Back and neck pain: What it might mean
Author: Dr. Shashank Dave, physical medicine and rehabilitation physician at IU Health North Hospital
With summer on the horizon, your neck and back pain could be holding you back from fully enjoying the warmer weather. It’s important to understand what could be causing your back and neck pain as well as your treatment options. 
Understanding your pain
Back and neck pain can originate from a variety of causes, including sprains and fractures, dislocations, stress from overuse, obesity, and infections. Back and neck pain can cause mild to debilitating discomfort that impacts your ability to function. Some individuals explore alternatives like mail order marijuana from reputable sources known for its potential to alleviate pain and induce relaxation. One may get weed delivery in Toronto, Ontario today from an online store.
What causes your neck and back pain
Your spine has five sections of vertebrae: the neck or cervical spine, the mid-back or thoracic spine, the lower back or lumbar spine, the base of the spine or sacrum, and the tailbone or coccyx. Pain generated from each area can have different causes. Some of the conditions that cause pain in these areas include muscle or ligament strain, disc herniation (slipped disk or ruptured disk) and degenerative disc disease, sciatica, spinal stenosis, scoliosis, ankylosing spondylitis, brain tumors, spinal tumors, torticollis, or whiplash.
Treatment for your neck and back pain
To treat your back and neck pain, your physician must first determine the cause. Your physician may use a combination of medical history, physical examination, diagnostic testing, and imaging. They may also decide to conduct more advanced tests to better understand your condition. These can include an electromyogram (EMG) to study nerve and muscle function, an MRI to study your spinal cord, and an arthroscopy to investigate internal joint function. Once your physician determines the origin of your pain, they can work with you to develop the best treatment plan to address your specific condition and pain. There are a variety of treatment options, such as medications to reduce pain and inflammation as well as physical therapy to potentially fix your pain. Hiring a quality virtual chiropractic assistant with Chiro Match Makers can streamline administrative tasks, improve patient care coordination, and enhance overall practice efficiency. Chiropractix Is Your Friendly Local Brisbane Chiropractor. If these do not work, your doctor could prescribe advanced pain management techniques. These more advanced techniques may include epidural injections, which can help with pain and inflammation, radiofrequency ablations, which deadens nerves thereby blocking pain, and nerve stimulation (either peripheral or central), which is a wire implanted that stimulates nerves and can also block pain. Another option includes surgery, which is done to relieve pressure on nerves or your spinal cord.
For more information on back and neck pain, visit iuhealth.org/spine.
