Spine

Spine Care Treatment 

Spine care at Western Neuro begins with a focused, conservative treatment plan including core muscle strengthening to improve range of motion and body mechanics, as well as other non-operative treatment modalities. If surgery is recommended, our team of spine surgeons will customize treatment options that maximize surgical outcomes and speed recovery.  

Western Neuro is an affiliated partner of the Carondelet Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tucson, AZ. We utilize intraoperative neuronavigation to optimize instrumentation placement and precision during your surgical procedure. The integrated BrainLab operating suite at St. Joseph’s Hospital, including intra-operative CT imaging, was the first of its kind in the United States and has served as a model for other institutions around the country. In this way, Western Neuro combines advanced facilities with comprehensive attention in all facets of spine care, including fellowship training in complex spinal techniques and reconstruction, to maximize patient outcomes. 

Find Spine Care

Common Spine Conditions

  • Degenerative Disc Disease

    Degenerative disc disease refers to the symptoms of back or neck pain caused by wear and tear on a spinal disc. It is one of the most common causes of low back and neck pain, and in some cases.
    Degenerative Disc Disease

  • Scoliosis

    Scoliosis is sideways curvature of the spine that most often occurs just before puberty. While scoliosis can be caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy.
    Scoliosis

  • Spinal Stenosis

    Your spine, or backbone, protects your spinal cord and allows you to stand and bend. When Spinal Stenosis occurs, the spine narrows making everyday movements painful.
    Spinal Stenosis

Additional Spine Conditions

Our Spine Services

Spine Center - Physical Therapy 

The Spine Center provides specialized, comprehensive care in the treatment of disorders of the spine. Our team of physical therapists and physical therapy assistants specializes in acute, chronic and post-surgical spine therapy, including but not limited to: 

  • Back and neck pain 
  • Vertebral compression fractures 
  • Vertebral instability 
  • Herniated discs 
  • Lumbar stenosis 
  • Degenerative disc disease 

Early intervention with physical therapy can have many benefits, including increasing activity level, providing education and reassurance, and supporting return to prior activity levels. Physical therapy can also assist in managing chronic pain by teaching safe exercise programs and lifestyle modifications. 
 
During your ongoing treatment you can expect to work with the same physical therapist or physical therapist assistant for all of your appointments and receive referrals to care providers for pain management and surgery as needed.  

Back Surgery - Choosing Your Back and Spine Surgeon 

The possibility of spine surgery can be frightening for patients, from recovery times to rehabilitation plans, there is a lot to take in during an already emotional time. Therefore, your choice of a spinal surgeon and a good spine surgery hospital is especially important. Look for a compassionate orthopedic spine surgeon or neurosurgeon who is board-certified, fellowship-trained and has received additional training to treat the back and the neck. 

At Carondelet Health Network and Western Neuro, we have a team of professionals to help you with your condition: 

  • Primary care physicians – your primary care physician may prescribe medication to help ease the pain. They may also refer you to a physical therapist. Physical therapists – guide with a combination of improved everyday posture, ergonomics, regular stretching and exercise for good spine care 
  • Physiatrists – use conservative treatment for low back pain, such as injections. If conservative treatments do not work, they may refer a patient to a spinal surgeon 
  • Spine surgeons – in the past, only neurosurgeons were responsible for spinal cord surgery. But spine surgery has evolved so that orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons can specialize in spine surgery, and both are equally qualified in spine surgery. 
  • Orthopedic spine surgeons – diagnose and treat conditions such as spinal disorders, arthritis, sports injuries, trauma, bone tumors, hand injuries and deformities 
  • Neurosurgeons – diagnose and treat conditions and disorders involving the brain, spine and spinal cord, nerves and intracranial and intraspinal vasculature 

Rest assured, surgeons in our spine hospital, Carondelet Health Network, use advanced technology and techniques and understand that surgery is a last resort. As part of our community built on care, we also value the importance of bedside manners and how we treat patients and their families. 

Treatment options are always carefully considered and thoroughly discussed between the patient and the care team to find the most appropriate, least invasive, patient-centered solution. Surgical techniques such as spinal microsurgery or minimally invasive spine surgery treat spinal disorders of the: 

  • Cervical (neck) 
  • Thoracic (mid-back) 
  • Lumbar (low back) 

Once you have scheduled your surgery with Carondelet Neurological Institute Spine Center, we will put you in touch with our spine coordinator, and you will be scheduled for “Spine Camp”. This class is approximately 60 to 90 minutes and helps coordinate what to expect for pre-operative and post-operative care, including tours of inpatient facilities, brace fitting, activity restrictions, physical therapy and home health.  We hope you will take advantage of this free service to get answers to your questions. 

You can schedule an appointment at our clinic by calling 520-873-6470.

Carondelet Neurological Institute and Western Neuro surgeons specializing in spine conditions may recommend one of the following treatments: 

  • Microdiscectomy – a minimally invasive spine surgery for removing disc material that has herniated or moved to an abnormal location, causing pressure on the spinal cord, sac of nerves or spinal nerve roots. 
  • Spinal fusion surgery – permanently connects two or more vertebrae in the spine, eliminating motion between them. 
  • Spinal decompression (laminectomy) – creates space by removing the back part of the vertebra that covers the spinal canal and enlarges the spinal canal to relieve pressure on the spinal cord, sac of nerves or nerve roots. 
  • Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty – a minimally invasive spine surgery to stabilize a spinal compression fracture. 
  • Spine fracture and spinal cord injury surgery – non-invasive, minimally invasive or invasive procedures to decompress and stabilize spinal fractures and treat spinal cord injury. 
  • Deformity spinal surgery – surgery involving both spinal fusion surgery and instrumentation to improve the alignment of the spine for those with scoliosis or kyphosis. 
  • Spine cancer surgery – surgery for decompressing the spinal cord and nerves and stabilizing the spine. 
  • Anterior cervical surgery – surgery for decompressing the cervical spinal cord or nerves through the front of the neck. 
  • Minimally invasive spine surgery – surgery performed with specialized instruments and techniques, such as:
    • Minimally invasive lumbar discectomy
    • Minimally invasive lumbar spinal fusion surgery 

Other types of spine surgery offered in Tucson, AZ include: 

  • Artificial disc surgery 
  • Cervical disc herniation and arthroplasty 
  • Discectomy 
  • Foraminotomy 
  • Laminotomy 
  • Nucleoplasty, also called plasma disk decompression.

Carondelet Neurological Institute and Western Neuro’s trained medical spine providers offer a comprehensive approach to treating your spine or back problem. On one campus, you receive coordinated, centralized multi-disciplinary assessment and care. A patient navigator will keep you informed throughout the treatment process and help ensure regular communication with all members of your care team.

Surgery may be needed when nonsurgical treatments, such as rest, medication and exercise, do not provide pain relief or neurological symptoms worsen. However, spinal cord surgery may not be for everyone. A patient should be in reasonably good health before surgery. Signs that back surgery may be needed include: 

  • Back pain limits daily activities and impairs quality of life 
  • Progressive neurologic deficits develop 
  • Loss of normal bowel and bladder functions 
  • Difficulty standing or walking 
  • Medication and physical therapy are ineffective 

If you are a candidate for spine surgery, it may help you feel at ease about having spine surgery if you ask these questions: 

  • How do you know if spine surgery will be successful for me? 
  • What are my spine surgery options? Am I a candidate for minimally invasive surgery? 
  • What are the risks and possible complications if I decide to undergo spine surgery? What can I do to help prevent them? 
  • How long is the recovery period? 
  • How can I protect my spine after I’ve recovered from surgery?

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