Lower Back Pain Relief - The Unexpected Specialists

Orthopedics is likely the first medical specialty to come to mind when we think of lower back pain relief. The back, after all, brings to mind the spine, which brings to mind the bones, the muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons, and other components of the musculoskeletal system, which is the area of specialty of the orthopedic surgeon.

Meanwhile, it turns out that two of the most frequently referred specialists - neurosurgeons and physiatrists - play a vital role.

Neurosurgeons

Patients with lower back pain symptoms that include weakness in the foot or other signs of a neurologic deficit will most often be referred to a neurosurgeon or neurological surgeon, who is, in the simplest terms, a medical specialist whose focus is on your nerves.

It may come as a surprise to learn that the health care professionals so often thought of as brain surgeons more often deal with the back. Sixty percent of the members of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), the largest neurosurgical organization in North America, in fact, say they are exclusively spine surgeons. And lumbar/thoracic spine problems are the most common condition these medical specialists see.

The neurosurgeon is not just there to operate, but provides either surgical or non-surgical care, depending on the nature of the injury or illness.

Education is the biggest thing a neurosurgeon does. They spend a lot of our day keeping people from surgery. It's not just a doctor problem, it's a patient perception. People need to understand that if they hurt it doesn't always mean that they need an operation when it comes to the spine.

Neurosurgeons have extensive training in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with injury to, or diseases of, the brain, spine, or peripheral nerves (nerves dealing with the face, arms, legs, hands, and feet), but many specialize in or confine their practice to the back.

Like an orthopedic surgeon, the neurosurgeon might be the only doctor you see after referral - or he or she might be consulted by or be part of a team including primary care practitioners, physiatrists, and others.

A neurologist is yet another professional who is skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of problems related to the nervous system, but does not perform surgery.

The Spinal Cord and Nervous System

One of the crucial functions of the spinal column is to protect the spinal cord, which can be thought of as an extension of the brain. All the information going from the brain to the limbs, allowing our bodies to move, goes through the spinal cord. It's been called "the first relay station" for sensory information on its way to the different parts of the brain. Bladder functions, sensory functions, and movement all depend on information traveling up and down the spinal cord.