Alegent Health’s 24-hour assessment program offers relief for people suffering from lower back pain Do you suffer from searing back pain that won’t go away regardless of how many different treatments you try? You’re not alone. Back pain is the number-one reason patients seek medical care. Fortunately, Alegent Health’s new back assessment program helps back pain sufferers find relief—and answers for their pain.

By calling 1-800-ALEGENT at any time of day, you can receive an instant evaluation with a highly trained professional. They will ask you a series of questions to determine whether or not your pain is urgent.

If it’s necessary to visit an emergency room, they’ll direct you to the one nearest your home. If it can wait, they’ll help you find the appropriate primary care physician or specialist.

"A lot of people don’t know where to turn when they have back problems and this program provides them with a central place where they can call and immediately be sent in the right direction," says Michael Longley, M.D., an orthopaedic spine surgeon with the Nebraska Spine Center.

Upon completion of the assessment, you will understand what steps are necessary to get help. Up to 90 percent of back pain cases can be treated non-surgically so chances are, you’ll be referred to a rehabilitation specialist or a physiatrist. A physiatrist is a medical doctor with four years of specialty training in physical medicine and rehabilitation, who treats a wide range of problems from a sore back to spinal cord injuries to acute or chronic pain.

The program follows you through evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation. "It’s very exciting to see a coordinated approach for the treatment of back pain disorders because sometimes it’s hard to figure out which specialist you should see or which treatment to choose," says Thomas Franco, M.D., medical director of Alegent Health Immanuel Rehabilitation Center. "This is a coordinated effort for spine care that gets the patient to the right treatment at the right time for the optimal outcome."

Perhaps the best aspect of the program, however, is that it is available 24 hours a day. "The program provides consumers with the ability to call any time day or night when it’s most convenient for them," says Marcia Friesen, vice president, Orthopaedic Services at Alegent Health, "because we know when it comes to back pain, it can’t always wait until the next day."

To learn about managing arthritis pain, proper body mechanics and ways to take care of your back, consider taking a seminar at Alegent Health.

Or Call 1-800-ALEGENT and get an instant evaluation with a highly trained professional. They’ll ask you a series of questions to determine whether or not your pain is urgent and tell you the steps you need to take to get help.