When is back pain serious enough to see a spine surgeon?

Everyone experiences occasional back pain or stiffness from time to time. Sometimes it’s a minor twinge that resolves quickly, while other times the pain is more severe and difficult to ignore.

The team of board-certified orthopedic surgeons at Desert Institute for Spine Care (DISC) helps patients determine the cause of their symptoms and identify the most appropriate treatment options.

If you are experiencing prolonged weakness, numbness, or pain radiating down your legs, it may be time to seek professional evaluation from one of DISC’s spine specialists, including Dr. Justin Field.

Dr. Field specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery and has extensive experience treating cervical and lumbar spine conditions, including herniated discs, pinched nerves and cervical and lumbar artificial disc replacement.

“We all have bouts of back pain, but if it’s moderate to severe pain that isn’t improving after a couple of days, that’s usually a sign that it needs to be evaluated more closely instead of just hoping rest and anti-inflammatories will make it go away,” Dr. Field said.

While many episodes of back pain improve with conservative treatment, symptoms that persist for several weeks, repeatedly return or continue to worsen should be evaluated by a spine specialist. Many patients improve with nonsurgical treatments such as physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, activity modification or spinal injections.

Dr. Field recommends seeking evaluation sooner if back or neck pain is accompanied by:

• Pain radiating down the arms or legs
• Weakness or numbness
• Difficulty walking or maintaining balance
• Pain that wakes you up at night
• Loss of grip strength or frequently dropping objects
• Symptoms that persist despite rest, medications or physical therapy
• Pain interfering with work, exercise, sleep or daily activities.

In many cases, Dr. Field recommends obtaining an MRI to better understand the underlying issue. Advanced imaging can help physicians determine whether additional evaluation or treatment may be necessary.

Many patients with acute back pain improve after taking a Medrol Dosepak, an oral anti-inflammatory steroid typically prescribed over six days. However, Dr. Field cautions against repeated steroid use.

“If you have an acute lumbar issue, you take the Medrol Dosepak, feel better and then the severe pain quickly returns, that’s definitely a time to see a medical professional, obtain an MRI and take a deeper look at what may be causing the problem,” Dr. Field said.

Dr. Field also advises patients not to exceed more than two Medrol Dosepaks without further medical evaluation, as steroids can have adverse effects on other parts of the body.

“The earlier a significant spine condition is identified, the more treatment options may be available — including minimally invasive and motion-preserving procedures,” Dr. Field said.

Next steps

Desert Institute for Spine Care has four locations across the Valley, including Central Phoenix, Gilbert (East Valley), Glendale (West Valley) and Scottsdale. To schedule an appointment or learn more, visit Sciatica.com or call 602-944-2900.

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