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Managing Pain from Spinal Disorders or Surgery

Managing pain is an important part of treatment and recovery from a spinal disorder or spinal surgery. Because our spines involve nerves, bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons, anything that affects one may affect the other.

Pain can cause sleeplessness, depression and limitations on ability to move - all of which can slow down recovery.

It is important to manage your pain before it becomes too intense. Be sure to tell your doctor when you have pain and discuss ways to deal with the pain. For most people, back pain tends to get better within two weeks to three months. However, the sooner you treat pain, the less likely it is to get worse or cause other complications.

Back pain can be:

  • Acute, lasting up to six months. This type of pain is usually the result of an injury or a disorder such as arthritis. It can range from a muscle ache to shooting or stabbing pain. Sometimes it limits your ability to move, stand up straight, or participate in activities of daily living.
  • Recurrent, a repeat episode of acute symptoms.
  • Chronic, lasting longer than six months. This type of pain often gets worse over time. Its cause can be difficult to identify.

Contact your doctor if:

  • Your pain is interfering with your usual daily activities.
  • You can't sleep because of pain.
  • Your spinal disorder or condition has healed, but pain is still there.

At the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center, a wide range of approaches to managing pain from spinal disorders or surgery are available, including:

Additional Resources at Cedars-Sinai