She’s on His Shoulders Because We Had His Back
Take the back pain quiz to find out how we can help you.
Back Pain Conditions We Treat
- Cervical Radiculopathy
- Cervical Spondylosis (Degeneration)
- Cervical Stenosis
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- Herniated Discs
- Lumbar Radiculopathy
- Lumbar Spondylolisthesis
- Lumbar Spondylosis (Degeneration)
- Lumbar Stenosis
- Neck Pain
- Sciatic Nerve Pain
- Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
- Spinal Tumors
- Spondylolisthesis
- Tethered Spinal Cord in Teens and Adults
Advanced Treatments
Affiliated physicians with Memorial Herman Mischer Neurosciences treat all types of chronic and acute pain, offering patients access to medical options unavailable elsewhere.
Back Pain Experts
Our team of board-certified pain management specialists are skilled at treating acute and chronic pain. They are specially trained in anesthesia, neurology, and interventional pain management, which helps them understand the root of pain and how to minimize it.
Houston Locations
With multiple locations across the Greater Houston metropolitan area, the back and neck pain specialists at Memorial Hermann can see patients quickly, and they work in close collaboration with other nerve and spine specialists to help people regain control of their lives.
Where is your pain?
Does the pain radiate elsewhere?
When did symptoms begin?
Do you experience tingling or numbness?
Have you had back surgery before?
Have you been to physical therapy or a chiropractor for this pain?
Are you currently taking prescription medications for your pain currently?
Have you received any steroid injections?
Have you had an MRI for this issue?
Advanced Treatments for Chronic Back and Neck Pain
Pain Medicine physicians treating back and neck pain use injections as both a therapeutic treatment and diagnostic tools. Injections are non-surgical options when medicine and physical therapy do not provide intended outcomes and can also help identify the exact source of pain. Injections typically involve the use of an anti-inflammatory steroid to reduce swelling and a numbing agent to disrupt or block pain signals from being transmitted to the brain.
Also known as blocks for impeding nerves from sending pain signals to the brain, injections are usually outpatient procedures. While the patient is lying face down, a local anesthetic is applied to the injection site. Advanced imaging technology may be used to help guide the physician, depending on the type of injection.
There are several common injections for back and neck pain:
- Epidural steroid injections: Using a special X-ray for guidance, a steroid is injected around the dura, a sac that surrounds nerves, to reduce inflammation. Types: Transforaminal (nerve openings in the spine), interlaminar (between vertebra) and caudal (low back) epidurals.
- Nerve blocks: A combination of a steroid and numbing agent is injected around or directly into the nerve. Types: Stellate (front of the neck), celiac plexus (abdomen), lumbar sympathetic (lower back), superior hypogastric (pelvis), ganglion impar (tailbone), occipital (back of head), supraorbital (forehead and eye socket) and suprascapular (shoulder).
- Facet joint block: With the assistance of a special X-ray for guidance, a local anesthetic is used to locate and numb the medial nerves on the facet joint. Facet joints are located along each section of the spine and help with motion and stabilization. Facet joint blocks can be administered as a stand-alone treatment or immediately precede radiofrequency ablation.
- Sacroiliac joint block: Using the same approach as the facet joint block, this injection focuses on the lateral nerves along the sacroiliac joint, which connects the triangular bone at the bottom of the spine (sacrum) to the pelvic bone, (iliac crest). It is also used as a stand-alone treatment or with radiofrequency ablation.
Back and Neck Pain Specialists
Multidisciplinary teamwork and access to the latest advances in technology and treatment distinguish us from other back pain and spine doctors in Texas. Our physicians specialize in pain management and spine surgery and provide each patient with a personalized plan of care, beginning treatment with the most conservative approach and using evidence-based medicine to ensure positive outcomes.
Search for Physicians by Specialty
Mischer Neuroscience Associates Clinics
-
Mischer Neuroscience Associates - CypressGet Directions27700 NW Freeway Ste 360, Cypress, TX 77433
-
Mischer Neuroscience Associates - NortheastGet Directions18955 Memorial North Ste 360, Humble, TX 77338
-
Mischer Neuroscience Center at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical CenterGet Directions9180 Pinecroft Ste 500, The Woodlands, TX 77380
-
Patient Centered Neurology at Mischer Neuroscience AssociatesGet Directions915 Gessner Ste 750, Houston, TX 77024
Back Pain & COVID-19
Several factors could be leading to new or aggravated back pain during this pandemic. From a new work-from-home work space, sedentary routines and/or increased levels of stress–when combined with barriers to treatment access could lead to unmanaged pain.
Join Dr. Divya Chirumamilla as she discusses Back Pain & COVID-19.