Back and Neck Pain Treatment Options

North American Spine is proud to offer more than thirty procedures to diagnose and relieve spine pain, thanks to its network of board-certified physicians in all specialties of spine care, including interventional pain management specialists, orthopedic spine surgeons and neurosurgeons.

North American Spine’s partner physicians believe that patients should be treated with the most conservative, least invasive treatments possible, before considering minimally invasive spine surgery. Based on the continuum of care, such treatments include proper rest and lifestyle changes, physical therapy, and other pain management treatments.

Continuum of Care Treatment Alternatives

In order to give patients a wide range of pain management solutions, North American Spine provides spine pain treatments that are less invasive alternatives to spine surgery. These medical procedures fall into two categories: detailed diagnosis, to identify the exact source of pain; and pain management injections:

Diagnostic Procedures

By identifying the root cause of spine pain, a physician can map out the best road to his or her patient’s long-term pain management.

• Diagnostic Pain Mapping
• Provocative Facet Joint and Synovial Cyst Arthrography
• Provocative Manometric Discography
• Provocative Endoscopic Stimulation of Degenerative Disc
• Diagnostic Epiduroscopy (Venice, Italy Only)

Nerve Block Injections

An injection can be used to identify the exact source of the pain, as a diagnostic tool for a subsequent procedure to treat the root cause.

• Selective Nerve Root Block with Afferent Localization
• Selective Facet Medial Branch Block with Afferent Localization

Minimally Invasive, Endoscopic, and Modified Traditional Spinal Surgical Techniques

Often, conservative treatments help over a short time span. Unfortunately, many back problems persist and usually worsen as the symptoms are much more easily treated than the underlying causes. Your physician may recommend a surgical alternative to correct the root cause of pain, if other treatments – including a different procedure, have not reduced your pain.

Endoscopic Decompression and Ablation

An endoscopic decompression procedure uses a laser to shrink or remove excessive soft tissue (such as a herniated disc) pressing against nerves in the spinal column. An ablation deadens a nerve, similar to a root canal.

• Accurascope® with Anterior Epidural Endoscopic Disc and Neural Scar Decompression and/or Endoscopic Laser Disc Decompression
• Thoracic Disc and Neural Decompression
• Cervical Disc and Neural Decompression
• Posterior Epidural Endoscopic Disc and Neural Decompression using Quantum Molecular Resonance for Scar and Neural Decompression for Failed Back Surgery Syndrome and Degenerative Disc Disease (Europe and Mexico Only)
• Facet Nerve Ablation

Discectomy and Laminotomy

The term “-ectomy” means a surgical removal, whereas the term “-otomy” refers to a partial surgical removal. These procedures remove part or all of a problem disc or bone material, to treat spinal pain.

• Percutaneous Discectomy
• Endoscopic Discectomy
• Microdiscectomy
• Laminotomy with Posterior Element Decompression
• Laminotomy Decompression for Bony Stenosis
• Foraminotomy

Fusion and Fixation

A fusion or fixation binds two pieces of bone together, sometimes with added instrumentation such as a plate, to stabilize a part of the spine.

• Percutaneous Interspinous Process Fusion
• Percutaneous Facet Fusion
• Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Fixation
• Axial Lumbar Interbody Fusion (Axial LIF)
• Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF)
• Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF)
• Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion
• Anterior Cervical Disc Decompression and Fusion (ACDF)
• Posterior Cervical Fusion

Replacement and Augmentation

A replacement or augmentation provides additional support to a disc or part of the vertebral bone that is so damaged that it needs to be replaced, or have additional support added to it.

• Artificial Disc Replacement (Cervical or Lumbar)
• Vertebral Augmentation

North American Spine partners with other providers to provide neurostimulation as spine pain treatment for patients whose pain cannot be treated at the root cause.

Minimally Invasive Neurostimulation

When other treatments don’t work, neurostimulation provides gentle stimulation to pain nerves, to confuse the nerve and stop sending the pain signal.

• Spinal Cord Stimulation placement with SSEP/EMG Electrophysiologic Guidance
• Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation
• Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for Coccygodynia
• Sacral Nerve Root Stimulation – for Chronic Pelvic Pain, Pudendal Neuralgia, Urge Incontinence
• High Frequency Neurostimulation for Pain (Brussels Belgium Only)

Try Conservative Treatments First

Before considering surgical options, patients should have tried other, more conservative treatments. Some alternatives include massage therapy, physical therapy, chiropractic care, epidural steroid injections and other pain management techniques. Often, conservative treatments help over a short time span. Unfortunately, many back problems persist and usually worsen as the symptoms are much more easily treated than the underlying causes. If conservative treatments are not relieving your back pain, it may be time to consider a surgical alternative.

Begin a multi-disciplinary case review by submitting your MRI.