Whether treatment calls for complex surgery or a minimally invasive procedure, our spine care team is trained to diagnose and treat a full spectrum of spinal disorders, from chronic neck and spine pain to fractures, injuries and trauma to degenerative disc disease.

Our spine care team is trained to diagnose and treat the full spectrum of spinal disorders, including chronic neck and spine pain, fractures, injuries and trauma, tumors and degenerative disc disease. 

Our team uses leading-edge technology and equipment to deliver your treatment. These radiological, laparoscopic and microsurgical techniques are extremely accurate and allow for quicker recovery times and shorter hospital stays. Complications from surgery and post-operative pain also are drastically reduced through these proven techniques.

Our team can provide you with the proper medical therapies to reduce pain and inflammation. Physical therapy, specialized exercises and other treatment courses are prescribed on a case-by-case basis.

 

About the Spine

Your spinal column is made up of bones called vertebrae, which surround and protect your spinal cord. The spinal cord has fluid running down the middle, and stretches from your brain to the bottom of your spine.

In between the vertebrae are disks which act like shock absorbers for movements such as running, jumping and more. The spongy disks between vertebrae contain a gel-like substance in the center of them. When something happens to these disks, for example they tear or split, the gel can come out. That's what's known as a herniated disk.
 

Conditions We Treat

Cervical disc herniation
A disorder where a nerve or the spinal cord in the neck is compressed by a piece of the intervertebral disc.

Symptoms can include pain (often radiating from the neck to the arm), numbness/tingling (arm or hand), weakness (arm or hand), problems using your hands for fine motor skills, difficulty/awkward walking, loss of balance and falls.

Cervical stenosis
A disorder where the pathways for the nerves in the neck become
increasingly narrowed over time.

Symptoms can include pain (often radiating from the neck to the arm), numbness/tingling (arm or hand), weakness (arm or hand), problems using your hands for fine motor skills, difficulty/awkward walking, loss of balance and falls.

Thoracic stenosis
A disorder where the pathways for the nerves in the mid-back become increasingly narrowed over time.

Symptoms can include pain (often radiating into legs), numbness/tingling (legs or feet), weakness (legs or feet) and difficulty walking.

Lumbar disc herniation
A disorder where a nerve or the spinal cord is compressed by a piece of the intervertebral disc.

Symptoms can include pain (back, often radiating into legs), numbness/tingling (legs or feet), weakness (legs or feet), difficulty walking and changes in bowel/bladder function.

Lumbar stenosis
A disorder where the pathways for the nerves in the low-back become increasingly narrowed over time.

Symptoms can include pain (back, often radiating into legs), numbness/tingling (legs or feet), weakness (legs or feet), difficulty walking and changes in bowel/bladder function.

Scoliosis and spinal deformity
A disorder leading to abnormal curvature and instability of the spine.

Symptoms can include pain, numbness/tingling, weakness, uneven shoulders/hips and height loss.

Spinal tumors
A disorder resulting in the growth of abnormal cells in or around the spinal cord or spinal bones.

Symptoms vary based on location of tumor and can include pain, numbness/ tingling, weakness, difficulty walking and changes in bowel/bladder.

Spinal trauma
An injury to the spinal cord or spinal bones leading to instability or loss of function.

Symptoms can include pain, numbness/ tingling, weakness, difficulty walking and changes in bowel/bladder. 

Before deciding on a course of treatment for you, we'll take into account your specific diagnosis and other factors to come up with an option that best fits your individual needs. 

Spine condition tests and treatments may include:


Cervical disc herniation
Tests: CT scan, MRI, myelogram
Treatment:

  • Rest (more than 95% recover without surgery)

  • Pain medications (NSAIDs, opioids, muscle relaxants)

  • Spinal steroid injections

  • Physical Therapy

  • Surgery, including anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and artificial disc replacement


Cervical stenosis
Tests: CT scan, MRI, myelogram
Treatment:

  • Rest

  • Pain medications (NSAIDs, opioids, muscle

  • relaxants)

  • Spinal steroid injections

  • Physical therapy

  • Surgery including laminectomy, laminotomy and laminoplasty


Thoracic stenosis

Tests: CT scan, MRI, myelogram
Treatment:

  • Rest

  • Pain medications (NSAIDs, opioids, muscle

  • relaxants)

  • Spinal steroid injections

  • Physical therapy

  • Surgery including laminectomy, laminotomy and laminoplasty


Lumbar disc herniation

Tests: CT scan, MRI, myelogram
Treatment:

  • Rest

  • Pain medications (NSAIDs, opioids, muscle

  • relaxants)

  • Spinal steroid injections

  • Physical therapy

  • Surgery including microdiscectomy and laminectomy


Lumbar stenosis

Tests: CT scan, MRI, myelogram
Treatment:

  • Rest

  • Pain medications (NSAIDs, opioids, muscle

  • relaxants)

  • Spinal steroid injections

  • Physical therapy

  • Surgery: laminectomy


Scoliosis and spinal deformity
Tests: X-rays, CT scan, MRI
Treatment:

  • Pain medications (NSAIDs, opioids, muscle relaxants)

  • Physical therapy

  • Stretching

  • Bracing surgery: spinal fusion


Spinal tumors
Tests: CT scan, MRI
Treatment: 

  • Surgery: laminectomy with tumor resection


Spinal trauma
Tests: X-rays, CT scan, MRI, myelogram
Treatment:

  • Pain medications (NSAIDs, opioids, muscle relaxants)

  • Bracing surgery: spinal fusion, vertebroplasty/kyphoplasty


Cancer in the Spine

Brain and spinal cord tumors can be benign or malignant.
 
Treatment Options

  • Active surveillance

  • Surgery

  • Radiation therapy

  • Chemotherapy

  • Targeted therapy

 
New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials:

  • Proton beam radiation therapy


Community Medical Centers and our team of oncologists, clinicians and support services staff are experienced in treating head and neck cancer.

For more information or to request a consultation, please call (559) 387-1600.


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