Neck Pain and Injury

Often also referred to as degenerative joint disease, arthritis forms over time and results in pain and inflammation when joints move. In this case, when the back or spine moves.

Back and neck arthritis are more specific forms of this condition, which is typically characterized by pain and discomfort.

Most people are scared to seek treatment early for fear of needing surgery, but a large percentage of patients never have surgery. At OrthoNebraska, your treatment plan is developed collaboratively between you and your care team, and includes a discussion of the risks and benefits as they pertain to you individually.

More on Degenerative Disc Disease

Herniated discs can occur anywhere in the spine, but are most often found in the low back, or lumbar region of the spine. They result when the jelly-like discs that sit between each spine bone (vertebra) and allow it to move and act as shock absorbers suffer a loss of integrity in the outer ring. This can be due to wear and tear or an injury.

If you are experiencing sharp, shooting back from the buttocks down the back of one leg, it is likely being caused by a herniated disc. Other symptoms can include:

• Numbness or tingling in a leg or foot
• Weakness in a leg or foot
• Loss of bladder or bowel control (this is a medical emergency – call 911)

Treatment of herniated discs will be based on an individual patient’s specific symptoms, needs and desires, following a natural progression from conservative to invasive treatment. This can include:

• Rest and activity modifications
• NSAIDs like ibuprofen
• Physical therapy
• Steroid injections
• Surgery, such as a microdiscectomy

More on Herniated Discs

Often also referred to as degenerative joint disease, neck arthritis forms over time and results in pain and inflammation when joints move.

Neck arthritis may be the cause if you have any or some of the following symptoms:

• Pain
• Loss of range of motion
• A “grating” or “locking” sensation
• Joint swelling (often occurs over time)

For patients experiencing early stages of neck arthritis, weight loss or activity modifications, acetaminophen, NSAIDs, physical therapy and steroid or viscosupplementation injections are all good options. Eventually, some people do opt for surgery.

At OrthoNebraska, your treatment plan is developed collaboratively between you and your care team, including a discussion of the risks and benefits as they pertain to you individually.

More on Neck Arthritis

A neck injury is a type of spinal cord injury that may result when a fall or traumatic injury such as a car accident fractures or dislocates the vertebrae bones in your spine.

Symptoms resulting from damage to the spinal cord in your neck might include pain when moving your back or spine, partial or complete loss of feeling and muscle control (paralysis) and problems with bowel or bladder control.

A detailed diagnosis is really important, even if your symptoms are minor, because damaged nerves tend to recover quickly or not at all. Seeing a specialist in treating spinal cord injuries who will put together a detailed treatment plan for your situation can make a big difference when it comes to the final outcome and recovery from a spinal cord injury.

More on Neck Injuries

Pressure or stretching injuries can cause fibers within the nerves to break. When a nerve is broken, it can interfere with the nerve’s ability to send or receive signals from the brain.

A nerve injury can occur almost anywhere in the body, so many factors will be considered when developing your treatment plan.

While it depends on the location and severity of the nerve injury, surgery is often recommended to repair the nerves. More than likely physical therapy will be needed after surgery, which includes retraining your brain to send signals to those nerves and preventing any joints from becoming stuff.

The OrthoNebraska team will work collaboratively with you to determine your needs, risks and the appropriate treatment plan.

More on Nerve Injuries

A pinched nerve (lumbar radiculopathy) occurs when a nerve in the lower spine is compressed or irritated, often causing pain that radiates from the back down the leg—commonly referred to as sciatica.

This condition is typically caused by factors like herniated or bulging discs, arthritis, spinal stenosis, or injury, and may be influenced by lifestyle or physical strain.

Common symptoms include burning, shooting, or aching leg pain, along with tingling, numbness, or weakness; leg pain is often more prominent than back pain.

Diagnosis involves a physical exam and sometimes imaging to confirm nerve involvement and rule out other conditions.

Most cases improve within 4–6 weeks using conservative treatments such as activity modification, medications, and physical therapy, while only a small percentage of patients require surgery.

More on Pinched Nerve, Radiculopathy & Sciatica

Sometimes due to the natural aging process, the spinal cord can become compressed or squeezed, resulting in spinal cord compression or, clinically speaking, spondylotic myelopathy. More rarely, a traumatic injury or disease like rheumatoid arthritis may contribute.

Symptoms for this condition vary widely, but patients may experience:

• Tingling or numbness in the arms, hands or fingers
• Weakness or lack of grip strength in the arms, hands or fingers
• Lack of balance or coordination
• Pain or neck stiffness
• Difficulty with fine motor skills such as handwriting or plugging something into an electrical outlet

Initial treatment for this condition is often non-surgical. This may involve:

• Physical therapy
• Bracing or collaring
• Medications such as NSAIDs (ibuprofen) or corticosteroids
• Spine injections

Over time, most patients with the condition are known to benefit from surgery. However, this depends on your age, pain tolerance, the therapeutic value of conservative treatment and other factors. We always discuss the risks and benefits of any treatment plan, whether surgery is recommended or not.

More on Spinal Cord Compression

A spinal cord injury results when a fall or traumatic injury such as a car accident fractures or dislocates the vertebrae bones in your spine.

Symptoms resulting from damage to the spinal cord might include pain when moving your back or spine, partial or complete loss of feeling and muscle control (paralysis) and problems with bowel or bladder control.

A detailed diagnosis is really important, even if your symptoms are minor, because damaged nerves tend to recover quickly or not at all. Seeing a specialist in treating spinal cord injuries who will put together a detailed treatment plan for your situation can make a big difference when it comes to the final outcome and recovery from a spinal cord injury.

More on Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal stenosis happens due to pressure placed on the spinal cord or nerves that provide sensation and strength to the legs.

Typically, the pain associated with spinal stenosis occurs in the low back, buttocks, thigh, calf or groin. Tingling, weakness, cramping or fatigue in the legs are also common. People with this condition typically feel worse when walking or standing and better when sitting or leaning forward.

Treatment options include:

• Physical therapy
• Nerve pain medications
• Muscle relaxants
• NSAIDS
• Steroid or spine injections
• Surgery

At OrthoNebraska, your treatment plan is developed collaboratively between you and your care team, and includes a discussion of the risks and benefits as they pertain to you individually.

More on Spinal Stenosis

Spine fractures can occur from low-impact injuries like falls or sports collisions, or high-impact events such as car accidents. Severity generally depends on the force involved.

Fractures are classified into three types based on the movement that caused them: extension, flexion and rotation. While symptoms vary, back pain that worsens with movement is most common.

Nonsurgical treatment may include bracing for at least six weeks and can be effective when damage is limited. However, surgery is often recommended if there are:

• Multiple bone fragments
• Abnormal bone alignment
• Significant loss of vertebral height
• Damage to the spinal cord, nerves or ligaments

At OrthoNebraska, your care team will work with you to create a personalized treatment plan, including a discussion of risks and benefits.

More on Spine Fractures

Infections can happen anywhere after surgery, including in the spine. Any time a foreign body, such as an implant to replace bone or screw to hold in in place, are introduced, there is a slight risk of infection.

The symptoms associated with infection are:

• Redness
• Warmth
• Inflammation
• Stiffness
• Pus or drainage
• Loss of range of motion
• Fever
• Chills

Infections are considered a medical emergency, so you should see a provider immediately if you suspect it. Left unchecked, infections can completely destroy bone and surrounding tissue. If resulting from a surgery, a second procedure will be required to clean out the infection and antibiotics will be described.

OrthoNebraska, as a specialty hospital, has really low infection rates due to our focus on orthopedic-specific infection control.

More on Spine Infections

There are two types of spine tumors.

• Osteoblastoma (non-cancerous)
• Chordoma (cancerous)

Both are relatively rare, so general spine pain is more likely to be caused by something else. However, headaches and muscle spasms may be more of an indicator of tumors than other causes of back pain. For a definitive diagnoses, medical imaging such as an MRI is typically necessary, unless the tumor is easily visible. Spine tumors are slow to grow, so symptoms usually gradually worsen over time.

Treatment for these conditions is nearly always surgery and in the case of chordoma, sometimes accompanies by chemotherapy or targeted radiation therapy. The OrthoNebraska team will work collaboratively with you to determine your needs, risks and the appropriate treatment plan.

More on Spine Tumors