HEALTH & WELLNESS
Is pain management the
best solution for back pain?
The National Institute of Health Statistics es-
timates that 80% of Americans will experience a
back problem at some point of their lives. Low
back pain is the most common, followed by severe
headaches, neck pain and facial aches.
Law enforcement officers and other law enforce-
ment personnel spend their days keeping people
Dr. Marcello safe and patrolling streets for long shifts to prevent
Sammarone crime. Unfortunately, they are vulnerable to devel-
oping multiple diseases and health problems relat-
ed to their profession, including back pain caused by the use of
heavy gear around their waist.
Here are some answers to the common questions thata law
enforcement officers have about back pain:
What are the options available to relieve back pain?
There are many options to treat back pain, including multi-
ple specialists: orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, chiro-
practors and pain management doctors.
Is surgery a good idea to alleviate pain?
Orthopedists relieve the pain through a surgery that removes
disc herniation by fusing two vertebrae using plates and screws.
In my experience, I suggest surgery only if the pain is intractable
and if the patient has progressive weakness of the leg or loses
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function of the bladder and bowels. The consequences of this
procedure could result in instability of the spine, accelerated
degeneration or possible re-herniation of the disc.
If I don’t decide to have surgery, what other options do I have
to treat my back pain?
There are other specialists who can help. Chiropractors do
manual adjustment of the spine and the patient can feel better,
but usually only for an hour or two. Physical therapists do exer-
cises to strength the muscles around the spine, and accompa-
nied by anti-inflammatory or muscle relaxant medications, the
inflammation can go down and reduce the back pain.
If my pain lasts longer than a month, is there any other
alternative?
Yes, there is. This is the time that you should look for a pain
management doctor to administer an injection. Epidural injec-
tions are very safe, the pain could very well go away and you can
avoid surgery.
What more can you tell us about this procedure?
Prior to starting the treatment, the doctor should do a first
consultation to take a complete history of the patient and order
an MRI and x-ray of the spine, to see all the discs and confirm
the nature of the problem. After checking these images, the doc-
tor will determine if an epidural injection is the next course of