Lower back pain with previous history of ice skating accident

Dear Ask The Doctor: I had an accident in 2000 on a ice skating rink and have been having pain in my lower back ever since i did go for an x-ray on my neck and found that i had 5-6 vetabra damage

Dear Caroline: According to the x-rays report you have problems in your cervical spine, possibly you have that same problem in your lumbar spine. In the younger patients, cervical radiculopathy may be a result of a disc herniation or an acute injury causing impingement of an exiting nerve. In the older patient, cervical radiculopathy is often a result of spinal canal narrowing from bone (osteophyte) formation, decreased disc height and degenerative changes due to aging process. The treatment strategy usually includes: start a physical therapy program aimed to control pain and inflammation, and the use of anti-inflammatory medication (“motrin”, “aleve”), also  you should have a re-education of habits and posture to improve your quality of life. You also should be independent in a stretching and strengthening program and continue with these exercises under the periodic supervision of a physical therapist initially and then completely on your own. If your condition fails to improve with a comprehensive rehabilitation program and selective injections, you may be considering a re-evaluation by a Orthopedic surgeon to explore other treatment options more aggressive.