Back pain is an extremely common condition that affects over 75% of people at some point. You may experience persistent or intermittent back pain on any area of the back related to the lumbar, thoracic, or cervical spine. People usually report back pain in the lumbar (lower back) region, but it can also affect the upper back, neck, and other parts of the body. You can suffer from acute or chronic back pain because of age-related wear and tear and various underlying medical conditions. Finding the right back pain doctor on Long Island can help.
Address Your Aching Back
Types of Back Pain
- Chronic Back Pain: Chronic pain usually develops gradually over an extended period, escalating in severity over time. It’s not severe or sharp, but it may worsen if left untreated. Chronic pain is recurrent or has existed for over 3 months.
- Acute Back Pain: Acute pain occurs suddenly and severely because of unexpected injuries and trauma to the back. This type of pain might be severe, but the intensity lessens with time, and it may disappear completely within a few weeks.
Back Pain: Causes
Back pain may occur because of age- related degeneration of the spinal components or various underlying conditions. You experience back pain if any of the components around the spine, such as the vertebrae, intervertebral discs, joints, ligaments, and muscles, are damaged or torn because of injuries or aging. Your back pain doctor on Long Island must trace the root cause of back pain to curate a personalized treatment plan that addresses the underlying problem.
The following are some of the causes of back pain:
- Fractures of the spinal vertebrae
- Spondylosis (spinal osteoarthritis)
- Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal spaces)
- Degenerative disc disease
- Disc herniation (ruptured spinal discs)
- Scoliosis (sideways curvature of the spine)
- Radiculopathy (nerve compression)
- Kyphosis (unnatural curvature of the spine)
Signs You Need to Visit a Doctor:
- Persistent, severe, or sudden back pain
- Pain caused by sudden trauma, injuries, or falls
- Back pain with a fever
- Back pain with the loss of sensation in the lower body
- Back pain with muscle weakness on various parts of the body
- Back pain that radiates to the lower extremities of the body
- Back pain with bowel and bladder problems
- Loss of sensation in the genitals and buttocks
- Tingling sensations in the genitals and buttocks
- Other symptoms of acute or chronic pain anywhere on the body
Back Pain: Diagnosis
Dr. Kakoulides performs a thorough consultation and diagnosis before curating a treatment plan for back pain. During your initial consultation, Dr. Kakoulides will discuss your symptoms, perform physical tests to identify the source of back pain, and administer numerous diagnostic scans. The goal of the diagnosis is to trace the possible root cause of back pain and isolate the damaged components responsible for your symptoms, which allows the back pain doctor on Long Island to curate a personalized treatment plan.
The following are the possible components of back pain diagnosis:
- Blood tests for infections
- X-rays to visualize the vertebrae
- CT scans to visualize the bones and skeleton
- MRIs to visualize the soft tissues and nerve roots
- Nerve studies, such as electromyelogram (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS)
- Nuclear medicine study to identify back pain caused by compression fractures
Back Pain: Treatments
Dr. Kakoulides curates a personalized, comprehensive treatment plan according to your unique needs and goals. He usually starts with conservative treatments, such as rest, physical therapy, chiropractic care, and epidural injections, following which he gradually progresses to minimally invasive spine surgery. In the rare instance that minimally invasive spine surgery doesn’t work, Dr. Kakoulides may consider complex surgical reconstructions, but only if it’s deemed absolutely necessary.
The following are some of the possible back pain treatment options:
- Physical Therapy
- Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Medications
- Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
- Anterior Cervical Discectomy Fusion
- Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF)
- Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF)
- Lateral Interbody Fusion
- Cervical Disc Replacement
- Disc Replacement Surgery
- Laminectomy
- Microdiscectomy
Educational Background
Dr. George Kakoulides is a board-certified neurosurgeon with expertise in minimally invasive and complex spine surgeries of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. Raised on Long Island, Dr. Kakoulides received his medical degree with high honors from Tufts University School of Medicine and completed his residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. As an affiliate of Long Island Brain & Spine, he has treated thousands of patients using the latest techniques. Dr. Kakoulides is dedicated to personalized patient care, creating individualized treatment plans that incorporate both surgical and non-surgical approaches for optimal recovery and long-term wellness.
Why Choose Dr. George Kakoulides
Dr. George Kakoulides is one of the leading spine surgeons and back pain doctor on Long Island. He has advanced training in the management of spinal and cranial disorders using the latest, cutting-edge, minimally invasive techniques. Patients love working with Dr. Kakoulides because of his compassionate attitude and belief in complete transparency. He follows patients through every stage of the back pain treatment and recovery journey. Please schedule an appointment to explore your back pain treatments in New York.