Back And Neck Pain

What causes back and neck pain?

Back and neck pain are among the most common reasons people miss work or visit their doctor. While most back and neck pain goes away on its own, if your pain comes and goes for three months or more, you may have chronic back and neck pain.

There are many factors that can lead to back and neck pain, but some of the most common causes include:

• Herniated disc
• Muscle strain
• Muscle spasm
• Spinal stenosis
• Degenerative disc disease
• Arthritis
• Auto accident
• Work injury
• Sports injury
• Obesity
• Osteoporosis
• Poor posture
• Scoliosis
• Spinal infection
• Cancer

Whether you have acute or chronic back and neck pain, the Vascular and Interventional Associates team can perform a comprehensive evaluation to determine the root of your pain and treat it with the most effective techniques and therapies available.

What are the symptoms of back and neck pain?

Most back and neck pain symptoms aren’t concerning, but you should contact a doctor if you experience one or more of the following warning signs:

• Stiffness
• Constant muscle pain
• Shooting pain
• Pain or numbness that radiates down the leg
• Pain that worsens when bending or standing
• Difficulties moving

Severe back and neck pain that comes on suddenly should be evaluated by a doctor immediately. Fever, unexplained weight loss, incontinence, and leg weakness are also serious symptoms that indicate an underlying condition.

How is back and neck pain treated?

Vascular and Interventional Associates offers many back and neck pain treatments at their office, including:

Epidural Steroid Injection (ESI)

An epidural steroid injection (ESI) is a minimally invasive procedure that can help relieve back and neck pain. This treatment is most effective in pain that is caused by inflamed spinal nerves due to spinal stenosis or disc herniation. During an ESI procedure, anesthetic medication is delivered to the epidural space, which is an area between the bone and the protective sac of the spinal nerves. Patients can expect pain relief to last for several days or even years.

Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)

A radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is another minimally invasive procedure that can effectively treat back and neck pain. RFA destroys nerve fibers that carry pain signals to the brain and can provide lasting relief for people with chronic back and neck pain. Patients with recurrent pain may be candidates for a radiofrequency ablation.

At Vascular and Interventional Associates, your physician will work with you to create a back and neck pain treatment plan that targets and eliminates your pain. For more information, call the office or schedule an appointment online.

Intracept Procedure