Dr. Anil Kesani is a board-certified and fellowship-trained spine specialist for neck pain.
Dr. Anil Kesani is highly experienced and skillful spine specialist that serves patients across the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas region at his practice SpineMD. Breaking down the basics of back and neck pain in a YouTube video, Anil Kesani, MD, describes the condition as being common among individuals across the United States.
Among the varied reasons for back and neck pain are muscular tissues as well as structural issues. Fractures and degenerative changes can play a role, as can rarer issues such as inflammatory conditions and tumors. A key to finding the cause of the back and neck pain and developing an appropriate surgical or non-surgical treatment plan is an accurate diagnosis. This involves looking closely at the patient’s medical history, which helps narrow down possible causes and undergoing a physical exam that helps identify neurologic deficits and aids with the diagnosis.
While investigations such as X-rays, CT and MRI scans can yield various findings and diagnoses, a thorough history and physical examination is key to figuring out which diagnosis or findings are causing symptoms. It is not uncommon for some findings noted on these imaging studies to be asymptomatic or not causing pain symptoms. Therefore, it is key to figure out which findings are leading to problems and only treat these.
Nonsurgical treatment includes oral medications, physical therapy and if required, spinal injections. In rare cases of persistent and painful symptoms, surgery can also be an option. Dr. Anil Kesani emphasizes the importance of having persistent back and neck pain evaluated on a timely basis, as this facilities rapid treatment to enable an optimal outcome and allows a speedier return to a normal lifestyle.
