Spine Pain Specialist

Daljit S Buttar, MD

Interventional Pain Management Physician & Headache Specialist located in Raleigh, NC & Charlotte, NC

Spine pain is more common than you may think, and various factors can cause it. If you struggle with spine pain, skilled interventional pain management physician Daljit S. Buttar, MD, and his staff can help. At Aspire Spine & Headache Pain Center in Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina, Dr Buttar offers an array of solutions that reduce spine discomfort or treat its underlying cause. Call our office to schedule an appointment or book one online today.

Spine Pain Q&A

What is spine pain?

Spine pain is a feeling of discomfort in your upper or lower spine. The spine consists of bones, nerves, muscles, and other soft tissues that help you maintain posture and protect your brain and spinal cord. If you have spine pain, it could be congenital spinal defects, injuries, or age-related wear and tear.

What are the symptoms of spine pain?

If you have spine pain, it might present as:

Numbness
Tingling
Stiffness
Decreased range of motion
Diminished mobility
Radiating pain
Shooting discomfort
Sharp pain
Dull aching
Chest, arm, or leg pain
Poor posture
Muscle spasms

At the first sign of spine discomfort, see the ASPIRE HEALTH experts for an evaluation.

What are the risk factors for spine pain?

While anyone can develop spine pain, some factors increase your risk of having it. Examples include:

Older age
Wear-and-tear
Osteoporosis
Arthritis
Disc herniation
Inflammation
Narrowed spinal canal
Sports injuries
Work-related injuries
Falling
Car accidents
Other types of trauma
Sciatica
Facet joint pain
Nerve root pain

Chronic diseases, obesity, and poor posture also increase your risk of developing spine pain. ASPIRE HEALTH offers a variety of effective treatments for spine pain relief.

How does my doctor diagnose the cause of spine pain?

To find out what’s causing neck, back, or limb pain associated with spinal problems, Dr. Buttar discusses your medical history, lifestyle, and symptoms with you. He examines your back and spine, and may order blood tests, nerve tests, X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, or other imaging procedures.

How does my provider treat spine pain?

Your pain management plan depends on the type and cause of spine pain you encounter. Dr. Buttar could recommend that you try one or more of the following treatments:

Home remedies

Things you can do at home to reduce spine pain include bracing, using ice or heat packs, managing a healthy body weight, and doing physical therapy exercises.

Steroid injections

Steroid injections are shots that help reduce spinal inflammation and pain.

Dr Buttar offers caudal steroid injections to reduce lower back pain, cervical epidural steroid injections to alleviate neck pain, lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injections for back pain relief, sacroiliac joint steroid injections, cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injections, and thoracic epidural steroid injections for upper back.

The practice also provides RACZ caudal neurolysis that uses steroids and anesthetic to reduce painful scarring.

Discography and disc decompression use imaging technology and minimally invasive procedures to remove materials that compress painful nerves.

Radiofrequency ablation

Radiofrequency ablation uses heat to reduce pain signals. ASPIRE HEALTH offers cervical facet radiofrequency rhizotomy, lumbar radiofrequency rhizotomy, and thoracic facet radiofrequency rhizotomy to reduce upper, mid, and lower spine discomfort.

Intradiscal electrothermal therapy (IDET)

IDET is a procedure in which your spine specialist heats nerves and repairs spinal discs using a catheter and specialized temperature-controlled device.

Spinal cord stimulator implantation

Implanting a spinal cord stimulator device beneath your skin sends electrical impulses to your spinal cord and brain to diminish pain signals.

Vertebroplasty

Vertebroplasty is a procedure that uses special cement to repair spinal fractures and pain associated with them.