Diagnosis & Nonsurgical Spine Care

Nonsurgical Spine Treatments

It’s important to pinpoint the cause of your back, neck or spine-related pain. Your spine care team works with you to make an accurate diagnosis.

Your doctors will talk with you about the best way to treat and manage your spine condition. The spine team at Lahey Clinic provides a full range of advanced nonsurgical and surgical treatment options.

In most cases, you will try nonsurgical therapies first. If your disorder requires spine surgery, we’ll connect you to our surgical spine specialists.

Making a Diagnosis

To make a diagnosis, your doctor will perform a physical exam and talk with you about your symptoms.

Your doctor may also order certain tests. Imaging tests can provide detailed views of your spine. Nerve tests can help determine the source of pain in your back, neck or spine.

Therapies Without Surgery

Depending on your diagnosis, your doctor will recommend treatments to manage your pain and improve your spine symptoms.

Many conditions can be treated without surgery. The Lahey spine care team provides many nonsurgical treatment options:

• Diagnostic and therapeutic nerve blocks: Nerves in your spine send a variety of signals throughout your body. These include pain signals. Your spine doctor can use an injection to block the pain sensations coming from the spinal nerves. Nerve blocks can be used to pinpoint the source of pain and treat symptoms.
• Exercise therapy: You work with a physical therapist to complete exercises designed just for you. The therapy helps to strengthen your muscles and reduce your pain.
• Integrative therapies: Your spine care team includes specialists in integrated care to help you control your symptoms and improve your quality of life. Options include:
  • Massage therapy.
  • Nutritional counseling.
  • Reiki.
  • Yoga instruction.
• Osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM): A doctor of osteopathy uses hands-on techniques to apply pressure to your spinal joints, tissues and muscles. This can help relieve your pain, promote healing and improve your mobility. Your doctor may prescribe OMM alone or with other treatments.
• Pain management techniques: Your spine care team works with you to find the best way to manage your pain. You can manage your pain through rehabilitation therapy, nerve blocks and other anesthesia care or a combination of these therapies.
• Rehabilitation: You may work with a chiropractor, an osteopathic specialist, a physiatrist or a physical therapist to help manage your symptoms. Rehab therapy can also help improve your mobility and strength.