Conditions and Treatments

Spine and back pain is extremely common and often gets better without medical care. Sometimes it is severe and debilitating and doesn’t go away on its own.

Premier Health’s Clinical Neuroscience Institute (CNSI) is a leader in treating spine and back pain. Our team of neurologists, neurosurgeons and other professionals work closely together to care for patients with spine and back pain.

When the pain source is your soft tissues or joints, you may benefit from physical therapy, yoga and tai chi. Such activities can relieve stress, reduce inflammation and help soft tissues heal.

If your spine’s alignment is involved, we may refer you to a chiropractor for spinal manipulation.

You may want to consider surgical options if the bones and discs of your spine are involved. Our neurosurgeons offer minimally invasive (using small incisions) surgical procedures that allow you to get back to your normal activities as quickly as possible.

CNSI spine and back pain specialists offer a complete range of treatment options to help you gain control of your back pain and improve your quality of life.

What Is Spine and Back Pain?

As you get older, the effects of trauma and normal wear and tear take a toll on your spine. This can damage bones, joints and discs (cushioning tissues between vertebrae) and lead to back pain.

Misaligned joints and inflammation of tissues from arthritis also can cause back pain.

Diagnosing Spine and Back Pain

Imaging tests help determine the cause of spine and back pain and guide your CNSI doctor in recommending treatment. These tests include:

  • Bone scans
  • Computed tomography (CT) scans
  • X-rays
  • MRI

Treatment for Spine and Back Pain

Treatment for spine and back pain often starts with the least-invasive methods first. These include:

  • Acupuncture: Very thin needles used to stimulate specific points on the body; approved by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for pain relief
  • Chiropractic care: A technique called spinal manipulation that improves your ability to function and your range of motion, and reduces nerve irritation
  • Exercise: Strengthens and promotes flexibility and builds energy to promote disc healing
  • Injections: Anti-inflammatory medications injected into the space around your spinal cord or spinal joints to help control pain
  • Medication: Non-prescription and prescription drugs to help control pain and other symptoms
  • Nutrition counseling: Specific vitamins and nutritious foods to nurture healthy bones, muscles, tendons and discs
  • Physical therapy: Rehabilitates soft tissues to promote healing
  • Tai chi: Tones and strengthens muscles, promotes good posture, relieves stress on your spine, improves balance and reduces chances of injury
  • Yoga: Stretches and strengthens muscles that support your spine, and promotes relaxation and flexibility of muscles and joints

Surgical Treatments

You and your CNSI doctor may determine that surgery is your best treatment option. The goal of surgery is often to relieve pressure on your spinal cord or nerves. This may involve surgery on the discs that cushion the bones of your spine (vertebrae) or on the vertebrae themselves.

Types of back surgery include:

  • Diskectomy: Removing the herniated (bulging) portion of a disk to relieve nerve irritation and inflammation
  • Laminectomy: Removing bone that is narrowing your spinal canal to relieve nerve pressure caused by the narrowing (stenosis)
  • Spinal fusion: Connecting two or more bones in your spine to stabilize it and relieve pain
  • Vertebroplasty: Injecting bone cement into spinal bones (vertebrae) to stabilize spinal fractures and relieve pain

Take time to consider your treatment options. Back pain is a complex condition and requires a team of experienced professionals who have excellent diagnostic skills and provide state-of-the-art treatment options.

For more information about back pain at CNSI, and for a referral to a Premier Health neurologist, call toll free 1 (844) 277-28941 (844) 277-2894.