When to see a back pain doctor
Most back pain comes from a strained muscle or ligament and settles with time. It is worth seeing a doctor when the pain has not improved with rest and basic care, keeps coming back, or travels down a leg with numbness, tingling or weakness.
Get care right away for loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness around the groin, weakness in both legs, or back pain with fever. Go to the emergency department.
What happens at your first visit
A physician starts with a detailed history and a physical and neurological exam, using movement and nerve testing to tell muscle pain from nerve pain. Imaging or EMG testing is added when your symptoms or the exam call for it. You leave knowing what we think is causing the pain, such as a disc, a facet joint, the sacroiliac joint, a pinched nerve or spinal stenosis, and what your options are.
Back pain treatments we use
- Physical & occupational therapy
- Epidural steroid injections (interlaminar and transforaminal)
- Medial branch blocks and radiofrequency ablation
- Spinal cord stimulation trial
- EMG and nerve conduction testing
- Spinal traction & decompression (Brooklyn and Staten Island)
- Manual therapy & medical massage (Brooklyn and Staten Island)
Which of these fits you depends on the evaluation. We explain the options, the likely benefit and the limits before anything is scheduled. Results vary from person to person.
Back pain conditions we evaluate
That includes herniated or bulging discs, sciatica and radiculopathy, degenerative disc disease, facet joint pain, sacroiliac joint problems, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, sprains and strains, and pain after spinal fusion.
Back pain doctor in Brooklyn
Ashley Marcus, MD, board-certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and fellowship-trained in interventional spine and pain, and Julia Kogan, FNP, see back pain patients at 2781 Shell Rd, Suite 101, Brooklyn, NY 11223. Physical therapy, occupational therapy and spinal traction are in the same office, which is open until 8:00 pm Monday to Thursday. The nearest subway stations are Neptune Av and Avenue X on the F. Pain management in Brooklyn · Call (718) 648-1234.
Back pain doctor in Staten Island
Jake Stephen, DO, dual board-certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine, sees back pain patients at 1630 Richmond Rd, Suite 101, Staten Island, NY 10304, convenient to Dongan Hills, New Dorp and Todt Hill. Physical therapy and spinal traction are in the same office, open until 8:00 pm Monday to Thursday. Pain management in Staten Island · Call (718) 339-7100.
Back pain doctor in Midtown Manhattan
Yuri Gordin, MD, sees back pain patients at Precision Care Spine & Pain Center, 150 E 55th St, Suite 401, New York, NY 10022, near Lexington Av/53 St. Physical therapy is not offered at this office. Pain management in Midtown Manhattan · Call (212) 840-0135.
Who treats back pain
Our team is ready to help.
Ashley Marcus, MD
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation · Interventional Pain Management
Brooklyn
Julia Kogan, FNP
Family Nurse Practitioner
Brooklyn
Jake Stephen, DO
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation · Pain Medicine
Staten Island
Yuri Gordin, MD
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation · Pain Medicine
Midtown Manhattan
Zoya Reznik, DPT, OCS
Clinical Director · Physical Therapist · Board-Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist
Brooklyn
Victoria Lynn Kain, DPT
Clinical Director · Physical Therapist
Staten IslandSwipe or use the arrows · All providers
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Insurance for back pain care
Precision Care is in network with the plans below, including Medicaid, Medicare and Medicare Advantage, and works with no-fault carriers and the NY Workers’ Compensation Board. Call the office with your plan name to confirm before your visit.
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield / Empire BCBS
- UnitedHealthcare
- Oxford
- Cigna
- EmblemHealth
- City of New York Employee PPO
- GHI
- HIP
- Fidelis Care
- Healthfirst
- MVP
- MetroPlus
- 1199SEIU
- NYSHIP
- Medicare
- Medicare Advantage
- Medicaid
- No-fault carriers
- NY Workers' Compensation Board
Questions about seeing a back pain doctor
What kind of doctor should I see for back pain?
For back pain that has not settled, a physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) or pain medicine physician is a good place to start. They focus on finding the source of the pain and treating it without surgery whenever they can, and they work closely with physical therapists. All of Precision Care’s physicians are PM&R physicians.
When should I see a doctor for back pain?
When pain has not improved with rest and basic care, keeps coming back, or spreads down a leg with numbness, tingling or weakness. Go to the emergency department for loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness around the groin, weakness in both legs, or back pain with fever.
Who are the back pain doctors at Precision Care?
In Brooklyn, Ashley Marcus, MD, and Julia Kogan, FNP. On Staten Island, Jake Stephen, DO. In Midtown Manhattan, Yuri Gordin, MD.
Do I need an MRI for back pain?
Most people do not at first. Imaging is recommended when there are red-flag symptoms, when nerve symptoms do not improve, or when a procedure is being considered.
Will an injection fix my back pain?
An epidural or facet injection can reduce pain enough to progress in therapy; it is one part of a plan, not a cure.
Can back pain be treated without surgery?
In many cases, yes. Many people improve with time, activity and physical therapy, and procedures such as epidural steroid injections or radiofrequency ablation may be considered when pain persists. Treatment starts with an exam to confirm where the pain is coming from.
Where can I get back pain treatment in Brooklyn or Staten Island?
At our Brooklyn office (2781 Shell Rd, Suite 101, (718) 648-1234) and Staten Island office (1630 Richmond Rd, Suite 101, (718) 339-7100), where physician care, physical therapy and spinal traction are offered. Physicians also see back pain at our Midtown Manhattan office (150 E 55th St, Suite 401, (212) 840-0135).
Which insurance plans do you accept?
Precision Care is in network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield / Empire BCBS, UnitedHealthcare, Oxford, Cigna, EmblemHealth, City of New York Employee PPO, GHI, HIP, Fidelis Care, Healthfirst, MVP, MetroPlus, 1199SEIU, NYSHIP, Medicare, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid, and works with no-fault carriers and the NY Workers' Compensation Board. Call the office with your plan name to confirm before your visit.
How do I make an appointment?
Request an appointment online at precisioncaremed.com/precisioncare/appointment-request/ or call the office: Brooklyn (718) 648-1234, Staten Island (718) 339-7100, Midtown Manhattan (212) 840-0135. An online request is not a confirmed booking until the office contacts you.
General education, not a diagnosis or individual treatment plan. Results vary from person to person. For a medical emergency, call 911.