Our spine doctors at Orthopedic Specialists & Sports Medicine are recognized experts in providing evaluation and treatment for spine injuries and conditions.
Spine doctors are experts who have been educated on the spine and understand how it functions, how it can be misused and injured, and how it can be properly treated. Because the spine is highly complex—including more than 30 bones, the spinal cord, and numerous other tissues—spine doctors must understand how to treat issues that occur in the cervical (neck) vertebrae all the way down to the coccyx (tailbone).
Oftentimes, spine doctors treat patients who have been in serious accidents and have sustained spine damage. People with spine deformities, such as scoliosis, receive help from spine doctors too. When individuals experience tingling or numbness in connection with the spine, a spine doctor can help pinpoint why and where the issue is occurring and find a solution to treat it. Arthritis can be treated by spine doctors who understand how to select from or combine different treatments to best help each arthritis patient.
There are some instances when spine surgery is the best option in order to restore a patient's function, and a fellowship-trained spine surgeon has the training and experience to perform minimally invasive surgical procedures. Regardless of the reason for the spine pain, good spine doctors know how to use their special expertise to help their patients so they can return to a better quality of life.
When It's Time to See a Spine Doctor
Being aware of certain symptoms is important because if a spine issue can be diagnosed and treated early on, it will help to avoid further spine, back, or neck damage and pain in the future. Sharing this information with your doctor allows them to provide you with the best spine, back, or neck care. If any of the following symptoms sound familiar, you may have damaged your spine or the surrounding tissues:
- Back looks rounded
- Cannot stand up straight
- Chronic lower back pain
- Combined neck and back pain
- Feeling uncoordinated when using arms or hands
- Muscle weakness, especially in the thighs
- Numbness or tingling
- Pain radiating down into the legs
- Pain when trying to walk
These symptoms often correspond to a more serious spine condition, such as:
- Compressed nerve or nerves
- Degenerative disc disease
- Kyphosis
- Sciatica
- Scoliosis
- Spinal disc herniation
- Spinal osteoarthritis
- Spinal stenosis
- Vertebral compression fractures
Our orthopedic doctors understand that spine, back, and neck pain can have a major effect on your lifestyle and keep you from performing routine, everyday activities. To schedule an appointment with one of our spine doctors, please call (740) 788-9220 or request an appointment online.
Our spine specialists also understand that some injuries occur when least expected, which is why we are proud to offer our Orthopedic Urgent Care to treat patients who are suffering from acute orthopedic injuries and conditions. Walk-ins are welcome, and no appointment is necessary.
Keeping You Active at Orthopedic Specialists & Sports Medicine
Finding a doctor who can expertly diagnose and treat your spine pain is one of the most important decisions you will make regarding your care.
Our board-certified orthopedic surgeons, Edward L. Westerheide, M.D., Brad L. Bernacki, M.D., and Alex Tancevski, M.D., are specialty-trained in diagnosing and treating a variety of spine, back, and neck injuries and conditions. Our doctors always strive to find a conservative treatment for you first before recommending surgery. However, if spine surgery is the best option, our expert spine surgeon trained in the back, neck, and spine can perform a variety of surgical spinal procedures that are minimally invasive and reduce or eliminate pain. Our spine doctors are dedicated to providing compassionate, expert orthopedic care to get you moving and keep you active.
Taking a team approach, our orthopedic doctors work closely with our specialty-trained therapy team. Our therapists provide expert physical therapy services and will tailor a treatment plan to your individual needs in order to restore function and get you back to the life you love.
To schedule an appointment with one of our spine doctors at our office in Granville, please request an appointment online or call (740) 788-9220.
