Having had two spine surgeries himself, Dr. Cuéllar understands the importance of avoiding surgery whenever possible. The majority of back and neck pain can be treated without spine surgery. Dr. Cuéllar and his team will do everything in their power to help you avoid surgery, providing you with individualized treatment advice and referral to other services if deemed necessary.
After Dr. Cuéllar completes his evaluation of you and determines that you do not have a problem that requires surgery, such as nerve compression or spinal cord compression, he can make some recommendations for non-surgical treatments to try first.
There are several potentially beneficially ways to help you improve back and neck pain without surgery, including exercise or physical therapy regimens, massage, acupuncture, injections, holistic healing treatments such as an anti-inflammatory diet or nutritional supplements. Some examples of these are provided below.
Many people have back or neck pain of musculoskeletal origin that can be caused by stress-induced muscle tension, poor posture or non-ergonomic working environments. This type of pain can commonly be treated by a safe exercise regimen and soft tissue massage. Choosing a massage therapist is a personal choice and may depend on the particular type of massage you prefer, your location, etc. One location I recommend is Radiance of Life, on Larchmont Blvd in Los Angeles.
A good physical therapist can help you strengthen your core muscles, which are vital to supporting your spine. Having a strong core can not only get you out of pain but can help prevent spine problems in the future. Upon evaluation, we will taylor your referral to your particular needs. A few excellent therapists we recommend are Complete PT, Heather Milligan at Elite Ortho Sports, and Aspire Physical Therapy and Sports.
Acupuncture has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years, and has been supported by some scientific literature as a means of non-surgical pain relief for various ailments. Kristen Ebbert is one excellent acupuncturist located centrally in Los Angeles. Another local acupuncture specialist is Erika A. Poulin.
Traditionally, pain management specialists have used steroids to inject into joints or near inflamed nerves. However, steroids have several drawbacks and there are now better alternatives available, such as the anti-inflammatory protein A2M that can be extracted from your own blood. Learn more here.
Disclaimer: Dr. Cuellar is here to help with your medical condition. However, any medical advice dispensed on this website is not an official medical opinion because the doctor has not performed an in-person history and examination. If you need specific medical advice, please make an office appointment.
