Spine Disorders
Who hasn't had an ache in their neck or low back?? Usually, an acute pain in the neck or back is not a serious issue. Fortunately for us all, a strained muscle or a sprained ligament supporting the spine is a painful injury that can resolve on its own with a short period of activity modification.
If the pain is severe enough it can be useful to rest, otherwise it is helpful to remain as active as you can without causing significant increases in pain around the area that hurts.
An evaluation with Dr. Flanagan early on in the painful process can help guide you in the right direction and help avoid developing chronic pain.
Most cases are managed with non-surgical options, and Dr. Flanagan is an expert in managing painful conditions of the neck and back. During his pain fellowship he learned how to manage the spine conservatively, adding injections and medications only as needed to decrease pain and improve function.
Some common recommendations are as follows:
Continue to stretch daily
Ice is ok for 5 to 10 minutes on painfully swollen areas, but too much ice can slow down healing
Heat applied to the area can improve circulation, along with stretching, and increased blood flow to the area should help it heal stronger and faster
Instead of lifting weights, you can do similar range of motion exercises with just your body weight
Continue to walk as tolerated. Transition to short periods of jogging, and then running as tolerated. Jogging/Running alternating with walking can be a nice way to transition back to activity.
Pay attention to posture. Your ears should align with your shoulders, hips, knees and ankles.
Use a mirror to check your posture and watch yourself stretching or doing range of motion exercises, this can help avoid developing bad habits while you are in pain.
Common Causes of Neck & Back Pain
Arthritis of the facet joints
joint fluid, spurs, joint space narrowing
Degenerative disc disorders
bulging disc, protruding disc, herniated disc
Spinal Stenosis
narrowing of the spinal canal, narrowing of the transforaminal opening
Sprains and Strains
muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints
Nerve Compression
spinal cord compression, pinched nerve roots, sciatica, radicular pain
Whiplash
sprains, strains, disc disease, stenosis
Dr. Flanagan is Highly Skilled at Non-Surgical Treatments:
PRP (platelet rich plasma) injections
Stem Cell Injections
Prolotherapy
Epidural Injections
Nerve root Blocks
Facet Joint Injections
Facet Joint nerve blocks
Radiofrequency Ablation
Sacroiliac Joint Injections
Kyphoplasty
Intradiscal Discography
- Intradiscal Injections
Sympathetic Plexus Blocks
Trigger Point Injections
Dr. Flanagan is a leading Regenerative Medicine Expert, offering state of the art PRP and Stem Cell Therapy to his patients. Come in for consultation to see if you are a candidate to preserve your spine!
nristaff@gmail.com - email us for more information Call now - 239 276 7074
