When a spine condition or injury makes your back or neck hurt, it can be hard to do the things you love. At Summit Orthopedics, we help patients from across the Minneapolis/St. Paul area find a spine treatment that helps them reach their goals.
We know you probably want to avoid surgery for neck or back pain. Chances are, you’ll be able to. Nearly 9 out of 10 Summit Orthopedics spine patients reduce or eliminate their discomfort with nonsurgical treatments.
Sometimes, though, nonsurgical and alternative spine pain treatments don’t help. In that case, spine surgery may be the best option. Our spine specialists use the latest surgical techniques to minimize complications and help you get back to your favorite activities as soon as possible.
Diagnosing Spine Conditions
To help you, our experts need to know why your neck or back hurts. An accurate diagnosis is the first step toward relief.
Medical History and Physical Exam
We’ll start with a clinical evaluation. Your spine specialist will ask about your medical history and how you got hurt. They will want to know when your pain started, what it feels like and what makes it better or worse.
Next, you’ll get a physical exam. The spine specialist will gently check your back and how you move.
Imaging and Procedures
Your spine specialist may want to look at the spine itself to find the cause of your pain and determine the best treatment. That’s where diagnostic imaging comes in. These tests can show damage to the bones and soft tissues, narrowing of the spine, and other problems.
Our spine specialists use several types of imaging to help diagnose spine conditions, including:
- CT
- MRI
- X-ray
Common Conditions We Treat
Many things can cause your spine to hurt. These are some of the common back, neck and spine conditions our experts treat.
Chronic Low Back Pain
Chronic low back pain is when your lower back hurts for a long time. The pain can feel dull or sharp.
Degenerative Disc Disease
As you age, the discs between your vertebrae (spine bones) can wear out. When these worn-out cushions cause pain, it’s called degenerative disc disease.
Herniated Discs
The discs between your spine bones have a soft center. A herniated disc occurs when the center pushes out, pressing on nerves and causing pain.
Radiculopathy (Pinched Nerve)
Radiculopathy happens when a nerve in your spine gets squeezed or irritated. This can occur in the cervical (neck), thoracic (mid-back) or lumbar (lower back) parts of the spine.
Sciatica
Sciatica is pain that starts in your lower back and spreads down your leg. It happens when something presses against a nerve in your lower back.
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is when the spine curves in a way it shouldn’t, like the letters C or S. This curve can cause shoulder or back pain.
Spina Bifida
Some babies are born with spina bifida. This means their spine didn’t develop properly in the womb, and they may have spinal cord and nerve damage.
Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis is narrowing of the spaces in the spine, often in the neck and lower back. Without enough space, nerve roots and other structures may get squeezed, causing pain.
Spinal Tumor
A spinal tumor is an abnormal mass of tissue in or around the spine. These tumors can be cancerous or noncancerous, and they can cause back pain and weakness.
Spine Treatments: From Conservative to Surgical
At Summit Orthopedics, we’ll help you find the best spine treatment for you. Most of the time, you won’t need surgery to feel better. Many people get relief from nonsurgical treatment.
If the nonsurgical approach doesn’t work, you and your specialist may consider spine surgery. You’ll be in good hands. We combine high-tech tools and leading-edge techniques to minimize risks and speed recovery. Our commitment to safe and high-quality spine surgery has earned recognition from The Joint Commission and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota.
Whether you need treatment for acute or chronic back pain, or you’re looking for workers’ compensation services or car accident injury care, we have the expertise to help you thrive.
Nonsurgical Spine Treatments
Surgical Spine Treatments
When spine surgery is necessary, we want to treat the problem with as little impact on the body as possible. That’s why our specialists perform minimally invasive spine surgery when they can. This approach reduces complications and helps you get back to your normal routine faster.
We have two main types of spine surgery:
- Spinal fusion surgery—joining two or more vertebrae using screws, rods and bone grafts
- Spinal decompression surgery—a type of spinal decompression therapy that takes pressure off the spinal cord or nerves to relieve pain
Our experts also perform spinal cord stimulation. This procedure involves putting a small device inside your body that blocks pain signals from reaching the brain.
Summit Orthopedics surgeons are available at nearly 30 convenient locations across the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area, serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Our state-of-the-art, comprehensive orthopedic centers offer same-day appointments from a team of experts who offer the full scope of orthopedic care.
Find your Summit Orthopedics spine expert, request an appointment or call us at (651) 968-5201 to schedule a consultation.
