Treating Your Back Pain

When surgery is needed to relieve back pain, our spine specialists offer some of the most advanced surgical techniques. Call 610-402-CARE for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Our spine specialists will base your treatment on these factors:

• your age
• your overall health and medical history
• the reason for your back pain
• your ability to tolerate specific medications and your preference for care.

Treatment usually begins by having you modify your activity. This may include:

• taking anti-inflammatory medication
• getting "epidural" injections along the spine
• participating in physical therapy
• losing weight (if overweight)
• wearing a back support.

Hands-on care, such as acupuncture, acupressure, massage and chiropractic care, may work for you, too. Different types of back problems respond differently to different types of care.

Surgery

Surgery rarely is needed for back pain. But when other treatments do not work over the course of at least six months, our orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons are experienced in the most advanced techniques to relieve back pain.

• Micro-discectomy: When you have a herniated disc, our spine specialists can remove disc fragments that press against nerves in the spine. They use only a small incision, allowing you a quicker recovery.
• Spinal fusion: Our surgeons remove pressure on the spinal cord and spinal nerves, and fuse vertebrae using bone grafts and/or rods and screws. The result is relief from pain, more natural movement and a restoration of nerve function so you feel better.
• Cervical spine surgery: Our surgeons correct degenerative disorders, trauma or instability in the neck (cervical spine) by removing the pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots. They do this by removing a disc or a bone. They then stabilize this area by fusing the cervical spine with bone taken from another part of the body or with plates, screws or wires.
• Disc replacement: Our spine specialists replace a damaged disc with an artificial one, restoring the natural distance between the two vertebrae and reducing or eliminating back pain. This new surgery also restores flexibility and range of motion, and offers a faster recovery than spinal fusion. Currently, the surgery is approved for people with one diseased disc in the lower back, and only if the vertebrae have not moved too close together.
• Scoliosis surgery: If you have moderate to severe scoliosis (a lateral curve of the spine) you may be at risk for disabling back pain and sciatica, as well as lung problems. Our surgeons reduce the curve in the spine and relieve the resulting pain and lung damage.

ARTICLE TOOLS: