Acute/Chronic Pain

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Acute & Chronic Spine Pain Treatment

PA & NJ Back Pain Specialists

Pain is the body’s warning signal that there is a problem. During illness or injury, pain begins in receptor nerve cells in the organs and under the skin, traveling along nerve pathways to the spinal cord, which carries the message to the brain.

As one of the most common U.S. medical problems, back pain may begin abruptly due to an accident or injury or may develop over time due to age-related spine degeneration. Much of our daily activity depends on our spine health. When pain threatens to derail your daily life, trust the award-winning neurosurgeons at Princeton Brain, Spine & Sports Medicine to provide cutting-edge diagnosis, non-surgical intervention, minimally invasive and traditional surgical solutions tailored to your needs.

Types of Back Pain

Acute & Subacute

Pain is categorized by acute (new), subacute (four to 12 weeks) or chronic (longer than three months). Acute and subacute pain may arise from tissue damage, inflammation, illness, injury or post-surgical recovery. This type of pain is generally treatable with conservative techniques, and pain ceases when the underlying condition resolves.

Chronic Pain

Considered one of the most costly health problems in the U.S., chronic pain leads to consequences like lost income, escalating medical expenses and lost productivity. Severe chronic back pain is a recurring condition that lasts beyond the usual recovery time or results from a chronic health condition. This type of back pain may be continuous or intermittent and is known to significantly disrupt employment, recreation, activities of daily living and enjoyment of life. Chronic back pain is a major medical condition that should be treated by a skilled neurosurgeon or sports medicine specialist.

Causes of Spine Pain Treated by PBS

At Princeton Brain, Spine & Sports Medicine, our experienced clinical team offers advanced diagnosis, conservative (non-surgical) intervention, minimally invasive surgery and traditional surgery for back pain. Conditions treated include, but are not limited to:

Diagnosis & Conservative Treatment of Back Pain

Princeton Brain, Spine & Sports Medicine physicians arrive at a diagnosis by conducting a comprehensive examination and reviewing your medical and symptom history. Advanced diagnostic tools like CT scan, x-ray, MRI, discography or myelogram may also be used to confirm a diagnosis. First-line, conservative pain recommendations may include:

Physical therapy
Heat & cold therapy
Topical pain patches
Prescription painkillers & muscle relaxers
Acupuncture & chiropractic care
Bedrest or exercise
Nutrition & weight loss plans

Minimally Invasive Surgery for Pain

When conservative treatment fails to successfully treat your spine pain, minimally invasive or traditional surgery may be required. Minimally invasive spine surgery usually results in the same outcome as traditional surgery, but with smaller incisions, less tissue disruption and shorter recovery times. In cases where traditional “open” spine surgery is needed, our elite team of neurosurgeons is fellowship-trained to provide skilled, exemplary care using advanced surgical techniques.

Leading Neurosurgery Expertise for Back Pain

Offering care in top-rated area hospitals and at seven state-of-the-art campuses in NJ and PA, the PBSSM team fuses compassionate, patient-focused care with cutting-edge treatment practices. Treating you like our own family, we’re wholly focused on restoring our patients’ healing and quality of life.

Affecting 80% of men and women at some point in their lives, back pain impacts our patients’ physical, emotional and psychological health. Taking a multi-disciplinary approach to subacute and chronic pain, PBSSM works with you to reduce or eliminate back pain and return you to healthy activity.

Call 609.921.9002 in central and southern New Jersey or 215.741.3141 in northeastern Pennsylvania. To learn more about spine conditions and back pain, click here.

Additional Resources

Spinal Matters: A Backache or Something More Serious? - Dr. Seth Joseffer, Princeton Health TV

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