Living with back pain can be quite disruptive to your everyday lifestyle. Dealing with discomfort in your lower back and/or extremities may lead you to seek help from a spine specialist in the Tampa Bay area, whether you’re hindered by shooting pains in your leg while walking or you notice that the ache in your lower back seems to be getting worse after long days of sitting at your desk. Before you entrust your wellbeing to just any physician, you should take the time to research the qualifications of one or more spine specialists.

Types of Specialists

Just as you’d want an experienced plumber who knows how to properly fix the pipes in your home, you should seek a spine specialist that has extensive education and training in all things concerning the spine. There are several different types of spine specialists, and depending on your condition and what is causing your back pain, you may need to seek out a specific type of specialist with certain skills and expertise to help accurately identify and treat your discomfort.

As you begin researching the qualifications of spine specialists in the Tampa Bay area, you can review the following types of spine specialists to help narrow down your search:

– Orthopedists – specialize in problems with the entire musculoskeletal system

– Rheumatologists – treat arthritis in the spine and other areas of the body, as well as musculoskeletal problems

– Neurologists – trained to identify and treat problems with the nervous system

– Osteopaths – manipulate the musculoskeletal system to diagnose and treat illness caused by systemic imbalances; can perform surgery

– Neurosurgeons – perform surgery on the spine to treat diseases and conditions that affect the brain, spinal cord, and spinal nerve roots

– Chiropractors – use manual adjustment and manipulation techniques to realign spinal components and restore proper neural functioning

Confirm Education and Experience

Once you’ve researched the type of spine specialists in Tampa Bay that may be able to help treat your back pain, it’s time to research the educational background and experience for each physician. You can typically find information about a physician in online databases or on the website he or she maintains. Or, during a consultation, you can ask the physician directly about the following information:

– What medical school he or she attended

– Where he or she completed a residency program

– Whether he or she completed a fellowship in a particular specialty

– Whether he or she is board certified in orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, or spine surgery, and through what U.S. certifying body was certification obtained

– Where he or she has been employed in the past

The amount of time a spine specialist has been practicing is another important aspect to consider when seeking someone to help treat your back pain. For example, if your back pain is caused by the effects of facet joint disease, you may have better luck consulting a rheumatologist that has decades of experience versus one with only a few years of practice under his or her belt.

Multiple Opinions

Typically, when you’re seeking a spine specialist in the Tampa Bay area to help you treat your back pain, you’ll want to obtain several different opinions regarding your condition and the cause of your discomfort. One physician may diagnose a particular spine condition, but another could identify an issue elsewhere in a seemingly unrelated area of the body that could be related to your discomfort. Obtaining different medical opinions is considered a normal practice and is recommended, especially if your physician has asked you to consider back surgery. More importantly, different opinions can ensure that the cause of your pain is properly identified and that all nonsurgical treatments are attempted prior to consenting to surgery.

John Soland is an experienced writer who has contributed to a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Mr. Soland is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to the treatment of back pain.

John Soland is an experienced writer who has contributed to a number of notable publications. In his works, Mr. Soland offers advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including the treatment of back pain. http://www.topix.com/forum/city/tampa-fl/T6L2RM8O0ICTDU8LM

Author Bio: John Soland is an experienced writer who has contributed to a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Mr. Soland is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to the treatment of back pain.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: back pain treatment