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Category: Pain

Carl Spivak, MD - Executive Spine SurgeryNewsPain
By Staff Writer Pain

Can a traumatic knee injury from falling down stairs cause L5-S1 disk herniation and nerve damage?

A knee injury does not usually cause L5-S1 disk herniation.  Likely you injured both the knee and back when you fell down the stairs.     The L5-S1 disk herniation may damage L5 and S1 nerve roots as they exit the spine.  These nerves travel though the pelvis and into the leg and foot to innervate multiple muscles.  L5 nerve root  injury causes weakness walking on your heals, bending your toes to your nose and numbness of the big toe.  S1 nerve root injury causes weakness walking tip toe and numbness in the little toes.    You may need treatment of your back and knee.  Good Luck!

By Staff Writer Pain

I have really bad low back pain. Will it get worse in the future?

Back pain can originate from the bones, disks, joints, muscles, ligaments, nerves and spinal cord and rarely other organ systems.  Sometimes the exact cause cannot be determined.  Back pain can improve, stay the same or worsen over time depending on the cause.  It is difficult to predict the future of your pain without a detailed assessment.  I recommend evaluation by your primary care doctor.  The initial treatment for most causes of back pain is physical therapy.  If you fail physical therapy then I recommend consultation with spine surgeon for further workup and treatment.  Please contact Executive Spine Surgery for more information.  Good Luck!

By Staff Writer Pain

Upper back pain around the left shoulder and hurts to breath.

You may have strained your back and/or shoulder, but the breathing problem could be from your heart or lungs.  I would recommend seeing your doctor.  Most people with back pain  benefit from rest, anti-inflammatories (if you can take them – check with your doctor) and muscle relaxer followed by physical therapy .  Good Luck!

By Staff Writer Pain, Relief, Treatment Options for Back Pain

Lower back problem. GP, chiropractor, or specialist?

If you have intermittent back pain you could start with either.  If you have other symptoms such as constant, worsening back pain, leg pain, numbness, tingling, bowel and bladder problems, weight loss, fevers, chills, night sweats, significant back injury or history of cancer, then you should start with primary care doctor, pain doctor or spine surgeon.  If you do not get relief from the chiropractor then I would recommend seeing a medical doctor, preferably spine specialist.

By Staff Writer Pain, Scoliosis, Surgery, Treatment Options for Back Pain

Does scoliosis cause other health problems?

If scoliosis is severe it can affect your heart, lungs, gut, spinal cord and nerves producing a large range of problems from difficulty breathing to difficulty walking.  Fortunately this is not common.  Many cases of scoliosis respond to conservative treatment (such as bracing) and do not require surgery.  Please see my blog posting Does scoliosis cause pain? For more information please contact Dr. Carl Spivak at Executive Spine Surgery.  Good Luck!

By Staff Writer Pain, Relief, Sciatica, Surgery, Treatment Options for Back Pain

Sciatica – see a General Practitioner (GP) or a Chiropractor?

I would recommend seeing your primary care doctor to orchestrate the workup and treatment of your pain.  You may require anti-inflammatory medicine, physical therapy, chiropractic manipulation and MRI scan of the spine .  Depending on the results of these tests and treatment you may need to see an interventional pain doctor or spine surgeon to determine the benefit of steroid injections or spine surgery.  Today many spine surgeries can be done minimally invasively through a spinal endoscope decreasing tissue damage, pain and recovery time from surgery.  Please contact us for more information.  Good Luck!

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