All OACM and PT OFFICES will be CLOSING EARLY Friday, December, 9th for our Holiday Party.
Both of our OACM After Hours locations will be CLOSED Friday December, 9th for the event.
Thank you!

Orthopaedic Associates of Central Maryland
(410) 644-1880(855) 4MD-BONE
MENUMENU
  • Menu
        • Physicians
        • Physician Assistants
        • Physical Therapists
        • + OACM After Hours
        • Careers
          • Pay Your Bill
          • Patient Portal
          • Schedule an Appointment
        • Specialties
        • Conditions & Treatments
        • Services
        • For Our Patients
        • OACM News
        • Patient Education
        • Testimonials
        • Locations
        • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Physicians
  • CRNPs/PAs
  • Physical Therapists
  • Specialties
  • Conditions & Treatments
  • Services
  • + OACM After Hours
  • For Our Patients
  • OACM News
  • Patient Education
  • Testimonials
  • Locations
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Patient Portal

Just another iHealthSpot WP02 site

Oh My Aching Back

January 24, 2013

Remedies to help you get “back” to living pain free

If you’ve ever said, “Oh, my aching back,” you’re not alone. It’s estimated that 8 out of 10 people will suffer from some type of back pain at some point in their lives.

Living with chronic back pain can interfere with normal daily activities and impede on your quality of life. But thanks to the back and spine specialists at Orthopaedic Associates of Central Maryland (OACM), back pain can soon be a thing of the past.

As men and women age, back pain is a common ailment caused by a number of factors such as:

  • Muscle, ligament, nerve and spine injury
  • Degenerative joint diseases such as arthritis
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Herniated discs
  • Slipped vertebrae (spondylolisthesis)
  • Stress fracture of the spine (spondylolysis)
  • Scoliosis
  • Sciatica
  • Poor posture during movements like heavy lifting or sitting at a desk

Treating Back Pain

Non-surgical treatment options such as medication therapy are typically explored first to treat and
alleviate back pain. Before deciding on any course of action, your physician will run a number of
diagnostic tests and perform an exam to determine the cause of your back pain. Once a diagnosis is made,
your othopaedic surgeon will discuss all of the viable options and develop a treatment plan that is right
for you.

Pain Management and Rehabilitative Medicine

Treating chronic back pain can be done through a variety of pain management and rehabilitative techniques
depending on the cause of the pain and underlying conditions. Physicians at OACM take an individualized
approach to treatment with the goals being pain relief and restored mobility.

According to Timothy Yoon, MD, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation specialist at OACM, rehabilitative
medicine is, for all intents and purposes, non-operative care. “This can include medication to treat
symptoms, physical therapy to help recondition muscles that help support the spine, and non-surgical
procedures such as injections to help deal with inflammation at different structures in the spine,” he
explains.

He adds that choosing the best treatment option depends on the severity of the patient’s symptoms. For
individuals suffering from disc herniation with associated pain, Dr. Yoon explains that most patients
will get better with just medication and/or physical therapy. In more severe cases, oral steroids to
decrease inflammation can sometimes be enough to calm down symptoms. If symptoms still persist, two
classes of medications – antidepressants and anti-seizure – are used to treat nerve-related pain. “If these
measures don’t work, a lumbar epidural injection (spine injection putting an anti-inflammatory with a
numbing medication along the path of the nerve root that is being pinched by the disc herniation) is the
next step,” he explains. “If all of the above doesn’t work, then we start considering surgery.”

Surgery for Back Pain

Back surgery is most commonly done only after a variety of non-surgical treatments have been tried but
failed. According to Oren Blam, MD, orthopaedic spine surgeon at OACM, severe, persisting back and/or leg
pain with occasional numbness and weakness may require surgery.

“Back surgery typically involves taking pressure off spinal nerves (by removing bone spurs, disk
herniation, or thickened ligament) and sometimes stabilizing the spine,” explains Dr. Blam. Spinal
decompression surgeries include laminectomy, discectomy, and others. “Spinal stabilization surgery is
most commonly a fusion, which can be done in several different ways. Sometimes, spinal deformities like
scoliosis or spondylolisthesis can also be reduced and stabilized. Broken vertebrae sometimes require
surgery with a fusion or sometimes a less invasive cement injection procedure called kyphoplasty,”
he adds.

Dr. Blam explains that spinal surgery can greatly alleviate pain in the neck, back, arms, and legs.
“Surgery can restore nerve function, leading to better strength and balance. Risks of surgery always
need to be considered, but most common complications can be avoided by proper preoperative management
and perioperative care,” he says.

For more information about back pain and treatment options, visit the Orthopaedic Associates of Central
Maryland website at www.mdbonedocs.com or call 866-927-1338.

Filed Under: Neck & Back Tagged With: back and spine specialists, Chronic back pain, Nerve and spine injury

Primary Sidebar

Blog Main Page

Recent Posts

  • When Does Knee Pain Warrant a Visit to the Doctor?
  • Common Sports Injuries: Treatment Options
  • Shoulder Surgery Pain Relief: Tips for a Quick Recovery
  • Physical Therapy Exercises for Knee Pain
  • Sports Injuries in Baltimore, MD: Four Tips for a Safe Skiing Adventure

Categories

March 2023
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Feb    

Archives

Tags

arthritis Back Pain best orthopedic doctor near me chronic pain Foot and ankle specialist near me Foot and Ankle Surgery Foot Care foot pain hip hip pain hip replacement Injuries joint pain Joint Replacement Joint Replacement Surgery knee pain Knee pain treatment near me Knee Replacement low back pain treatment near me Neck Pain Orthopaedic Associates of Central Maryland Orthopaedic Surgeon orthopedic care near me orthopedic clinic near me Orthopedic Doctor near me orthopedic doctors orthopedics orthopedic surgeon orthopedic surgeon near me orthopedic surgeons Baltimore Orthopedist pain Physical Medicine physical therapy Physical therapy near me Plantar Fasciitis treatment near me Podiatrist Sciatica Pain shoulder shoulder joint shoulder pain Sports injuries sports injury Baltimore sports injury treatment near me sports medicine doctor near me

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Blog
  • instagram
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Non Discrimination Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Billing Disclosures
Copyright ©
Orthopaedic Associates of Central Maryland.
All rights reserved.
iHealthspot Medical Website Design and Medical Marketing by iHealthSpot.com

Orthopaedic Associates of Central Maryland in Baltimore, Catonsville, Columbia and Eldersburg serves the nearby communities of Annapolis, Washington DC and Montgomery County. Our orthopedic surgeons, podiatrist, physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor, and physical therapists specialize in arthroscopic surgery, minimally invasive procedures, joint replacement, sports medicine, and onsite diagnostic imagery, outpatient surgery, and physical therapy rehabilitation providing pain relief from sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, foot pain, knee pain, hip replacement, shoulder impingement, cubital tunnel syndrome and more.

  Request an Appointment

  • Pay Your Bill
  • Patient Portal
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Home
  • Physicians
  • CRNP/PAs
  • Physical Therapists
  • Specialties
  • Conditions & Treatments
  • Services
  • + OACM After Hours
  • For Our Patients
  • OACM News
  • Patient Education
  • Testimonials
  • Locations
  • Contact Us
  • Careers