Common Causes of Back Pain and Treatment in NYC

As common as back pain is, no two cases are alike. The back and spine work together in a complicated system of mutual support; bones (ribs, vertebrae), muscles, connective tissue, and specialized structures like spinal discs can all result in back pain that gives you no peace. Even a little imbalance can lead to misalignments and major pain.

Below you'll find some information on causes of back pain that we encounter often at Living Well Medical in Manhattan, NYC.  It is in no way intended to be comprehensive.  If you have a problem that you don't see on the page, call us at 888-854-9575 and speak to a front desk representative.  Chances are we can help you.

Herniated Spinal Disc

A herniated disc is a common problem among athletes, those who do heavy lifting, and those who have been in accidents (automobile and other trauma). The disc's protective outer band ruptures and the gel on the inside squeezes out, potentially compressing nerve roots as they branch off from the spine. The pain can be excruciating and debilitating. We have a specialized technology called non-surgical spinal decompression in our office that can help stop the pain.

Muscle Strain/Pulled Muscle

If you've ever been moving and felt that little *pop* in your back, you know what it's like to pull a muscle.  Every movement using that part of your back is uncomfortable or downright painful.  In nearly all cases, it limits how much you can do since your back is a major support structure for the entire body.  Massage therapy and physical therapy can help rehab a muscle strain and improve the likelihood that re-injury won't occur.

Arthritis

Arthritis is an extremely common degenerative disease of the joints that can cause mobility problems and severe pain.  There are over 100 distinct varieties of arthritis - that's a lot of different ways to be hurting.  Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, estimated to be found in more than 20 million Americans.

Scoliosis and other Skeletal Irregularities

An irregularity of the curvature of the spine, scoliosis is not typically painful in itself.  However, if left unchecked until later in life, scoliosis has been noted to lead to other dysfunctions like muscular atrophy and kyphosis, among others.