You don’t have to live with back pain. Spine and back experts at Rush take time to understand your symptoms and your life — and develop a personalized plan to help you feel better.
If back pain is disrupting your day-to-day, our physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists can help. Appointments are available in Chicago, Oak Brook, Aurora and Oak Park.
You don’t have to be a professional athlete to see a sports medicine expert. If a back injury is keeping you from staying active, our team can develop a plan to help you heal and safely get back in the game.
If you’ve tried other treatments for your back pain, a team of specialists from many fields will develop a treatment plan for you. Our spine experts can treat chronic pain with a combination of physical therapy, epidural injections, back joint injections, nerve blocks and lifestyle changes.
In some cases, spine surgery is the best approach to treat severe back pain. Our neurosurgeons use leading-edge, minimally invasive techniques to help you recover faster with less pain. Our spine surgeons also provide second opinions to help you decide if surgery is right for you.
Being able to go back to working out, being able to ride bikes with my kids and go roller blading and do activities that we enjoy — it feels like nothing has changed.
I met with Dr. Dugan, who helped me retrain my body and build muscle memory. Going through therapy is not an easy journey when you have an underlying condition, but Dr. Dugan was enthusiastic and positive every step of the way.
If it wasn’t for Dr. Wang and the entire neuro team, I would not be where I am today.
It’s easy to make an appointment. Visit the profile of the provider you want to see and choose your preferred scheduling option.
Virtual visits are also available to address short-term, mild to moderate back pain.
If you aren’t sure which next step is right for you, take our back and neck pain health risk assessment and we’ll provide a recommendation based on your responses.
If you need help arranging an appointment, you can also call (888) 352-7874.
There are many potential causes of back pain, including injury, muscle strain from improper lifting, poor posture, arthritis and bulging or ruptured discs. A physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist can help you identify the cause of your back pain.
You should see a doctor for sudden, severe back pain, pain that keeps you from your daily activities or back pain that occurs after an injury. You should also see a doctor if you are experiencing weakness, fevers or unintended weight loss alongside back pain, and if you have a history of cancer.
For less severe back pain, you should see a doctor if the pain lasts longer than two weeks and does not improve with at-home treatments.
Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists can help with many types of back pain, including pain from a sports injury, back pain during pregnancy and pain that hasn’t improved with other treatments.
Rush provides a wide range of treatments for back pain. Nonsurgical treatments include physical therapy, medication management and steroid injections. For severe back pain that has not improved with nonsurgical treatment, spine surgeons provide minimally invasive surgery options.
Many types of specialists collaborate to treat back pain. Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists, including physiatrists and advanced practice providers, can diagnose the cause of back pain and provide nonsurgical treatment. Neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons can perform surgery to treat spine and back pain. At Rush, physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists and spine surgeons work closely together to treat back pain. Depending on your condition, your care team may also involve physical therapists and other experts.
Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists, also called physiatrists, are physicians trained to manage conditions that limit your movement or function. Physiatrists focus on nonsurgical treatment for pain and develop treatment plans that can include physical therapy, medication, injections and other interventions to improve your movement.
Physical therapists help you manage pain and build strength with hands-on therapy, targeted movements and exercises. They do not order diagnostic imaging or procedures or prescribe medications.
Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists and spine surgeons can both treat back pain but provide different treatments. Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists, also called physiatrists, can diagnose the cause of your pain and provide nonsurgical interventions. If you have never seen a doctor for back pain, physical medicine and rehabilitation is a good place to start.
Depending on your symptoms, physical therapy may be part of your treatment plan. A physical therapist can help you regain strength and function through movement and exercise.
If you have long-term, severe back pain, spine surgery may be right for you. If you’ve tried other treatments that haven’t worked, a spine surgeon can help determine if surgery is your best option.
If you’re not sure which specialist to see, call (888) 352-7874. We can help you find the right provider.
To schedule an appointment, visit the profile of the provider you want to see and select your preferred scheduling option. You can also call (888) 352-7874 to make an appointment.
Yes. Rush spine surgeons can evaluate your conditions and help you understand your surgical options.
Yes. Rush offers virtual visits for back pain lasting less than eight weeks. For pain lasting longer than eight weeks, please schedule an in-person appointment.
Physical medicine and rehabilitation services are available at multiple locations in Chicago, Aurora, Oak Park and Oak Brook.
