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What Kind Of Doctor Do I See For Back Pain

An Orthopedist Treats Sports Injuries

Back Pain? Sciatica? When Do You Need To See A Doctor Immediately!

Playing sports is a great form of exercise, but sporting activities can also lead to painful and debilitating injuries from a high-impact collision, a direct blow, improper form or repetitive movement stress. Tendon inflammation and injuries, ligament tears, fractures, dislocations, and rotator cuff tears are all common sports injuries.

You should never ignore a sports injury. Failing to treat an injury, or jumping back into sports before an injury has fully healed, can cause an acute problem to become a chronic issue that prevents you from participating in the sports you love. Luckily, when you see an orthopedic doctor, youll receive the care and treatment you need to get back in the game as soon as possible.

Describe The Character Of Your Pain

The character or type of pain that you are experiencing can be a beneficial clue to whats at the root of your discomfort. For example, is the pain sharp and stabbing, extreme heat or burning sensation, extreme cold, throbbing, inflamed tissue, sensitivity to contact, itching, numbness, tingling, and pins and needles?

Describing your pain can point your physician in the direction of the injury causing the pain. Could you have a pinched nerve, a bulging disc, or potential fracture or dislocation? From these descriptions, your physician can begin to properly diagnose your situation.

What Does A Neurologist Do

Neurology is a medical specialty that more precisely diagnoses and treats problems of the central nervous system composed of the brain, spinal cord, spinal column, and peripheral nerves. A neurologist focuses on treating conditions affecting the entire central nervous system.

A neurologists day consists largely of diagnosing and treating brain and spinal cord injuries. Once this portion of a patients care plan has ended, a neurologist will refer the patient to another doctor to follow up on their progress and rehabilitation.

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How Do I Know If I Have Sciatica Or Piriformis Syndrome

Both sciatica and piriformis syndrome cause sciatic nerve pain and have similar symptoms, the causes of the conditions are different.

Piriformis syndrome is caused by anatomic changes in the piriformis muscle. The muscle is located across the femur and outer section of the hips and rotates the hip. The syndrome causes buttock pain or spasms and can irritate and compress the sciatic nerve, leading to sciatic pain. Unlike sciatica, the pain begins in the buttocks, not the lower back.

On the other hand, sciatica is not a syndrome or condition. Its a variety of symptomsnamely, the sharp pain radiating down one leg, weak legs, lower back pain, and a tingling sensation in the legs and feetcaused by other medical conditions and affects the lower spinal nerves.

Which Type Of Doctors Treat Sciatica Pain

Should You See a Chiropractor for Back Pain?

Did you know that sciatic nerve pain is one of the most common types of pain? In fact, more than 40 percent of people will experience sciatic nerve pain in their lifetime. Even with these astonishing statistics, sciatic pain is still largely misunderstood. What type of pain is sciatica? Is it back pain or leg pain? What type of specialist do I see for treatment of sciatica? This guide will answer all of these questions and so many more about sciatic nerve pain.

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Orthopedic Doctor Vs Neurologist

Both an Atlanta neurologist and an orthopedic doctor have training equipped to deal with spinal injuries. Both are also considered spine specialists and can provide excellent care.

If you suffer from a spinal condition such as disc herniation or degeneration, spinal fractures, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, or other types of spinal injuries or pain, both a neurologist and an orthopedic doctor are equipped to treat these spinal conditions.

While in recent years the lines may have blurred between what exactly a neurologist and an orthopedic doctor do, there are still some evident differences between the two that can be the difference between who you need to schedule an appointment with.

Who Should Treat Your Back Pain

Many types of medical professionals treat back pain, and each has different training, skills, and specialties. So how do you know which specialist is best for helping to alleviate your back pain? Heres an overview of different back pain specialists and which type or team may be right for you.

See:Specialists Who Treat Back Pain

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Family And General Practitioners

When your neck or back pain first starts, your family doctor, general practitioner , or primary care physician is probably your best bet. They may prescribe some painkillers, give you a few exercises to do, and possibly send you to a physical therapist.

If your doctor deems your problem a serious one, they will likely order diagnostic tests and/or refer you on to a specialist such as a rheumatologist or a neurologist. But family doctors can be slow to include new back treatments as they come out.

According to a 2006 study published in Spine Journal. Other than taking your medical history and giving you a physical exam, which are two staples of spine diagnosis, the study found that even as new recommendations were published by leading medical organizations, physicians did not adopt them into their practices.

Because of this, taking a pro-active approach when shopping for spine care may be helpful to you. One way to do this is to research possible diagnostic and treatment options before seeking the doctor. Asking pointed questions while you’re at your appointment is another way.

Get Sciatica Treatment Today With Aica Orthopedic

See your doctor NOW! (BACK PAIN). Understand red flags for lower back pain

In some cases, sciatica pain can go away on its own, with time and proper self-care practices. However, for the best results and to ensure that sciatica is treated correctly, you will want to visit a healthcare professional. AICA Orthopedics has a variety of healthcare specialists that can provide expert care to any individual seeking relief from sciatica. Along with proper self-care practices, our doctors may recommend physical therapy, chiropractic care, surgery, or non-surgical injections depending on the severity of your sciatica.When you work with AICA Orthopedics, youll have access to multiple doctors across different medical fields to help with sciatica symptom relief.

Chiropractic

Chiropractic specialists help to realign the spine and body to its natural state which will improve its ability to heal itself, rather than having to use invasive or medication-based treatment. Treatment for sciatica may involve multiple specialists, but chiropractic is a great place to start for finding relief from sciatica symptoms. With sciatic nerve compression, chiropractic will help to reduce or eliminate that pressure, making chiropractic an effective form of treatment.

Neurology

Neurology specialists are experts at understanding and navigating treatments for the nervous system. Sciatica is a nerve-related condition, making a neurologist a go-to specialist to visit when getting to the root of sciatica symptoms.

Interventional Spine
Orthopedic

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Conservative Care Specialists Who Treat Low Back Pain

If a patient is not improving with general conservative care with their family physician and/or chiropractor, but wishes to avoid having spine surgery, there are conservative care specialists trained in the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal disorders . Physiatrists are specialized in treating musculoskeletal disorders, and many specialize in just spine care. The role of a physiatrist in treating low back pain is often much the same as a cardiologist’s role in cardiac care, or neurologist’s role in treating neurological disorders. Most patients with cardiac or neurological problems do not need surgery but do need specialized care if their condition is complicated or does not improve with general care. Many physiatrists work together with spine surgeons either in a spine center or within the local medical community.

Why Go To An Orthopedic Doctor For Back Pain

Most us will experience back pain at some point in life. While most back pains resolve on their own or with conservative treatments, some need serious medical attention. Back pain may be a sign of a serious condition, and it will progressively get worse if left untreated.

If your back pain is not getting better and is limiting the activities you can engage in, see an orthopedic doctor. Why go to an orthopedic doctor for back pain? Why cant your primary care physician just treat it? Orthopedic doctors have specialized knowledge, training, and experience in diagnosing, treating, and preventing musculoskeletal pain. While a primary care physician can treat a plethora of health issues, an orthopedic doctor can do it better.

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What Doctor To See For Sciatica Pain

In most cases, sciatica is caused by spine issues. Therefore, if your insurance allows it, usually the best doctor to see for sciatica pain is a spine specialist. These include disc herniation, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis and spine injury. Spine doctors are trained in these specific conditions and have the most experience treating them.

If your sciatica is the result of one of the less common piriformis syndrome or a tumor a spine doctor can help diagnose these conditions and refer you to a specialist if necessary.

Women who are pregnant and experiencing sciatica should first discuss their symptoms with their obstetrician. You can then have a conversation with your OB/GYN to determine if you should visit a spine specialist for your pain.

Indications For When To See A Spine Surgeon For Low Back Pain

When To See A Doctor For Back Pain

Low back surgery is only capable of correcting anatomical conditions that result in either spinal instability or nerve pinching. If either of these problems is present on an imaging study and the patient’s symptoms fit with the clinical and radiographic picture, then spine surgery may be indicated. If there is no identifiable anatomic cause of a patient’s low back pain , then back surgery is not an option. If non-surgical treatments fail to alleviate a patient’s pain, this is not in and of itself an indication for having spine surgery. There must also be an anatomical lesion that can be identified as the cause of the patient’s low back pain.

See Surgery for Lower Back Pain

The decision on whether or not to undergo back surgery for low back pain is almost always the patient’s decision. Only in rare instances – such as cauda equina syndrome or an abdominal aortic aneurysm – is immediate medical attention required. The spine surgeon should be able to give the patient enough information about the pros and cons of the procedure to assist the patient with his or her decision making process. A spine surgeon who be either an orthopedic spine surgeon or a neurosurgeon that specializes in spine surgery.

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Important factors that patients may want to consider prior to seeing a spine surgeon for their low back pain include:

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When Should I See A Doctor About Back Pain

About 80% of adults experience back pain at some time in their lives. It’s one of most common reasons people see a doctor or miss work. The pain can range from a dull ache to sharp, sudden and debilitating pain.

For most people, back pain is mechanical in nature, which means the elements of your back and how they move together has changed.

Possible back conditions could include:

  • Muscle or ligament strain

    Heavy lifting or a sudden awkward movement can strain the muscles or ligaments in your back. Also, if you are overweight or in poor physical condition, the constant strain on your back can cause muscle fatigue and muscle spasms.

  • Bulging or ruptured disk

    Disks are the cushions between the bones in your spine. You can have bulging or ruptured disks that may or may not cause pain by compressing a nerve root and causing pain that radiates into the leg.

  • Arthritis

    Disks may narrow over time and cause your vertebrae to grind together resulting pain.

Most back pain even severe back pain goes away on its own in four to six weeks with self-care, such as rest, heat or ice, over-the-counter pain medication and exercise.

Surgery often is effective to correct a spinal deformity or instability issue. Surgery also is helpful to treat pain radiating down a leg due to compression of a nerve root in the spine if other conservative treatments have failed. However, surgery is not considered a good treatment for generalized back pain.

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Pinched Nerve Causes And Symptoms

A pinched nerve can happen to anyone, but certain people have a higher risk than others. Someone whose job involves repetitive motions may be more likely to experience a pinched nerve. Or a pinched nerve may occur after a long period of sitting or sleeping in an uncomfortable position. Pregnant women can also experience pinched nerves due to the extra weight.

If you do have a pinched nerve, symptoms may include:

  • Tingling or a pins and needles sensation
  • A sharp aching or burning pain that may radiate outward
  • Numbness or decreased feeling in the affected area

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What Type Of Treatments Can A Nerve Doctor Specialist Provide

There are many different types of pain that can be caused by issues with nerves, and therefore a range of treatments have been developed in order to deal with all of these. A lot of these treatments do not require invasive surgery, and are considered better alternatives to pain relief than options such as oral medication. The majority of these treatments focus not only on reducing the pain that is felt by a nerve condition, but also fixing the nerve issue itself where possible.

Where To Start With Back Pain

When to See a Doctor for Back Pain

Low back pain is one of the most common complaints on the planet.

And when someone starts experiencing back pain it can be so frightening that we immediately want an expert that will somehow magically get rid of it.

Unfortunately, there’s just no unicorns and rainbows when it comes to solving back pain.

Realize that most back pain will resolve on its own. What I’m saying here is that your major ache or tweaked out back doesn’t require a specialist in most cases.

Some of the most common causes of acute or sudden back pain include an injury:

  • to a muscle or tendon
  • to a back ligament
  • to a bulging disc .

And the reality is, many of these issues will eventually resolve on their own.

In my personal opinion, the first time someone starts to experience back pain, they should immediately start doing back extension exercises.

I would continue to do back extensions every 3-4 hours throughout the day for at least 3 days.

And if you notice that you’re feeling better, continue for another 1-2 weeks.

But if your low back pain doesn’t improve, then maybe there is something more serious happening.

More serious causes of back pain include:

  • a narrowing of the spinal canal
  • disc tears or herniations
  • severe degenerative disc disease
  • spinal infections

So if your back pain doesn’t improve with back extensions and modified activities, then you’d want to consider someone who is qualified to properly assess the situation.

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Why Does My Back Hurt

There are various causes of back pain, including muscle pain with or without muscles spasms, disc pain, joint pain, or nerve pain. In most cases, these are not harmful or dangerous.

Muscle pain is the most common acute back pain. The period of acute pain is usually limited and may be treated at home or by primary care doctors. Sometimes, these patients may be referred to doctors who specialize in back pain. Some back pain can be a symptom of a more serious problem, like a fracture, infection, or cancer in the spine, said H. Michael Guo, MD, a Duke physiatrist who specializes in spine care. These patients should be seen by spine doctors. Fortunately, spine infections and cancer are very rare and usually only affect people with special risk factors. Spine fractures are also rare and may be associated with thinned spine bones or injuries.

How To Test If You Have Sciatica

Sciatica is a group of distinct symptoms causing intense, sometimes debilitating pain down the sciatic nerve.nearly 40 percent of people experience sciatic pain at some point, and while the pain

Sciatica is a group of distinct symptoms causing intense, sometimes debilitating pain down the sciatic nerve.According to Harvard Health,Verified SourceHarvard HealthBlog run by Harvard Medical School offering in-depth guides to better health and articles on medical breakthroughs.View sourcenearly 40 percent of people experience sciatic pain at some point, and while the pain is severe, the symptoms typically pass on their own.

Sciatica is rather common as its a result of different diseases or conditions pinching the sciatic nerve. With the correct diagnosis, the condition can be treated and the pain will eventually subside.

To diagnose sciatica, doctors complete two physical exams to measure the pressure on your sciatic nerve. We share how you can complete these same tests at home and discuss more what sciatica is. If you believe you have sciatica, speak to your doctor about diagnosis and treatment options.

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Are There Doctors Who Specialize In Tmj Disorder

There is no specific medical or dental specialty for temporomandibular joint disorder. So youre probably wondering, do you see a physician or a dentist? The National Institute of Health recommends patients to look for a health care provider who understands musculoskeletal disorders and who is trained in treating pain conditions. This may be a physician or a dentist.

How To Explain Your Back Pain To Your Doctor

What Kind of Doctor Should I Visit for my Back Pain?

Being in pain is . . . well, painful. But it can also be frustrating and annoying. When your pain is affecting your mood, your activities and your overall quality of life its time to talk to your doctor about your treatment options. But how do you explain something thats so overwhelming? Follow these guidelines for ways to effectively explain your back pain to your doctor and get the treatment that you need to get back to normal.

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