Treating Back Pain...There is a Doctor for that!

Treating Back Pain

“There is a doctor for that!”

As a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation doctor, I am a physician who treats pain and disability resulting from disease or injury. Many patients come to my office complaining of back pain and may be worried that they need surgery.

My first step is to figure out what is causing the pain.  Instead of an operation, I like to use conservative treatments such as bracing, medications, injections, and physical therapy.

History is Important

When I see a new patient, my goal is to determine the cause of their pain with a thorough history and physical exam. This is an assessment of the pain and includes learning how it started, whether the pain becomes better or worse with certain activities, and if there are related symptoms such as leg pain or weakness.

Back Pain Causes

Back pain can have a number of different causes. I ask targeted questions to learn if there was a specific problem that is causing, or may have caused, the pain or injury.

I also try to identify issues that might contribute to, or prevent, the pain from improving. Sometimes a problem might be unrelated to the body part that is affected. For instance, back pain may actually be due to poor posture or arthritis of the hip.

Physical Therapy

I often refer patients who have muscle and back pain to a physical therapist. A physical therapist can help to resolve the problem through different modalities such as heat and ultrasound.  In addition, they spend time teaching stretches and exercises that can resolve and prevent the pain from recurring, which is instrumental in a patient’s care.

ABOUT DR. HUANG:

Albert Huang, MD, practices Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Riddle Hospital. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and received his medical degree at the Temple University School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Temple Hospital. He is a member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.