Injuries anywhere along your spine can make many things in life uncomfortable, painful, or even impossible. If you are dealing with such an injury, it is essential to see a spine specialist as soon as possible. Your doctor will start with less invasive treatment options and lifestyle adjustments before electing to spine surgery New York so that your quality of life can be maintained and improved.
Here are some signs that you should consider seeing a spine specialist immediately:
Persistent back and neck pain: Spinal pain can be caused by many things, including injury, arthritis, and infections. If you have chronic back or neck pain that has lasted more than a few days and is not getting better, it is crucial to see a spine specialist as soon as possible.
Weakness or numbness in the arms or legs: Weakness or numbness in the arms or legs can be an early sign of spinal cord compression, also known as a pinched nerve. This is caused when a disc becomes very hard and presses on the spinal cord, causing damage to nerves within the spine. If you experience weakness or numbness in your arms or legs that doesn’t go away after several weeks or months, talk to your health specialist about having an MRI scan done so they can determine whether there are any problems with your spine.
Limited range of motion: If your doctor has recommended physical therapy for a problem with your neck or back, but the exercises are not working, then it might be time to see a spine specialist.
Spinal stenosis: This is when the space around your spinal cord becomes narrow due to age-related wear and tear or damage from arthritis. If you have this condition, it can lead to headaches and muscle weakness on one side of your body.
Spinal cord compression: When there is pressure on the spinal cord from degenerative disc disease or tumors in or around the spine, this can cause numbness and weakness in one side of the body.
Chronic neck pain or headache: Persistent neck pain and headaches can be caused by problems with the bones and joints in the neck, but they can also indicate other problems in the spinal column and nerves that travel through it.
Spinal stenosis (narrowing): In this condition, the vertebrae in the spine begin to shrink and narrow over time, causing pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots as they exit through small openings at each vertebral level (vertebrae). This can result in weakness, numbness, and tingling in one or both legs.
Degenerative disc disease (DDD): This condition causes discs between vertebrae to bulge outwards into adjacent tissue when they break down under stress over time. Pain is usually worse with activity, such as bending over or sitting for long periods without support for your lower back. However, it can be difficult to pinpoint which activities cause more pain than others.
Recent injury or accident: An injury to your back or neck can require immediate treatment. If you have recently experienced an accident or injury that caused trauma to your spinal column, it is best to see a doctor as soon as possible. This will help reduce the risk of further injury to your spine, which could be serious or even life-threatening.
Back pain is one of the most common problems people experience. Most back pain cases are non-specific and can be treated by your primary care physician. However, some types of back pain may require the expertise of a spine specialist from Comprehensive Orthopedic & Spine Care. These specialists diagnose and treat spine disorders, such as herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and degenerative disc disease.