Health care providers who treat low back pain
Description
Treating low back is often a team approach. Your health care team may include different kinds of doctors and other health care providers who are not doctors. Many of these providers and what they do are described below.
Physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor: These doctors receive 4 or more years of special training after they finish medical school. Another name for this kind of doctor is physiatrist.
Physical medicine doctors can play a key role in treating people with chronic back pain. They do not do surgery. They can help diagnose the cause of back pain, give shots into the spine to reduce pain, prescribe medicines, and assist with the decision to have surgery. They may have received special training to do injections or shots for pain.
Orthopedic surgeon: These surgeons receive 5 or more years of special training after they finish medical school. They treat problems with the bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Some orthopedists have extra training in spine surgery. Some only take care of people with spine problems.
Neurologist: These doctors treat problems that are related to the nervous system and the brain. Most neurologists diagnose the causes of low back pain and can treat it with medicine. Neurologists do not do surgery, and most do not give shots to reduce pain. They can give medicine to reduce the pain related to your spine problem.
Physical therapist: These providers teach you exercises to strengthen and stretch the muscles that support your spine and legs. They can also teach you proper ways to move your spine to prevent injury. Moving the right way and strengthening particular muscle groups will help you safely do your everyday tasks and sports activities.
Pain specialists: Pain specialists can be doctors or providers who are not doctors. They have special training on how to treat both acute (sudden) pain and chronic (long-term) pain. Most pain specialists know how to give shots to reduce pain.
Sports medicine physician: Sports medicine is a special area of orthopedics. It provides complete medical care to active people of all ages. Sports medicine doctors may also be family practice, internal medicine, emergency medicine, pediatric, or physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors. Most have 1 to 2 years of special training in sports medicine.
Osteopathic medicine: Doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs) are similar to medical doctors (MDs). They can treat all health problems, do surgery, and prescribe medicine. Like MDs, osteopathic doctors must complete 4 years of medical school, and they can become specialists in different areas of medicine.
DOs also have extra training in how to diagnose problems using hands-on techniques. These techniques can help reduce pain and allow the body to move better. This may also include spinal manipulation.
Chiropractor: The main way a chiropractor treats patients is through adjustments called spinal manipulations. Today, most chiropractors mix spinal adjustments with other treatments.
To become a chiropractor in the United States, students usually begin by studying biology and science. Then they complete a 4- to 5-year program at a chiropractic college. Different states have different requirements for being able to practice as a chiropractor.
Primary care doctors: Primary care doctors are MDs or DOs who specialize in internal medicine, family practice, or pediatrics. They are the doctor you would see to manage many of your health needs, including back pain, and to discuss referrals to other doctors. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are other types of primary care providers. They will also manage your general health issues, such as diabetes, osteoporosis, smoking cessation, diet, and depression.
Reviewed By: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Francisco, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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