Spine Center Network Cites the 5 Most Serious Mistakes One Can Make in 2025 With an Attack of Back or Neck Pain

AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- It's estimated that 4 out of 5 adults will have an attack of back pain at some point in their lives. That's the bad news. The good news is that 80% of the time, simple back and neck pain can go away on its own. However, the fellowship-trained spine surgeons at SpineCenterNetwork.com, a national network of independent spine centers, note that there will be thousands of Americans who will self-diagnose themselves incorrectly in 2025, which could lead to permanent numbness in a hand or foot.

Eeric Truumees, MD, a fellowship-trained spine surgeon at Texas Spine and Scoliosis in Austin, Texas, and past president of the North American Spine Society (NASS), the largest international group of spine specialists, lists the five serious mistakes people will make with their back or neck pain in 2025:

Mistake #1. Pain is NOT a good indicator of when to go to the doctor.
"Unlike other joint problems like knee or hip pain, with back or neck injury pain is NOT a good indicator of when you need to see a doctor," explains Dr. Truumees. "A back strain or spasm can cause excruciating pain. But a strain never requires surgery. It can resolve on its own with anti-inflammatories and some rest. Instead, the emergency symptom that needs to be seen within 48 hours is numbness in a hand or foot caused by a herniated disc in the neck or back."

Mistake #2. Waiting too long can cause numbness symptoms to become permanent.
Dr. Truumees cautions that a numb hand or numb foot from a herniated disc needs to be seen by a spine specialist within a couple days to prevent permanent numbness. "A herniated disc that presses on a nerve root over several weeks can create a permanent crimp that may not be corrected with a surgery," Dr. Truumees explains. "That can cause that numb foot or numb hand, or weakness in the hand or foot, to become permanent." People can download a symptom chart for back and neck pain, and request a free 36-page Home Remedy Book, through the spine centers listed at SpineCenterNetwork.com.

Mistake #3. Using drugs to mask symptoms creates a bigger problem.
The other big mistake people make with back or neck pain is reaching for the pill bottle. "Pain pills only mask symptoms, they don't change the physiology of the back," Dr. Truumees cautions. "Worse, painkillers like opioids are quickly addictive, creating a bigger problem."

Mistake #4. The wrong home remedies can be counter-productive.
A sore back is not like a sore knee. "With back pain, research has shown conclusively that bed rest beyond a day or so is actually bad for the back," says Dr. Truumees. "Instead, some movement is good for a back strain, like specific stretches or a 20-minute walk. Movement is like WD-40 for the back. The other problem relates to over-use of ice and heat which many insurance companies view as palliative, meaning it feels good but cures nothing. Instead, spine therapists use custom stretches and hands-on massage to relieve soft tissue injury symptoms." 

Mistake #5. Avoid a spinal fusion.
"If you've been told you need a spinal fusion, get a second opinion," emphasizes Dr. Truumees. "For years, it was common to recommend a spinal fusion to treat a herniated disc. That's no longer the case with the new artificial disc technology available. The neck has only six disc levels to provide movement and rotation. Fusing one level not only limits rotation, but also increases the stress on other levels above and below which causes other discs to herniate. An artificial disc retains the natural motion in the spine, reducing stress on the other discs."

SpineCenterNetwork.com is the only national listing of spine centers that combine the expertise of non-surgical physical medicine MDs working with fellowship-trained spine surgeons and spine therapists. The spine centers within SpineCenterNetwork.com all emphasize non-surgical treatment options, the most advanced minimally invasive spine surgery and artificial disc replacement. More information is also at TexasSpineandScoliosis.com.

Media Contact:
Bob Reznik
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817-481-2450

SOURCE SpineCenterNetwork.com