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Almost everyone has experienced back pain or neck pain at one time or another. It can affect many parts of the spine and present as low back pain (also known as lower back pain), upper back pain or low back pain with leg pain or sciatica. Common back pain causes include nerve and spine problems such as degenerative disc disease or arthritis. Most cases resolve with simple treatments. Unfortunately, some patients go on to develop chronic pain (pain that lasts for more that three months to many years) robbing them from many of the good things life has to offer. Many patients with severe low back pain or upper back pain are treated then with surgery or pain medication or pain killers (narcotics) which are associated in some cases with side effects and social stigma.
At the St. Michael’s Pain and Spine Clinics in Houston and Pasadena, Texas, we have in many instances succeeded in treating patients afflicted by the most severe and refractory forms of chronic back pain without surgery or narcotic pain medications. Our pain management specialist have developed an expertise in using so-called minimally invasive techniques which in many instances succeed in dramatically reducing pain and increasing function without resorting to surgery or pain medications. By using minute skin punctures with thin needles or instruments that are needle-like, our board certified pain management specialist at St. Michael’s Spine and Pain Clinics will target the pain generators (diseased anatomical parts of the spine or surrounding tissues where pain can originate) and treat these structures with minimal discomfort, accurately and safely and sometimes avoiding the need for open surgery or narcotic medications. Please visit the Services page of our website to find out more about these sophisticated approaches to spine care. Using surgery for back pain treatment should only be done as an absolute last resort when severe pain can not be treated by other means and when there is risk for progressive neurological injury.
Heading the clinics is Dr. Miguel Pappolla, a board certified Neurologist and board certified Pain Management Specialist with a long track record of success and experience in the Neurosciences. He has trained medical students and medical residents for more than 20 years and has served in the faculty at several prestigious educational institutions in the USA including the University of Texas, the Mount Sinai Medical School in New York City, LSU New Orleans and the Medical University of South Carolina.
If you suffer from chronic severe low back pain, upper back pain, neck pain or sciatica in Houston we can help you. Dr. Pappolla and the staff at the St Michael’s pain and Spine Clinics will provide with a warm and compassionate atmosphere for your care. We specialize in treating the whole spectrum of pain in addition to the spine, including Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Sciatica, Low Back Pain and Neck Pain.
To find out more about your options for relieving chronic pain affecting your spine in Houston, call us for an appointment at 832-448-0706 or contact us using our online form.
Featured Article:
Seeking Help From a Board-Certified Spine Houston Specialist for Your Back Pain
[Posted on January 7]
It’s astounding to find out that in industrialized countries, up to 80 percent of the population will experience some kind of back pain within their lifetimes; but numbers don’t lie and sooner or later, back pain can become a central issue in someone’s life, affecting both them and perhaps their loved ones. Although in a substantive number of people, back pain will resolve with minimal measures, many will unfortunately continue experiencing moderate or severe chronic pain. Undoubtedly, severe back pain can create real problems in someone’s life, and as such, proper help should be sought after a severe and chronic back pain develops.
Developing a chronic back pain can not only be discouraging, as in many cases the back pain can slow down or even effectively prevent someone from engaging in seemingly simple everyday tasks. But when it comes to serious pain, whether in the upper back, neck, or lower back this can also be a frightening experience and for some, the scare may even intensify if the thought of back surgery is conjured. However, before jumping to conclusions on the treatment needed, those with back or neck pain need to find help sooner rather than later and should certainly not be afraid to do so! If the right pain management specialist within a reputable spine houston clinic is sought, then the patient will be sure to receive not only a diagnosis of the back or neck problem, but also several treatment options which will more than likely prove to be effective in minimizing and perhaps eliminating the chronic back or neck pain.
Is back surgery a sure thing for someone who develops a chronic back or neck pain? Not necessarily. In fact, in a number of cases, minimally-invasive neck or back pain treatment techniques have been developed and used in order to greatly reduce or eliminate chronic and/or severe pain. A treatment such as the anti-inflammatory injection of steroids (“cortisone”) has been shown to help many who’ve developed serious back pain. Other minimally invasive modalities may involve removal of a degenerated disc fragment (that may be compressing a nerve root or spinal nerve). However, in order to find out whether or not a minimally-invasive technique can be effective in reducing or eliminating pain in your particular case, an appointment and a complete neurological evaluation should be made first. This is available at a many spine Houston clinics.
Don’t be afraid of seeing a board-certified neurologist or spine Houston specialist if you’ve developed a serious back or neck pain! You can even make an appointment today within the St. Michael’s Pain and Spine website by simply filling out the “request an appointment” form. Be sure to get the help you need, or else feel free to find out more regarding back pain and how it can be treated by a pain management specialist from a St. Michael’s Pain and Spine clinic.
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