All posts in Spine Doctor Manassas

Can Stress Cause Back Pain?

In the modern era, it’s hard to avoid back pain. It seems like everything is coming after our backs, from our phones to our office chairs, to our beds and there’s little you can do to stop it. In fact, back pain is really easy to blame on external factors, much easier than looking introspectively at what else could be causing your back pain. Sure, the way you sit, slumped to the left while typing vigorously, does your back no favors, there might be something else causing your back pain. As you likely already know, the parallels between mental and physical health are constantly being discovered and mental health is being given a greater role in the health of your body. Specifically, back pain has been studied recently for its correlation with stress symptoms and how it may be one of the many ways your body shows symptoms of stress … [ read more ]

What Is Sciatica? How Do You Treat It?

an image of a man clutching his back as he gets out of bed int he morning

If you’ve experienced a shooting pain from your lower back, through your buttocks or hips, and into your thigh or down your leg, then you’ve probably experienced the electric pain of sciatica. At The Spine Care Center in Manassas, our expert physicians treat all causes of sciatica, from herniated disks to sacroiliac joint problems. Learn more about sciatica and your treatment options below, and be sure to contact our offices today if you would like to speak with a spine doctor about your symptoms. What Is Sciatica? Sciatica is pain that runs through your sciatic nerve, which is a nerve that runs into your leg from your lower back. The sciatic nerve can get compressed in many ways, causing the famous shooting pain and numbness of sciatica. Sciatica can also cause weakness and tingling in your leg. It may even affect your ability to walk normally. Sciatica may be signalled … [ read more ]

Find Relief From Diabetic Neuropathy Pain

an image of a patient's feet being tested for nerve response

Diabetes affects more than 30 million Americans, and left untreated, it can cause serious complications and pain that severely harm a person’s quality of life. The expert spine doctors at The Spine Care Center in Manassas routinely help patients with diabetes find relief from pain. Read on to discover some tips for preventing and treating diabetic neuropathy pain, and be sure to contact our expert physicians if you have any questions about treatments for back pain. What Is Diabetic Neuropathy? Suffering from high blood sugar for extended periods of time can damage nerves throughout your body. This nerve damage is called diabetic neuropathy. Your peripheral nerves (the nerves in your hands and feet) are likely to be injured first. When these nerves are damaged, you may experience numbness, tingling, a burning sensation, or pain. How Can I Prevent Diabetic Neuropathy? You can prevent neuropathy by working with your endocrinologist or … [ read more ]

How to Help Your Back Age Well

an image of seniors exercising to keep their backs strong

The expert spine doctors at The Spine Care Center in Manassas strive to help our patients live life with as little back and neck pain as possible. We know that everyone is setting resolutions for the new year and decade, so we decided to share tips on how to help your spine age well. Read on to discover our top tips for ensuring your spine ages well, and be sure to contact our office if you experience back pain. Age is a major risk factor for many spine conditions, including arthritis, herniated discs, and more. Not everyone ages the same, and you can take steps to help overcome the effects of aging by enacting specific lifestyle changes. If you want to take years off your spine, try the following techniques. Perform Resistance Exercise Resistance or strengthening exercises can help keep your abdominal and back muscles strong even as you age. … [ read more ]

4 Signs You Have Arthritis in Your Spine

As you age, your risk of developing arthritis in your joints increases. This increase in risk includes the many joints in your back. Arthritis can keep you from the activities you love, and it can disrupt your daily routine. Luckily, it is possible to find relief from arthritis. At The Spine Care Center in Manassas, we provide expert diagnosis and treatment of arthritis of the spine. Our treatments include nerve blocks and minimally invasive surgery. If you have the following signs of spine arthritis, you should make an appointment with one of our spine doctors. You Have Back Pain Back pain is the most common symptom of arthritis of the spine. It can occur anywhere, from your neck all the way down to your lower back. Pain caused by arthritis in your spine may improve with over-the-counter pain medicines, but it will usually keep coming back. If you’ve experienced back … [ read more ]

What to Look for in a Spine Surgeon

Spine surgeries are complex procedures and unfortunately, they don’t always help patients find relief from back pain. To increase your chances of a successful surgery, it is vital that you choose the right spine surgeon for you and your condition. At The Spine Care Center in Manassas, our spine doctors will walk you through your options and help ensure that you receive the proper treatment for your condition. In today’s post, we will discuss some things you may want to consider when selecting a spine surgeon. Be sure to think about these things when you choose the surgeon for your procedure. Surgery Load Studies show that the more often a surgeon performs a surgery, the less likely it is for a patient to have poor results. When picking a spine surgeon, you should choose someone who only does spine surgery and does several hundred spine surgeries each year. If you … [ read more ]

Prevent Future Back Pain with Everyday Actions

Just because back pain is common, doesn’t mean that it is normal. You can avoid back pain now and in the future by taking steps to care for your spine today. Little habits add up quickly, and they can help you stay active and pain-free for years to come! In today’s blog, we will cover some everyday habits recommended by the back and neck pain experts from The Spine Care Center in Manassas. Use these healthy habits to help keep your back and neck healthy. If you do experience back pain, then contact our spine doctor in Manassas for treatment. Get Moving There’s nothing worse for your back than a sedentary lifestyle spent sitting. Be sure to make some time every day to get up and move, whether you go for a walk around the block, spend an hour gardening, or lift weights in the gym. A little exercise can … [ read more ]

4 Tips for Your Spine Surgery Recovery

Recovering from spine surgery can be a long process, even if you only had a minimally invasive procedure. At The Spine Care Center in Manassas, our spine doctors and staff want you to have the best recovery possible — which means a recovery that is both quick and safe. During your spine surgery recovery, follow these four tips to stay healthy, reduce pain, and get back to your normal activities faster. Prepare Your Home for a Great Recovery Before you even undergo surgery, you can start preparing for a great recovery. With a few small changes to your home, you can make life after surgery easier. You should: Move any items you use frequently (dishes, cups, toiletries, etc.) to easy-to-reach locations Prepare frozen or easy-to-cook meals Get slip-on shoes to avoid having to bend over to tie laces Purchase a reacher-grabber to avoid having to bend down or raise your … [ read more ]

The Benefits of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

Back and neck pain are two of the most commonly reported conditions in the United States. The causes are numerous and in many instances, a patient can turn to physical therapy, steroid injections, and other forms of treatment to relieve their symptoms. In some cases, however, surgery is a necessary step on the path to wellness. While traditional spine surgery requires intrusive procedures that come with a host of potential drawbacks, The Spine Care Center in Manassas utilizes state-of-the-art, minimally invasive procedures designed to provide you with the pain relief you deserve with minimal disruption to your life. There are numerous other benefits to this form of surgery, and today’s post will focus on a few of the most prominent. Our cutting-edge facility offers a wide variety of minimally invasive spine surgery options for patients in Manassas and the surrounding areas. Our world-class spine doctors have helped hundreds of people … [ read more ]

Common Causes of Neck Pain

Neck pain can be incredibly uncomfortable and frustrating to deal with, especially if you’re not sure what’s causing it. In today’s post, we’ll take an in-depth look at six of the most common causes of neck pain. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, then please reach out to The Spine Care Center for an appointment. We know that neck pain can be incredibly uncomfortable, and our team of spine specialists will work quickly to resolve your symptoms and help you find long-lasting relief. Request an appointment through this page, and read on to learn more about what could be causing your neck pain. Six Causes of Neck Pain Atypical Sleeping Position If you wake up with an aching neck that doesn’t seem to have an explanation, then your sleeping position may be to blame. Also known as a “crick,” neck pain is often caused by sleeping in a way … [ read more ]