Physician Describes Latest Treatments for Chronic Back Pain
Erik Shaw, D.O., discusses mainstream and alternative treatments.
“Ow! I hurt my back!” You may have said this out loud or to yourself at some point in your life.
Most low back injuries involve lifting, bending or twisting in the wrong way. There are many different back muscles, all connected by tendons to the bones in the spine.
The medical staff at Shepherd Pain Institute ventures beyond narcotics to treat pain. Some examples are:
- Nerve blocks – injections of medication into a specific area of the body. These are used to both diagnose and treat pain.
- Neuromodulation – implanted electrodes, or pacemaker-like devices, that stimulate the spinal cord
- Biofeedback – using thoughts to control the body and relax certain muscles. This is both a treatment option and a coping mechanism.
- Manual (osteopathic) therapy – manual manipulations to bones that can sometimes relieve pain
In this 10-minute Shepherd Center Radio podcast, Erik Shaw, D.O., discusses lower back pain and how Shepherd Pain Institute can help ease your pain. This podcast and others are available at shepherd.org/news/radio or can be downloaded as an MP3 file from the link above. A transcript of the interview is also available on the Shepherd Center Radio web page.
Dr. Shaw is a staff physiatrist at the Shepherd Pain Institute. He is double board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and pain medicine. A Texas native, Dr. Shaw graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in biomedical engineering and obtained his medical degree at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth. Dr. Shaw completed his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation and his anesthesiology fellowship in pain medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.
Shepherd Center provides world-class clinical care, research, and family support for people experiencing the most complex conditions, including spinal cord and brain injuries, multi-trauma, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain. An elite center recognized as both Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems, Shepherd Center is ranked by U.S. News as one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitation. Shepherd Center treats thousands of patients annually with unmatched expertise and unwavering compassion to help them begin again.