Back pain is the most common reason people visit the doctor. Back pain is often caused by spine injuries which can be treated surgically or non-surgically. Visiting a spine surgeon in Washington DC who treats all aspects of the musculoskeletal system ensures your back issues will be thoroughly addressed. Dr. Stein is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon in Washington DC who specializes in spine injury treatment. Since he is an orthopedist, Dr. Stein treats all aspects of the musculoskeletal system from head-to-toe.
Non-Surgical Spine Treatment
Most spine injuries do not require surgery. Your doctor should emphasize the use of non-surgical treatments whenever possible:
- Therapeutic exercise
- Injection therapy
- Medications
- Short-term bed rest (two to five days)
- Activity alteration
- Injections
If you are in pain, contact Dr. Stein immediately for a consultation.
Other Non-Surgical Options
Mindfulness Meditation
Chronic back pain is not only a physical strain. It can be emotionally exhausting and cause frustration, irritability, and depression. Regular practice of meditation, yoga, tai chi, or other metacognitive strategies can help ease your mind. It can also help stop you from focusing on the pain.
Diet
Diets high in refined sugars, processed foods, and trans fats cause high levels of inflammation in the body. This inflammation can aggravate your back pain. If you are overweight, there may be undue pressure on your spine. Losing weight can help alleviate your back pain significantly.
Lifestyle Changes
Above all else, you must listen to your own body. This means taking frequent breaks from activities that aggravate your condition. Pace yourself. For example, bring in the groceries in several trips. Avoid activities that make your pain worse altogether. This does not only ease your pain, but it also prevents your condition from getting worse. Additionally, if you smoke, stop. Smoking prevents the body from healing.
Alternative/Holistic Medicine
Talk to your orthopedic spine specialist about alternative treatments that can benefit your health:
- Acupuncture
- Massage
- Biofeedback therapy
- Laser therapy
- Electrical nerve stimulation
Spine Surgery
Dr. Stein emphasizes that the time between your injury and treatment can be vital in determining how severe your condition is. If you have experienced any significant trauma to your head or neck, contact Dr. Stein immediately.
If more conservative treatments do not work and you continue to experience disabling pain, spine surgery may be a good option. It is often a good treatment for pain or numbness that goes down one or both arms and legs. This pain is usually caused by compressed nerves in your spine. Compressed nerves occur for a variety of reasons.
Types of Back Surgery
Your spine surgeon in Washington DC will perform a different type of surgery depending on your back proble必利勁
m:
- Diskectomy: Removal of the herniated portion of a disk to relieve irritation and inflammation of a nerve.
- Laminectomy: Removal of the bone overlying the spinal canal. A laminectomy is performed to relieve nerve pressure caused by spinal stenosis.
- Fusion: Permanently connects two or more bones in your spine. It relieves pain by attempting to add stability to a spinal fracture. It can eliminate painful motion between vertebrae resulting from a degenerated or injured disk.
- Artificial disks: Implanted artificial disks are a treatment alternative to spinal fusion for painful movement between two vertebrae. *These relatively new devices aren’t an option for most people.
Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org/back-surgery/art-20048274
Spine Surgeon in Washington DC
Dr. Stein is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon in Washington D.C. and Chevy Chase, MD. He focuses on comprehensive management of sports-related injury and reconstructive surgery. This includes minimally-invasive surgical techniques and non-surgical treatment. If you are experiencing pain, contact Dr. Stein today for a consultation.