Spine care

Our spine specialists may order imaging tests to help them evaluate your back and create a treatment plan. These imaging tests may include:

• 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (3T MRI)
• Digital biplane angiography
• Open MRI
• Large-opening computerized tomography (CT) scanner with tumor localization

We offer nonsurgical and minimally invasive spine treatments, including:

• Nerve stimulation techniques — pain relief through a low-voltage electrical current to the nerves
• Physical therapy and rehabilitation — core strengthening and stabilization using supervised exercises and stretches
• Radiofrequency energy and heat ablation — outpatient procedure using radiofrequency energy or heat to destroy the nerves that cause pain
• Spinal injections — pain relief and inflammation reduction through medications that are injected using image-guided technology
• Spine surgery — traditional surgery or, whenever possible, minimally invasive surgery

Advanced spine surgery

We continuously find new ways to treat spine conditions. For example, we use bioresorbable spinal implant devices (short-term implants that gently dissolve) and spinal tissue regeneration techniques. We have also pioneered techniques for cervical spine disorders. In fact, we were the first in Central Virginia to perform cervical artificial disc replacements.

Some of the other spine procedures we perform include:

• Disc replacement surgery — This surgery replaces a damaged disc (the cushion between the vertebrae) with an artificial one.
• Discectomy/microdiscectomy — This surgery removes all or part of the disc.
• Foraminotomy — This treatment removes bone or tissue to open the space where the nerves leave the spinal canal. It's sometimes performed alongside spinal fusion surgery.
• Kyphoplasty/vertebroplasty — These treatments involve injecting medical cement into the spine to treat spinal fractures, ease pain and restore height.
• Laminectomy or laminotomy — This procedure removes the back of one or more vertebrae to relieve pressure on the spinal nerves. It's often performed along with spinal fusion surgery.
• Spinal fusion — This procedure joins two vertebrae using bone grafts and sometimes implants, such as rods and screws. It helps improve the stability of the spine.