Sitting all day, doing chores, and picking up a fresh activity this spring could induce back soreness and agitate your neck. But if your pain is consistent and not getting better after a few days of rest, seeking medical advice is the next step to make sure you aren’t experiencing something serious. Here are causes and symptoms to look out for that might indicate you need further evaluation and treatments that BEST offers.
What causes back or neck pain?
Nearly every move you make is attached to the spine. As we age, these movements begin to wear on your body and repeated stresses can lead to degeneration, stiffness, and nerve irritation. Layers of habits that impede on the mechanics of your back can add to the stress such as poor posture, overuse, poor muscle conditioning and strength, improper lifting form, obesity, or a sedentary lifestyle. Major events such as trauma from a car accident or sports injury can exacerbate or directly cause pain as well.
Neck and back symptoms you should check out
A good rule of thumb is to rest and evaluate improvement after a few days. Back and neck soreness can be normal, but mild discomfort is different from pain that changes your daily activities and physical abilities. Seek medical attention if you experience the following:
- Back pain that’s lasted longer than a few days
- Back pain following a car accident, fall, or sports injury
- Back pain that causes you to limp
- Back pain that disturbs your sleep
- Inability to move the back through its full range of motion
- Inability to walk up stairs or perform daily activities due to pain
- Seek emergent care if you experience bleeding, a visible deformity, swelling and warmth, or an inability to move or bear weight on the injured back.
Back and neck injuries that BEST Surgery and Therapies treats
Surgery isn’t always the answer—everyone’s injury and anatomy is different. BEST personalizes treatment options to each injury. From pain management through medication to physical therapy, BEST doesn’t have a one-size-fits all approach to treatment. The injuries that BEST treats include:
- Arthritis of the spine
- Bulging/herniated discs
- Bone spurs
- Spinal stenosis/foraminal stenosis
- Pinched nerves
- Degenerative disc disease
- Annular tears
- Failed back surgery syndrome
- Adult scoliosis
Schedule an appointment and seek medical advice
Do any of these symptoms align with your experience? Seek medical advice as soon as possible. Neck and back specialist Dr. Keith Girton is an orthopaedic surgeon and the medical director at BEST Surgery and Therapies and he can advise you with the best options for your injury.
Meet Dr. Keith Girton
Dr. Girton is an accomplished, board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and BEST medical director specializing in minimally invasive spine surgery with more than 30 years of experience. This form of surgery is performed by making an incision that’s less than an inch resulting in less recovery time and less time spent in the operating room itself. Dr. Girton has completed thousands of these surgeries. He graduated from medical school at Ohio State University College of Medicine and is on the North American Spine Society, Society of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery committee.
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