Chances are, at some point, you’ve had pain. Whether it’s acute, meaning the pain happened quickly as a result of an injury, or chronic, meaning you’ve had pain for a while, perhaps as a result of an underlying health condition like arthritis – you know that it’s no fun getting hurt.
Fortunately, you have options, especially when it comes to extremely common neck and back pain. We spoke with Dr. Jason Kreiner, pain management specialist at NYU Langone Health, to learn more about ways you can manage common aches and pains.
What are some of the most common types of neck and back pain you see in your practice?
Some people may have acute pain from something like a muscle strain. It is common this time of year when people are out doing yard work or gardening and may be bending over or standing up. They can easily develop a strain or potentially a herniated disc, which can cause a lot of neck pain or pain that travels down the arm.
Chronic pain can be secondary to arthritis or degenerative changes that can affect the cervical spine as well as the lower back or lumbar spine. And then I have many of these patients who complain of chronic neck pain and may have headaches. We call them cervicogenic headaches.
It is estimated that about 39% of Americans experience back pain. How can people prevent this kind of pain from ever starting?
I am a big believer – and I preach this to all my patients – in regular exercise, strength training and weight loss. It’s not easy to tell people they need to lose weight. Patients don’t like to hear it, but this is the no. 1 thing patients can do to prevent or help alleviate a lot of back pain.
It’s about physics and it’s about your body mechanics. The more weight you carry, the more strain there is on your lower back, the more likely you are to develop back pain over time, and the more difficult it is to treat.
Many of us have desk jobs, and even when we’re walking, we look down at our phones – leading to the dreaded ‘technology neck’. What do you suggest people do to manage that pain?
If you’re walking, put your phone in your pocket. Don’t stare down at your phone. This is the easiest thing you can do to prevent extra strain on your neck. Next, if you’ve been sitting at a desk all day—I know this is easier said than done—try getting a standing desk. This way you can take frequent breaks, change your position and make sure you don’t stay in one place all day. I think these measures will really go a long way in preventing and helping alleviate a lot of neck pain.
Summer is prime time for road trips. People are stuck in one position for hours, and then when they get where they’re going, they’re stiff and sore. Do you have any tips for feeling better after a long car ride?
Absolutely. I tell this to many patients – especially many men – who come in with pain in the middle: Don’t keep your wallet in your back pocket and don’t sit on your wallet, especially if it’s big or thick. It will increase that curvature in your spine, which will change your body mechanics and lead to a lot of strain.
Don’t be afraid to make frequent stops, and when you do, don’t park in the closest spot. Park further away to give you more time out of the car and to get some exercise.
When people think about pain, they can immediately jump to medication. Things like Advil or Tylenol, but also more serious prescription drugs. Are there ways to treat pain that don’t involve taking medications?
Medicine has its place, with acute or chronic pain. But we believe more in a multimodal approach, which involves different modalities, whether it’s physical therapy, acupuncture, or lots of different injections or procedures to help with that pain. Patients often do well with a combination of different types of therapy.
For example, an injection can help relieve a lot of pain initially, which then allows a patient to exercise and work on physical therapy, which ultimately helps patients heal in the long run.
Pain is something that almost everyone will deal with at some point in their lives. What do you wish people knew if they were in pain right now?
Pain management is a rapidly developing field that is growing, and has moved from simply managing pain to actually treating the underlying condition. Newer therapies are more curative and may allow people to eliminate the need for major surgery. Some of these procedures cure the underlying condition, so patients don’t even have to return for frequent treatments.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Jason Kreiner, MD, is a clinical assistant professor in the department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and clinical director of ambulatory pain management at NYU Langone Health in Suffolk County. He specializes in pain management, with interests in back pain, diabetic nerve damage and cervical disc disease.
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