Neck and Back Pain Rehabilitation at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is part of Ohio State’s Comprehensive Spine Center. We provide care for people with short-term or chronic back or neck pain caused by injury, trauma, disease or aging. Our integrated approach focuses on nonsurgical solutions to alleviate pain and restore function.

Our Patients

Back pain can range from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp pain, and may last for days or months. We treat people with neck or back pain that may be related to:

Why choose The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center? 

Our experienced team of specialists works together to provide conservative care based on rehabilitation to ease pain, manage your condition, promote recovery, increase function and prevent re-injury. Here’s why patients choose Ohio State for treatment of neck and back pain:

Personalized Care: You will receive a personal evaluation that helps create an individualized care plan to meet your needs and lead you toward your health goals. We will offer you rehabilitation and other non-surgical treatments before considering a surgical option. However, you will have immediate access to expert surgical care, if needed, through collaboration with the Comprehensive Spine Center at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center.

Accredited Programs: We are proud that our Inpatient Rehabilitation Programs at Dodd Hall and our Outpatient Medical Rehabilitation Programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). CARF recognized our programs as meeting the highest standards in quality, safety and outcome measures, which provide risk-reduction and accountability in our patient care.

Nation’s Best: Ohio State’s rehabilitation program consistently ranks among the best in the nation. As an academic medical center, Ohio State offers comprehensive medical expertise, the most advanced technologies and treatment techniques and innovative care backed by research knowledge.

Our Services

Our Services

The Neck and Back Pain Rehabilitation Program offers rehabilitation services after you have returned home from the hospital or another rehabilitation facility. These are known as outpatient services. These services help achieve your highest level of recovery.

Following your physician’s referral, your rehabilitation may include:

  • Comprehensive evaluation
  • Diagnostic tests, X-rays, MRIs or other imaging
  • Electromyography (EMG), a test that measures the electrical activity of muscles
  • Nerve conduction studies, a test usually performed with EMG to determine if a nerve is functioning normally
  • Patient education
  • Physical therapy to help patients improve strength, mobility and fitness
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit, a form of electrical stimulation that provides short-term pain relief
  • Exercise programs
  • Occupational therapy, helping patients participate in activities of daily living
  • Integrative medicine
  • Acupuncture, the practice of inserting thin needles into specific body points to improve health and well-being
  • Chiropractic, hands-on therapy that involves spinal manipulation or adjustment
  • Spine/tissue manipulation, techniques for manipulating the soft tissues of the back
  • Massage, manipulation of muscles and other soft tissues of the body to improve health
  • Recommendations regarding medication options
  • Pain management, care that alleviates or reduces pain

Treatment Team

Your Treatment Team

Your personalized treatment plan starts with a team of specialists who may include:

  • Physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians or physiatrists who specialize in helping people regain body functions lost due to medical conditions or injuries
  • Neurosurgeons who specialize in surgery on the brain and other parts of the nervous system
  • Orthopaedic surgeons who specialize in surgery for muscular and skeletal conditions
  • Anesthesiologists who specialize in administering medication for pain relief
  • Physical therapists with specialty training in spine care to help patients achieve maximum strength, balance and mobility
  • Occupational therapists who specialize in improving patients’ ability to complete activities of daily living
  • Aquatic therapists who specialize in rehabilitation in a pool environment

Additional Specialized Services

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