Back Pain

Are You Experiencing Back Pain as a Result of a Sudden Injury or Repetitive Movement?

The orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine experts at Westchester Sport and Spine are here to help you with your back pain no matter how mild or severe. With 40 years of combined experience diagnosing back pain and treating back injuries, Westchester Sport and Spine provides you with the highest levels of care for both surgical and non-surgical procedures.

About Your Back

Your back is a large and complex structure comprised of bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves that work in conjunction to provide your body with a remarkable amount of mobility.

Your back is comprised of four major areas:

  • Cervical Spine (Neck) – The cervical spine is begins at the base of your head, spanning seven vertebrae, providing support to the head and allowing for its movement. Most pain found in the cervical spine area is a result of a muscle, ligament or tendon strain. In extreme cases, where pain has lasted for several weeks, a cervical herniated disc could be the culprit.
  • Thoracic Spine (Upper Back) – The thoracic spine is the section of your spine that interlocks with your rib cage, providing structure to support your upper body and protecting your body’s vital organs. The thoracic spine is not designed to move, so resulting pain in the area is likely a result of a strain, pull, imbalance or injury in another area of the back. In extreme cases, such as a direct blow with major force, may cause a herniated disc, a dislocated rib or even a fractured rib.
  • Lumbar Spine (Lower Back) – The lumbar spine is comprised of the lower five discs of your spine, responsible for the vast majority of your range of motion and supporting the weight of your upper body. This makes the lumbar spine region susceptible to acute and chronic injuries. Pain found in the lumbar spine is typically the result of a muscle strain, though over time repetitive motions can cause herniated discs.
  • Sacral Region (Bottom of the Spine) – The sacral region is found below your lumbar spine and is formed by the sacrum, a triangular shaped bone that connects to your pelvis through the sacroiliac joints. Pain found in the sacral region is often a result of dysfunction in these joints.

To be certain of the reason for your back pain, contact the back pain experts at Westchester Sports and Spine for specific diagnosis of your back pain.

Commonly treated back conditions

When in good health, the back gives shape to the human body, housing its communicative nervous tissues and carrying out all movements. Despite the positive impact made on human potential by the ability of the back, it is also responsible for pain in almost every person’s life. People of all ages might endure pain caused by back injury or condition with 8 out of ten Americans experiencing pain. Read on to learn more about the most commonly experienced types of back pain.

  • Ankylosing Spondylitis: An arthritic disease of the joints in the back that may be genetically inherited, likely influenced by specific environments, and cause frequent dull aches in the lower back and/or buttocks due to the gradual fusing and stiffening of the spinal cord. Pain may increase over time.
  • Arthritis: A disease of the joints in which the tissues of the area swell, often causing pain and limiting movement.
  • Coccydynia: pain in the coccyx or tailbone region. The coccyx is an intersection of muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
  • Chronic Pain: long-persisting or frequently recurring suffering.  
  • Degenerative Disc Disease: A disease of the tissues between spinal vertebrae causing the tissue to decrease in size and ability to absorb outside forces before they travel to deeper tissues and nerves.
  • Herniated Disc: The softer ligaments that make up a spinal disc can be displaced by enough force, causing the support between vertebrae to collapse.
  • Lower Back Pain: The portion of the back near the waist, where the torso meets the hips.
  • Muscle Strain: Torn or overextended muscle tissue.
  • Neck Pain: Pain experienced in the cervical spine connecting the skull to the back.
  • Osteoarthritis: A loss of disc tissues resulting in deeper tissue damage in the bones and pain in the spine.
  • Piriformis Syndrome: A disease of the piriformis muscle, which allows the body to move the thigh. A diseased piriformis muscle causes pain by putting pressure on the sciatic nerve tissue.
  • Sciatica: A condition characterized by sharp or knifelike pain that radiates from a pressured sciatic nerve.
  • Scoliosis: A sideways curvature of the spinal cord.
  • Spinal Deformities: An unusual growth variation of the spinal cord.
  • Spinal Fractures: Breaks in spinal bones caused by high-force trauma.
  • Spinal Infection / Osteomyelitis: Infection of the spinal tissue by bacteria or fungus presenting 3 days to three months from onset.
  • Spinal Stenosis: A gradual narrowing of the spinal canal that puts pressure on the nerves.
  • Spinal Tumors: Unusual positive growth of spinal tissues. May be cancerous.
  • Upper Back Pain: Back pain located above the waist and below the neck.

Back Pain Treatment Options

The majority of back pain and injuries are effectively treated with medications, rest and physical therapy. More often than not, back surgery is not necessary to treat your current pain.

If surgery is needed, the orthopedic surgeons at Westchester Sport and Spine are experts in the latest minimally invasive procedures.

The main treatment options for your back pain include:

  • Avoiding activities that make your symptoms worse
  • Using ice packs
  • Painkillers
  • Anti-inflammatories
  • Physiotherapy
  • Physical Therapy
  • Surgery (in some cases)

Call Us Immediately

Please call Westchester Sport and Spine immediately and then ask someone to drive you to our clinic if your back pain is caused by an injury and is accompanied by:

  • You have lost feeling in any extremity
  • Inability to move or walk
  • Extreme bruising
  • Intense pain or tingling
  • Sudden swelling in the area