Most back pain is muscular and settles on its own. But when it comes with numbness, tingling, shooting pain down a leg, or weakness, a nerve is often involved, and that is a different problem needing a different approach.
Our neurologists evaluate the nerve side of back pain. We work out which nerves are affected and how badly, using nerve testing done in our own offices, then build a plan from what we find rather than from guesswork.
When Back Pain Is a Nerve Problem
Nerves leave the spine and travel down through the hips and legs. When one gets compressed or irritated along the way, the pain often shows up somewhere other than where the problem actually is. That is why a disc issue in the lower back can present as pain behind the knee, or why numb toes can trace back to the spine.
It also works the other way. Not all leg pain comes from the back, and not all back pain involves nerves at all. Sorting out which is which is the point of a neurological evaluation, and it is the step that decides whether the rest of your treatment is aimed at the right target.
Symptoms Worth Getting Checked
Back pain on its own often improves with time. These signs suggest a nerve may be involved and are worth a neurological look.
Pain that shoots down one leg
Numbness or tingling in the leg or foot
Burning or electric sensations
Weakness in a foot, ankle, or leg
Catching your toe or dragging a foot
Pain that worsens with standing or walking
Symptoms that have lasted more than six weeks
Pain returning after surgery or injections
If imaging has already been done and has not explained your symptoms, that is a common reason people are sent to us. Scans show structure, not nerve function, and the two do not always match.
Some Symptoms Need Same Day Attention
Most back pain is not an emergency. A few situations are. Go to the nearest emergency room, or call your doctor right away, if you have any of the following.
New loss of control over your bladder or bowels
Numbness in the groin or inner thighs
Weakness in both legs, or weakness getting worse quickly
Back pain alongside a fever
Severe pain following a fall or accident
How We Find the Cause
NERVE TESTING DONE IN OUR OWN OFFICES
The goal is a specific answer about which nerve is affected and how much, not a general label.
01
Your history
Where the pain travels, what makes it worse, and how it has changed tells us a great deal before anything is measured.
02
A neurological exam
Testing strength, reflexes, and sensation maps out which nerve roots are likely involved.
03
EMG and nerve testing
Measures how well nerves and muscles are actually working. Done here, so you are not waiting weeks on a report.
04
Imaging when it helps
Ordered when your history and exam point that way, and read alongside your nerve testing rather than on its own.
What Comes Next
What follows depends entirely on what the evaluation finds, and being straight about that matters more than making promises. For nerve related pain, treatment often involves medications aimed specifically at nerve pain, which work differently from ordinary painkillers, along with activity guidance and monitoring to see whether nerve function is improving or worsening over time.
Some people need care we do not provide ourselves, such as physical therapy, spine surgery, or interventional pain procedures. When that is the case we will tell you plainly and help coordinate the referral, with your test results going along so nothing has to be repeated.
Chronic pain also wears on sleep, mood, and concentration, and that is worth treating rather than tolerating. Because psychiatry and therapy are part of this practice, that side can be addressed alongside the rest without another referral out.
Why Choose A Ray of Hope
Plenty of places will treat back pain. Fewer will tell you specifically which nerve is involved and how badly, and that answer is what decides whether the treatment you get next is aimed at the right thing.
Evaluated by neurologists, not general practitioners
EMG and nerve conduction testing done on site
Straight answers about what we can and cannot treat
Coordination with surgery, therapy, and pain specialists
Support for the sleep and mood side of chronic pain
Three locations across Illinois, Wisconsin, and Arizona
Find the Right Provider
Back pain evaluation starts with one of our neurologists. Bring any imaging or records you already have.
Ready When You Are
Choose the office nearest you to request an appointment, or give us a call and we will help you find the right provider.
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