Are You a Candidate?

Patient selection is extremely important in producing good outcomes – and thus it is extremely important to North American Spine.  If a patient is not a good candidate for a particular procedure, there is obviously a lower chance the procedure will be successful in addressing that patient’s pathologies.  There is no way to issue a blanket statement about who is or is not a good candidate for a procedure; every patient presents a unique challenge.

That’s why we offer a unique, multi-disciplinary case review to determine the best course of treatment for you – whether or not it is a procedure that we provide.

Start a free case review by submitting your existing MRI report

We know that the MRI is a limited diagnostic tool.  It does not show inflammation, and it cannot diagnose pain. The incomplete information from the MRI is a major factor in the difficulties of modern spine surgery. Most spine surgeons in the US are extremely skilled and highly ethical. The challenge is determining exactly what is causing your pain and where, then resolving the issue(s) with as little tissue damage as possible.

However, an MRI is the best imaging we have for spine problems, so a clinician will examine your MRI report or CT scan in conjunction with a conversation regarding pain history and symptoms to determine if we may be able to help relieve your back pain.

If a patient has not exhausted conservative means of treatment or does not need surgery, the physician will refer them to physical therapy, chiropractic care or pain management. Some patients will be good candidates for the AccuraScope® procedure.

If a patient requires a more invasive procedure or hardware, we work with orthopedic surgeons and/or neurosurgeons to determine the least invasive treatment plan that is likely to relieve your pain.  Each patient is treated according to his or her unique needs in the judgment of the physician. They can make a preliminary determination based on this information, but we will continue to collect data and screen patients until they are examined by a physician.  All treatment plans are ultimately determined between the patient and the physician during an in-office consultation and are subject to change at that time.