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1 Bethany Road, Suite 21

Hazlet, NJ 07730

300 Perrine Road, Suite 315

Old Bridge, NJ 08857

 

Specialty Areas

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Back Pain

More than 80 percent of American adults experience back pain at some point during their lives. Back pain affects your entire outlook on life. It’s difficult to be active, almost impossible to get comfortable, and even harder to engage in the everyday activities most people take for granted.

 

Pain in your back can be the result of conditions that affect the vertebrae of your thoracic spine (upper back) and/or lumbar spine (lower back), the discs between the vertebra, and/or the ligaments, spinal cord, and nerves around the area.

 

Many people believe they simply have to live with back pain or are afraid they will have to have major surgery in order to relieve the pain. However, over the last few years, there have been numerous advancements in technology that make alleviating back pain less invasive than ever. Dr. Ani uses these advanced treatment options so your pain will be alleviated and you can start living your life again.

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Causes

Some of the most common causes of back pain include:

–  Arthritis
–  Muscle and ligament strains or tears
–  Herniated discs
–  Spinal irregularities such as stenosis or scoliosis
–  Osteoporosis
–  Fractured vertebra

Treatment

Once Dr. Ani diagnoses the cause of your back pain, he will create a customized treatment plan to both relieve your pain and heal your body. Depending on the severity of your condition, he may prescribe medications such as anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers to reduce your discomfort. He can also provide spinal injections to deliver strong anti-inflammatories directly to your spine or to block the nerves sending pain signals to your brain.

 

When surgery is necessary, Dr. Ani can perform advanced and minimally invasive surgical procedures to repair your spine.

Video: SI Joint Anatomy

Video: Back Pain Explained

Neck Pain

If you have neck pain, no one has to tell you how much it disrupts your entire life. Even everyday things cause excruciating pain.

 

Knowing what causes your pain won’t make it feel any better but understanding the source can help you start your journey to greater healing.

 

Although your cervical spine is very flexible, it is also at risk for injury from strong, sudden movements, such as whiplash-type injuries. This is due in part to the limited number of muscles located in the cervical area, combined with the fact the cervical spine has to support the weight of the head, which weighs an average of 10 – 13 pounds.

 

These factors, combined with the stressors placed on your neck through trauma or even just daily activities, places your cervical spine at risk for developing a number of painful conditions.

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About your neck

The spine in your neck area is called the cervical spine and is made up of the first seven vertebrae in the spine, starting just below the skull and ending just above the thoracic spine (upper back). Your cervical spine is very mobile, with the ability to turn in many different directions.

 

Unlike the rest of the spine, there are special openings, called vertebral foramen, in each vertebra of your cervical spine. These openings provide a passageway for arteries to carry blood to the brain.

 

Causes

Once Dr. Ani diagnoses the cause of your neck pain, he will create a customized treatment plan to both relieve your pain and heal your body. Depending on the severity of your condition, he may prescribe medications such as anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers to reduce your discomfort. He can also provide spinal injections to deliver strong anti-inflammatories directly to your spine or to block the nerves sending pain signals to your brain.

 

When surgery is necessary, Dr. Ani can perform advanced and minimally invasive surgical procedures to repair your spine.

Treatment

Dr. Nasser Ani provides customized treatment for spinal stenosis depending on your symptoms and the location of the narrowed part of your spine. He prescribes medication to reduce inflammation, muscle spasms, and to manage your pain. Dr. Nasser Ani might also recommend and perform spinal injections, sacroiliac joint injection, epidural, or facet injections to relieve your pain.

 

You may also benefit from physical therapy to build strength and flexibility in the muscles surrounding your spine. Physical therapy can improve spinal support and improve your balance, reducing your risk of falls or other accidents. 

 

In severe cases, Dr. Nasser Ani may recommend surgery to increase the space available in your nerves. These operations are often referred to as decompression procedures such as laminectomy, laminotomy, and laminoplasty. He performs both traditional and minimally invasive surgeries, depending on the severity of your condition.

Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis of the neck and back is usually a slow process that occurs over years and results in thickening of the ligaments, formation of bone spurs, and deterioration of the disc material. As a result, spinal stenosis reduces the space available for your nerves to travel through your spine, resulting in nerve compression. Spinal stenosis most often occurs in your lower spine and neck.

 

The nerve compression that results from spinal stenosis causes symptoms that may include pain as well as numbness and weakness in your arms, hands, legs, and feet. Spinal stenosis in your lumbar spine can cause sciatica. If left untreated, severe spinal stenosis can cause complications such as incontinence, poor balance, or paralysis.

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Types

Cervical Stenosis may cause neck or arm pain, numbness, and weakness in both hands, loss of coordination when walking or during other activities, and/or muscle spasms in the legs. Cervical spinal stenosis may require surgery, possibly urgent or even emergency surgery.

 

Lumbar Stenosis may produce lower back pain and leg discomfort or pain. Surgery may be necessary if lumbar stenosis limits normal activity, causes leg weakness and/or numbness, makes standing or walking difficult, or affects your ability to control bowel and bladder functions.

 

Thoracic Stenosis – The thoracic spine in the upper back has some unique characteristics that make thoracic spinal stenosis a little different than stenosis in other areas. Because the 12 thoracic vertebrae connect to the 12 sets of ribs that protect our major organs, the thoracic spine is more fixed than the cervical or lumbar areas. The spinal canal is narrower than the rest of the spine, too. Thoracic stenosis typically is accompanied by stenosis in the lumbar area and sometimes also the cervical spine.

Causes

In some cases, spinal stenosis is a congenital condition. However, spinal stenosis usually develops over time. Some of the conditions that lead to spinal stenosis include:

    –  Bone overgrowth due to degenerative conditions like arthritis
    –  Herniated discs
    –  Thick ligaments
    –  Abnormal growths or tumors
    –  Spinal injuries from auto collisions or sports accidents

 

Your risk of spinal stenosis increases as you get older. The condition is most often diagnosed in patients over the age of 50.

Treatment

Dr. Ani provides customized treatment for spinal stenosis depending on your symptoms and the location of the narrowed part of your spine. He prescribes medication to reduce inflammation, muscle spasms, and to manage your pain. Dr. Ani might also recommend and perform spinal injections, sacroiliac joint injection, epidural, or facet injections to relieve your pain.

 

You may also benefit from physical therapy to build strength and flexibility in the muscles surrounding your spine. Physical therapy can improve spinal support and improve your balance, reducing your risk of falls or other accidents. 

 

In severe cases, Dr. Ani may recommend surgery to increase the space available in your nerves. These operations are often referred to as decompression procedures such as laminectomy, laminotomy, and laminoplasty. He performs both traditional and minimally invasive surgeries, depending on the severity of your condition.