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Red Bank, NJ low back pain patients experience relief—without harmful drugs or surgery.

The Centers for Disease Control reports that the life expectancy in this country continues to lengthen as the overall health of nation improves. But one issue—pain—is becoming increasingly prevalent. Of the major types of pain, low back pain is reported to be the most common contributor to missed work days, lower productivity, and general job-related disability.

Eighty percent of the population will experience back pain at some point in time. With numbers that large, it’s easy to see how Americans spend an estimated $50 billion each year on treatments for back pain. It is one of the most frequent explanations for missed work days, and the second most common reason that patients visit a physician (topped only by upper respiratory infections).

What Causes Low Back Pain?

There are a number of conditions that can lead to low back pain. Generally speaking, back pain arises from problems with the joints, nerves, bones, or muscles. More specifically, patients frequently experience back pain as the result of disc degeneration, bulging or herniated discs, sciatica, arthritis, and other disorders.

Back Surgery: Not an Intuitive Choice

When it comes to the various surgeries designed to alleviate back pain, the statistics are staggering. Some of the most respected medical organizations in the world agree that back surgery is usually unnecessary. Even worse, back surgeries are notorious for being ineffective and expensive.

• Ninety percent of lower back pain cases do not require surgery. (Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons)
• The total cost of unnecessary back surgeries in the United States each year equals roughly $986 million. (National Institutes of Health)
• There is a 53% failure rate for low back pain surgeries. (SICOT, The World Orthopaedic Organisation)

Healthy Back Pain Solutions

Medical specialists trained in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R, also known as Physiatry) are experts in treating the types of musculoskeletal conditions that often lead to low back pain. Physiatrists focus on pain management and rehabilitation with non-surgical treatments. This type of physician uses an approach that begins with the most conservative treatments first.

Once a full diagnosis has been made, a Physiatrist will create a customized rehabilitation and pain management strategy. Often this plan will include a comprehensive physical therapy program; spinal manipulation; and Spinal Decompression Traction.

For some patients, low back pain is severe enough to make any sort of rehabilitation impossible. It is often in these cases that patients are advised to consider surgery. Specialists in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, however, do not view surgery as the next logical step. For example, the medical director at Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation Center would be more likely to consider less invasive procedures to treat inflammation and pain.

Epidural Steroid Injections and Fluoroscopy

Epidural Steroid Injections are often used when back pain restricts the healing process. This treatment, which involves injecting a long-lasting steroid (cortisone) into the epidural space, is generally used for any type of disorder that involves the inflammation of spinal nerves. The goal of Epidural Steroid Injections is to lessen pain and inflammation so that patients can return to normal activity and begin rehabilitation practices.

Epidural Steroid Injections are used as part of a program of conservative medical treatment; they are an excellent option for patients seeking to avoid the unnecessary use of painkillers or invasive surgery.

At our multi-disciplinary pain management facility, we use an imaging technique known as Fluoroscopy. This allows our physicians to perform the most accurate and effective Epidural Steroid Injections possible. Fluoroscopy provides physicians with real-time, moving x-ray images of the affected body part.

Because our Fluoroscopy Suite is brand-new, we are using the latest techniques and equipment. We also incorporate the use of Ultrasound technology in order to make the most accurate diagnoses possible.

Medical Care for Low Back Pain in Monmouth County

Our Medical Director performs a number of minimally invasive procedures for the management of back pain. These might include Epidural Steroid Injections; Facet Injections (a long-lasting corticosteroid and an anesthetic numbing agent to relieve back pain caused by inflamed facet joints); Sacroiliac Joint Injections (for pain in the lower back); and Radiofrequency Lesioning (to interrupt nerve conduction and block pain signals).

Our Red Bank, NJ facility also provides acupuncture for back pain as part of a conservative, healthy treatment plan. Acupuncture helps the body to release naturally occurring opiate-like chemicals so that patients can experience pain relief without drugs. This ancient Chinese practice also helps with the release of serotonin to decrease the stimulation of nerve signals that cause pain. Serotonin is known to interrupt pain signals before the brain is able to interpret them.

If you are suffering from low back pain, please contact our Monmouth County, NJ facility to learn more about pain management strategies. Our multi-disciplinary facility offers a number of effective, non-invasive modalities in the treatment of back pain in Red Bank, NJ.