Where in Dubai
Dr. Subhash Ushakoyala, Specialist Orthopaedic Surgeon, sees patients with neck and back problems at Grand Infinity Medical Center in Al Muteena, Deira, Dubai. Tell him about your working day: hours at a desk, behind the wheel or lifting all matter. If you have had an X-ray or MRI elsewhere, bring the images and the report.
What is spine care: neck and back pain?
The spine is a column of bones from the neck to the lower back, with discs between them, nerves leaving it at each level, and muscles and joints around it. Neck and back pain are very common, and most of it comes from strained muscles and joints, long hours sitting or driving, lifting the wrong way, or wear of the discs and joints with age. Sometimes a disc bulges and presses on a nerve, sending pain, tingling or weakness down an arm or leg. Most neck and back pain gets better within a few weeks, and most people never need an operation. The aim is to find the cause, keep you moving, and ease the pain while the spine settles.
Who it can help
- Neck pain or stiffness, with or without pain down the arm.
- Lower or upper back pain that has not settled after a few weeks.
- Pain, tingling or numbness spreading down a leg (sciatica) or an arm.
- A disc bulge or slipped disc seen on an MRI.
- Back or neck pain that keeps coming back and affects work or sleep.
How Dr. Subhash approaches it
Treatment for spine problems is on Dr. Subhash's own list of services: neck pain, lower back pain, disc bulges and spinal epidural injections, with physiotherapy at the clinic. He examines the spine and the nerves to your arms and legs to find the cause, and orders scans only when they will change the plan. His list names treatment for the spine, not spine surgery. He explains each option, from exercise and physiotherapy to an epidural injection, and what to expect.
What to expect
Consultation
He asks where the pain is, how it started, whether it spreads, and about your work and activity.
Examination
He checks how your spine moves and tests the strength, feeling and reflexes in your arms or legs.
Scans if needed
Most neck and back pain needs no scan. An X-ray or MRI is used when the result will change the plan.
Treatment plan
Advice to stay active, pain relief and an exercise programme, with physiotherapy to guide it.
Injection if needed
For severe nerve pain from a disc, he may discuss a spinal epidural steroid injection.
Review
He checks your progress and changes the plan if the pain is not settling.
Recovery, in general terms
Every patient is different. These are typical milestones, not a promise; your own plan comes from your consultation.
- Most neck and back pain improves within a few weeks.
- Nerve pain down a leg or arm can take a few weeks to a few months to settle.
- Staying active helps more than bed rest.
- Regular exercise and breaks from sitting help stop the pain coming back.
When to book a visit
Book a visit if neck or back pain has not improved after a few weeks, or keeps coming back. Book sooner if pain, tingling or weakness spreads down an arm or leg, you have a fever, or you are losing weight without trying. Go to emergency care straight away if you have numbness around your bottom or genitals, changes in bladder or bowel control, pain, weakness or numbness in both legs, or pain after a serious accident. Do not drive yourself.
Where to book
Dr. Subhash sees patients at Grand Infinity Medical Center in Al Muteena, Deira, in north-east Dubai. The clinic is at Shop No. 4, next to the Grand Excelsior Hotel.
Grand Infinity Medical Center
Shop No. 4, next to Grand Excelsior Hotel, Al Muteena, Deira, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
DirectionsCall +971 58 599 7460WhatsApp
Questions patients ask
Can I book for back pain by WhatsApp?
Yes. His nurse answers his phone and WhatsApp. Say whether the pain spreads down an arm or leg, so the visit can be planned.
Is Dr. Subhash a spine surgeon?
He is a specialist orthopaedic surgeon. His list of spine treatments is assessment, exercise, physiotherapy, pain relief and epidural injections.
Do I need a scan for back or neck pain?
Usually not. Most pain gets better without one. A scan helps when a nerve seems pressed, after an injury, or when the result would change treatment.
Should I see a doctor or a physiotherapist first?
Either can help with ordinary back pain. See a doctor if the pain spreads down a limb, you have numbness or weakness, or it is not getting better.
Book an appointment
His nurse answers the phone and WhatsApp.