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Ride the Best Path to Back and Neck Pain Relief

If you're suffering from back or neck pain, there is a medically proven path to getting the right care in the fastest way possible. While you may think your only options are pain meds or surgery, there are many waypoints and types of care in between. Follow the care path outlined below to learn the best way to find long-term pain relief and then choose where you are in the journey to get help.

Emergency Care
Yikes, the pain is throwing you for a loop — unexpected, intense, or derailing your other body functions. Learn the red flag symptoms that require emergency medical care.
What’s the most common spine problem?

A: Osteoporosis due to aging is the most common, followed by:

  • Whiplash
  • Disc herniation
  • Muscle strains
  • Sciatica
What is text neck?

A: Symptoms of text neck include:

  • Upper back pain ranging from a chronic nagging ache to severe muscle spasms.
  • Shoulder pain and tightness.
  • If a cervical nerve becomes pinched, pain and possibly tingling and numbness radiating down the arm to the hand.
Is sciatica an emergency?
A: Sciatica is rarely an emergency. If your pinched nerve pain is causing loss of bladder or bowel function, or is severe or intolerable, you should seek immediate medical attention.
Red Flag Symptoms
  • Tingling or numbness in the arms, hands, legs or feet
  • Weakness or loss of function in the arms or legs
  • Loss of balance, clumsiness, or other coordination problems
  • Loss of fine motor skills
  • Bowel or bladder dysfunction
  • Tingling or numbness in the saddle area
Home Care
If you've experienced back pain or neck pain for less than 6 weeks — especially if you can identify the cause such as improper lifting or overdoing it on the bike path — your first stop to relieving pain should start at home.

Which is Better?

Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen?

Ibuprofen. Most spine pain is caused or made worse by inflammation, so take an anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen. (Tip: Call your doctor to ask about the highest safe dose and take that for three days.)

Ice or Heat?

A: Neither. Use whichever feels better.

Rest or Activity?

A: Stay active as long as it doesn't make your pain worse; being sedentary can actually make the problem worse.

Neurosurgery One offers a Bone Health Clinic that can help patients build stronger bones and avoid spinal fractures in as little as 6 weeks.

How much bone loss is normal?

The typical adult loses roughly 3-5% of their bone density per decade. This accelerates as people age, and women can lose up to 20% of their bone density in the 5-7 years following menopause.
Initial Treatment
If your pain has lasted weeks and it's stopping you from work and play, now's the time to seek medical care. You can turn to your primary care or come directly to Neurosurgery One's Spine Clinic to get answers and the appropriate treatment fast.
What can you expect during your first visit for back or neck pain?

During Your Initial Visit You Can Expect:

Physical exam: One of our skilled spine specialists will perform provocative tests (such as moving your body and putting pressure on certain spots) to help reproduce or rule out where the pain is coming from.

Imaging: For most patients, we use a combination of imaging including X-rays, that can identify structural issues, and CT and MRI scans, which highlight issues with nerves, tendons, and ligaments.

Diagnosis: Based on your exam, images, and symptoms, your back pain specialist and back doctor will begin the process of making a diagnosis. Sometimes we can pinpoint the issue and offer a diagnosis immediately. Other times we may need more time to see how your pain reacts to certain initial treatments.

Spine Specialist: During an initial visit for back or neck pain with your primary care provider or Neurosurgery One Spine Clinic, you most likely will be seen by a physician assistant or nurse practitioner. These providers have extensive spine training and work as a team with our pain management physiatrists and spine surgeons. Learn more about what a physician assistant can do during your visit.

Initial Treatment: During your initial visit, your spine specialist will recommend the appropriate treatment based on your diagnosis and what treatments you have already tried. Initial treatment might include physical therapy and other types of conservative care or you may be scheduled for pain management, such as spinal injections. In some cases, you may be referred directly for spine surgery.

The Neurosurgery One spine teams include nurse practitioners, physician assistants, interventional pain medicine specialists, and spine surgeons. This lets us get you the right care fast!

How quick can I be seen?

One of our physician assistants or nurse practitioners can see new patients within 3-5 days to order tests and start treatment.
Does marijuana reduce pain?

It’s not clear yet if marijuana relieves pain. While a few studies have shown it can help reduce neuropathic pain (a specific type of chronic pain caused by damaged nerves), it’s less clear whether it can help relieve acute pain. One thing we do know is that regular marijuana use can reduce the effectiveness of pain relief after surgery, so we work with our patients to curb use of all types of pain medication, including marijuana, prior to any surgical procedures.

Does diabetes cause back pain?

Diabetes has been associated with lower back pain in some patients, particularly in patients with uncontrolled diabetes. Studies have shown a link between hyperglycemia and disc degeneration as well as an increased incidence of back pain with disease severity.

How can you relieve pain while traveling?

To relieve pain while traveling, try these 5 tips:

  1. Support your lower back
  2. Invest in a travel pillow
  3. Plant your feet
  4. Sit up straight
  5. Move
How many spinal injections can I get?

Most doctors recommend getting only three spinal injections per year. This is because getting steroid injections too often can throw your natural hormone production off balance.

Pain Management
If you haven't found relief in 3 months or more of conservative therapy, interventional pain management procedures may be a good stop on your journey. These procedures are minimally invasive and do not involve surgery on your spine.
Interventional Pain Management Procedures are minimally invasive treatments that will get youback on your path fast.
Spine Surgery
Although spine surgery should be the last option considered for normal spine problems, this could be the right destination to finding the pain relief you've been seeking. Half of all spine surgeries today are outpatient procedures that will have you home the same day as your surgery.

Is spine surgery appropriate for you?

If you answer “yes” to most of these questions, spine surgery may be appropriate for you:
Have you tried physical therapy? (It is important to note that physical therapy is not appropriate for all spine conditions.)
Have you tried medications to reduce inflammation, relax supporting muscles, and/or reduce pain?
Have you tried steroid injections or other nonsurgical pain management procedures?
Have you been considered for or had an interventional pain management procedure?
Have you had imaging tests such as X-ray, CT, or MRI of your spine and diagnostic injections?
Has a structural cause of your pain been identified?
Does your pain diminish your quality of life or activity level?
Neurosurgery One uses a medically proven system called Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) that decreases pain and opioid use after surgery and gets patients back to regular activity sooner.

Can diet speed up recovery from spine surgery?

Yes. Increasing lean protein intake before and after surgery is shown to help with wound healing. Read more tips on how to aid your recovery.

Select Your Spine Care Destination

Now that you’ve learned the best course to relief from back pain and neck pain, the next step is up to you. Choose your best destination based on your condition and click on the sign post to get more information that can help you get back on the road to pain-free living.

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Request an Appointment

Neurosurgery One is accepting new patients at all of our metro Denver neurosurgery and Denver spine centers. Please determine if you prefer to be seen in one of our North Denver or South Denver offices by clicking “North” or “South” below.

To schedule an appointment, submit the form and a scheduler will call you within 3 business days.

Thank you and we look forward to serving you.

North Denver: Lakewood, Westminster

South Denver: Littleton, Lone Tree, Castle Rock, Parker