At some point in his or her lifetime, nearly everyone will suffer with at least one episode of back pain. It is one of the most frequent symptoms for which patients seek medical treatment. New York Methodist Hospital recently opened a Comprehensive Back and Neck Pain Center, dedicated to providing patients with the best diagnostic and treatment options available for all disorders of the spine. Patient care is coordinated through the Center and specialists in a wide variety of disciplines are available for consultation.

"Because of the elusive nature of back pain, it's often difficult for patients to find the right doctor to address their complaints," said Todd Lefkowitz, D.O., medical director of the Center. "The physicians at the Center work to help alleviate pain but, more importantly, to improve a patient's quality of life."

Back or neck pain may originate in muscles, vertebrae, ligaments, joint capsules, discs, and nerves. Through trauma or through everyday activities such as bending, lifting, or playing a sport, these structures may be injured.
The Comprehensive Back and Neck Pain Center focuses on the non-operative management of patients, which may include physical or occupational therapy, medication management, injections, or bracing. Depending on the condition being treated, other modalities such as radiation therapy for metastatic cancer of the spine, neuropsychology techniques for underlying depression, orthopedic or neurological surgery for nerve root compression may be offered. If a patient's condition requires surgery, the Center's surgeons are trained in the latest minimally invasive techniques. The Center also offers alternative medicine techniques such as chiropractic or acupuncture.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 718-369-BACK (2225). If you are in acute pain, please let the receptionist know this, so that every effort can be made to provide an appointment quickly.


New York Methodist Hospital (NYM), a voluntary, acute-care teaching facility located in Brooklyn's Park Slope, houses 651 inpatient beds (including bassinets) and provides services to over 36,000 inpatients each year. An additional 300,000 outpatient visits and services are logged annually. The Hospital, founded in 1881, has undergone extensive renovation and modernization over the years. NYM offers Institutes in the following areas: Advanced and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Asthma and Lung Disease; Cancer Care; Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery; Digestive and Liver Disorders; Diabetes and Other Endocrine Disorders; Vascular Medicine and Surgery; Family Care; Neurosciences; Orthopedic Medicine and Surgery and Women's Health. New York Methodist Hospital is affiliated with the Weill Cornell Medical College and is a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System.

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