surgery (including minimally invasive procedures), or even alternative medicine techniques, such as chiropractic medicine or acupuncture, may be recommended.
When surgery is needed, NYPBMH offers a range of minimally invasive options. Through the lateral access (sideways approach) technique, neurosurgeons at NYPBMH can now minimize or even eliminate the need to dissect muscle to reach the spine for a procedure in many cases.
Decisions about the best course of treatment will be made with consideration for the nature and severity of the condition, as well as the patient's lifestyle and preferences.
Pain Management
Some conditions of the spine can cause acute pain. Although most back and neck pain resolves on its own over time, physicians at our Center believe that it is important to treat back and neck pain once the condition is diagnosed. Pain management for spinal injuries and disorders is designed both to mitigate acute pain and to provide long-term management that will lessen or eventually eliminate it.
Appointments/Insurance
Our office is located at 263 Seventh Avenue, Ste. 4A, in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn. For an appointment, please call 719-246-8614. We accept assignment of insurance from most companies. When making the appointment, the receptionist will discuss insurance information, so you will know ahead of time what coverage you can expect.
Patients experiencing acute or severe pain should inform the receptionist so that the Center can make every effort to provide an appointment promptly.