3 Signs It’s Time to See an Orthopaedic Spine Specialist

Back pain can be debilitating and disrupt your everyday life, turning the activities you enjoy into a painful struggle.

Many people try to push through back pain and manage it by taking over-the-counter medications or stretching, but there are clear signs that your back pain is more than just a muscle ache or stiffness from overuse.

You should consider making an appointment with an orthopaedic spine specialist if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Chronic pain that interferes with daily activities
• Nerve pain or numbness in your limbs
• Changes in walking ability or balance

In this article, we will look at each of these concerning back pain symptoms and discuss the benefits of seeing an orthopaedic spine specialist.

Symptom 1: Chronic Pain Interferes with Daily Activities

Experiencing temporary back pain after helping your friend move to a new house is expected. But still experiencing back pain for weeks or months after the strenuous activity is cause for concern. You may not even know exactly when or how your back pain began, but it never seems to go away.

Before you know it, you’re reducing the daily activities you typically love, like:

• Exercising
• Playing with your children/grandchildren
• Traveling

These are all signs of chronic pain and require the attention of an orthopaedic spine specialist.

Our Spine Specialists are Ready to Care for You. Call (478) 745-4206 Today!

Symptom 2: Nerve Pain or Numbness

Your spine is a series of bones that protect a massive number of nerves grouped into the spinal cord. Sometimes, an injury or stress to the spine can impact the nerves and cause unique (and occasionally debilitating) pain to patients. If you are experiencing back pain along with numbness or nerve pain, it’s time to call an orthopaedic spine specialist.

If you’re unsure what nerve pain is, it’s commonly described by patients as:

• Tingling
• Numbness
• Stabbing pain
• Burning pain
• Sharp pain
• Sudden pain
• Pins and needles

Because your spinal cord consists of nerves that impact your entire body, you may experience numbness in your extremities like your legs, feet, or hands.

Symptom 3: Changes in Walking Ability or Balance

Because your spine supports much of your body weight, experiencing back pain can cause issues with walking and balance. This is especially common with lower back pain and can lead to additional problems with your legs and hips.

If your back pain is altering your walking gait, ability to walk distances, or disrupting your overall balance, it’s time to call an orthopaedic spine specialist for further evaluation and treatment.

Let’s Help You Find Pain Relief. Call (478) 745-4206 Today!

What Does an Orthopaedic Spine Specialist Do?

An orthopaedic spine specialist is a doctor that’s dedicated to the conditions, diseases, and treatments of the spine. These doctors are specially trained to help people struggling with debilitating back pain.

At OrthoGeorgia, our interdisciplinary spine specialists provide a comprehensive approach to help patients enjoy back pain relief. Sometimes treatment requires surgery, but treatment may be less invasive and include physical therapy, spinal injections, and medication management.

OrthoGeorgia’s Spine Surgeons

OrthoGeorgia has built a team of top spine doctors, providing people in Georgia with the best in orthopaedic care.

Our interdisciplinary Spine Team includes:

• Board-Certified, Fellowship-Trained Orthopaedic Spine Surgeons
• Physical Therapists dedicated to spine rehabilitation
• Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Medical Assistants, and Surgery Staff
• Our Bone Health Clinic

OrthoGeorgia’s doctors are board-certified specialists trained to provide the best in orthopaedic spine diagnosis and treatment. OrthoGeorgia offers surgical and non-surgical procedures including the latest in robotic technology and minimally invasive techniques.

Common Spinal Conditions We Treat at OrthoGeorgia

Our team diagnoses and treats a variety of spinal diseases and conditions, including:

• Cervical Disc Disease
• Cervical Radiculopathy
• Cervical Spondylosis
• Deformity (scoliosis)
• Disc Replacement
• General Back Pain
• Herniated Disc
• Kyphosis
• Lower Back Pain
• Lumbar Degenerative Disc & Joint Disease
• Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
• Neck Pain
• Osteoporosis
• Sciatica
• Scoliosis
• Spinal Stenosis
• Spine Fractures
• Spondylolisthesis
• Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis
• Tumors

Experience OrthoGeorgia’s Dedicated Spine Center

OrthoGeorgia serves patients across Georgia with our dedicated Spine and Orthopaedic Center. This office is located directly next to our Macon office on Northside Drive, and it’s dedicated to serving patients with spine care, sports medicine, and more.

Don’t wait! The earlier you address your pain, the more treatment options you may have available. We’re Ready to Care for Your Family. Call Us at (478) 745-4206 Today!