Did you know that 85% of our patients do not require surgery? Many patients evaluated by one of our spine specialists believe that surgery is the only answer to correct their spinal or cervical issue. Worse yet, some people shy away from a doctor’s visit entirely for fear of a surgical recommendation. However, most of our patients respond very well to non-surgical options. We offer surgery only to our patients that truly need it.

Non-Surgical Treatment Options

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is one of the main stays for treatment of low back pain and neck pain. It can be used to treat leg or back pain secondary to spinal stenosis and/or disc herniation. It can also help treat pain in the neck or upper extremities.

But physical therapy isn’t just guided stretching and exercise, there are other aspects to this treatment method.

Physical therapists will typically start with a thorough evaluation. They will use these findings and the physician’s recommendations to tailor an exercise and treatment program specific to the patient’s needs. In addition to the exercises, physical therapists often utilize other treatment options such as ultrasound heat, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), hydrotherapy, massage, or spinal manipulation.

Part of a physical therapist’s job is also to instruct their patient on proper body mechanics. They typically educate their patients on how to stretch, strengthen, and rehabilitate their neck or back in an effective manner.

Physical therapy has the advantage of helping with both the physical and psychosocial aspects of chronic low back pain and neck pain.

Exercise

Exercise can also help with both the physical and psychological effects of chronic pain. That’s why it plays such an important part in the path to recovery from back or neck pain.

Severe neck or back pain can be debilitating, often causing the individual to become less active. As a result, their back muscles and/or neck muscles can become weaker and have less endurance capacity. It can also cause the back and/or neck to feel more fatigued. This can potentially further exacerbate the problem.

Daily exercise can help strengthen your back and/or neck muscles, allowing you to return to more regular activities, and improve your quality of life. A byproduct of this effect is often an improved psychological state.

Learn more about dealing with chronic pain and depression.

Heat

Patients with severe pain can often benefit from treatment options like ultrasound heat, electric stimulation, and massage. Once the level of pain is reduced, exercises can be used to provide longer lasting therapeutic effects.

Interventional Pain Management

Interventional pain management focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of pain by applying minimally invasive techniques to target structures and mediate pain. The goal of this approach is to reduce or eliminate pain and help patients quickly return to their daily activities without heavy reliance on medications. With interventional pain management, results from diagnostic interventions are used to develop a treatment plan to produce long-term relief of pain. The treatment plan may include applying chemicals, heat, or cold. It can also include procedures to inhibit nerve impulses such as epidural steroid injections, facet joint injections, nerve blocks, peripheral nerve blocks, spinal cord stimulation, or others.

Can Non-Surgical Treatment Options Be Right for You?

Have you been told by a spine doctor that you need surgery? Or have you avoided seeing a doctor for your neck or back pain because you don’t want surgery? Come see one of the spine doctors at Saratoga Spine for a complete evaluation. Most likely, there’s a non-surgical approach to treat your pain.