Neck and Back Pain

Are you suffering from neck or back pain & hoping to avoid surgery?

Frequently, unnecessary and inappropriate surgery is performed in an effort to resolve low-back pain. While there is unquestionably a time and a place for surgery to address low-back pain, current medical research indicates that conservative treatment of low-back pain is often as effective as or even more effective than surgery.1

Neck pain affects many individuals throughout the course of a lifetime, and in most cases, the pain is mild and temporary. If you experience a fever accompanying the neck pain, shooting pains throughout the limbs, or numbness or weakness in your arms and hands, seek immediate medical attention. In chronic or severe cases of neck pain, a medical evaluation and treatment plan is necessary to resolve the pain and return you to optimal health.

Chronic neck pain can be caused by a poor posture, neck muscle strains and sprains, trauma, wear-and-tear in the soft tissue surrounding the vertebrae, degenerative disc disease, a herniated disc, fibromyalgia, or arthritis.

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-5805

Treatment for Neck or Back Pain

If your back or neck pain is severe, persistent or not responding to treatment, The Kaplan Center is here to help you. Our physicians have years of experience treating patients with back or neck pain and other chronic pain conditions, and we completely reject the notion that “you just have to live with it.”

At your first visit, your Kaplan physician will take time exploring the onset of your condition, the specific nature of your symptoms and the overall status of your health. You’ll also be asked about the medications and therapies you’ve tried in the past, and what has and hasn’t worked for you. To gather additional information about your condition, specialized diagnostic laboratory testing may be necessary.

After reviewing all of the factors contributing to your condition, your physician will spend time talking with you about your diagnosis and working with you to create a customized and multi-dimensional treatment plan that addresses not only your immediate back or neck pain but also any possible underlying or co-existing conditions that may be causing or aggravating your symptoms.

So, before you agree to surgery, we encourage you to explore your options. In some cases, of course, surgery may be your best option. If this occurs, we will coordinate with the other medical providers involved in your case and provide integrated medical care that fully supports your most rapid and complete recovery.

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-5805

 

References:

1 Weinstein J et al. Surgical vs. Nonoperative Treatment for Lumbar Disk Herniation: the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT): a Randomized Trial. Journal of American Medicine. 2006 Nov 22; 296(20): 2441.

Physician

Additional Resources:

Consumer Guide: 17 Things to Know Before Choosing a Doctor to Treat Your Chronic Pain