Spine care

Not every spine condition requires surgery, and not everyone who experiences back and neck problems is a candidate for spine surgery. Many people are able to find successful relief from their discomfort through nonsurgical treatments.

To treat pain, the first step is to identify its cause. Bones, joints, muscles, discs and nerves can all cause chronic pain. Once the source is identified, the spine team partners with orthopedic specialists and pain management experts to determine your best treatment.

Nonsurgical treatments we may try can include:

• Lumbar discography — This is used to treat persistent low back pain and sometimes to prepare for upcoming back surgery. The procedure uses X-rays to gain a clear image of the inner workings of each disc in your lower spine.
• Peripheral joint injection — These injections are given in the hip to identify if your pain originates from the hip or the back.
• Peripheral nerve block — These injections are given to control pain that is coming from a particular nerve.
• Spinal cord stimulator — This implanted device sends electrical impulses to the nerves in order to interrupt pain signals, preventing them from reaching your brain.
• Spinal injection — These may include diagnostic injections, used to locate the pain generator and diagnose the problem. We also offer trigger point injections to treat extremely tight, sensitive muscles when other treatment methods haven't been effective.
• Spinal joint block — These injections are given to block pain signals that occur in specific locations. We perform several types of injections, including epidural steroid injections, medial branch blocks, sacroiliac (SI) joint injections, facet injections and lumbar sympathetic blocks.

You may also find relief from back pain with massage therapy and body movement therapies, such as tai chi or yoga.

Our spinal cord injury team will work closely with you and your family to develop a plan that can help you return to an active and productive lifestyle. We provide education and training, as well as recommended accessibility modifications for home and work areas.

Individuals participating in the program may benefit from a range of spinal injury treatments and services, including:

• Family conferences, involvement and counseling
• Home assessments
• Home exercise program
• Independent living skills training
• Physical therapy for improving strength, endurance and mobility
• Retraining in cooking, cleaning and housekeeping
• Speech-language therapy
• Strengthening and conditioning exercises in a pool
• Swallowing therapy

We also offer referrals to vocational rehabilitation services and driving therapy for evaluation and retraining.

There are a number of reasons that spine surgery may be necessary, including a serious injury or a spinal abnormality. Before surgery, you will be asked to attend a presurgical education course with a family member or caregiver. This class prepares you for surgery, introduces you to the spine team and provides an opportunity to ask questions.

Our spine surgeons perform a range of procedures, including:

• Open discectomy — This procedure removes all parts of a damaged spinal disc to relieve pressure being put on your spine and nerves.
• Microdiscectomy — This procedure takes a minimally invasive approach to a discectomy and allows your surgeon to use an endoscope and specialized surgical instruments to remove the disc with smaller incisions.
• Disc replacement — This procedure replaces a damaged disc with an artificial version. The new disc restores the disc height and movement between your vertebrae.
• Laminectomy — This procedure removes all or part of the bone around the spinal cord to relieve pressure on your spinal cord and nerves.
• Kyphoplasty — This procedure recreates bone height by using a specialized type of X-ray technology, called a fluoroscope. The fluoroscope is used to insert a balloon into your fractured vertebra, which is then inflated and cemented to stabilize the fracture.
• Sacroiliac (SI) joint fusion — This procedure is minimally invasive and fuses the SI joint. Small titanium implants are inserted across your joint to maximize postsurgical stability and weight-bearing capacity.

Our spine surgeons may use robot-assisted surgical technology to promote a potentially faster recovery time and decrease the risk for surgical complications.

We also proudly offer specialized adult and pediatric spine care to address your symptoms and develop long-term solutions. To schedule an appointment or speak with a spine specialist, please call us at (912) 350-2646.