Were You Recently Diagnosed with a Spine Condition? Here’s What You Should Know

As your partner in care, Baylor Scott & White Health is dedicated to helping you get better. We developed this guide to answer your questions and help you find the back pain relief you need. You will also find risk factors, symptoms and treatment options for your back pain. If you have specific questions about spine care after reading this, please discuss them with your physician, orthopedic spine surgeon or neurosurgeon. We hope this is a valuable resource for you on your journey to better back health.

Understanding the Spine

The spine (also called the vertebral column or backbone) is a series of vertebrae extending from the skull down to the small of the back. It encloses the spinal cord and provides support for the thorax and abdomen.

The spine is comprised of the following parts:
  • Vertebrae - 33 stacked vertebrae (small bones) form the spinal canal. The spinal canal is a tunnel that holds the spinal cord and nerves and protects them from injury. The lowest vertebrae (sacrum and coccyx) are fused together and don’t move.
  • Facet joints - These spinal joints have cartilage and let you twist and turn. They provide flexibility and stability.
  • Intervertebral disks - These round cushions sit between the vertebrae and act as shock absorbers.
  • Spinal cord and nerves - This column of nerves travels through the spinal canal. Nerve pairs branch out through vertebral openings (the neural foramen) and they carry messages between the brain and muscles.

Causes of Back Pain

Back pain can be caused by spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, sciatica and more. Some conditions may be congenital but often are the result of injury, wear and tear or advanced aging.


Spine Conditions We Treat

Some spine conditions can be treated with medications or outpatient procedures, while others may require surgery or physical therapy. Baylor Scott & White Health has spine specialists who are neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons on the medical staff who are trained to work with patients, families and colleagues in multiple fields to prevent, diagnose and treat back pain.

Some common spine conditions treated at our locations by physicians on the medical staff include:​

  • Arthritis of the spine (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid)
  • Bone spurs and overgrowths
  • Degenerative disc disease (cervical, thoracic, lumbar)
  • Herniated discs
  • Myofascial pain (inflammation of muscles and ligaments)
  • Osteoporosis of the spine
  • Pinched spinal nerves
  • Sciatica
  • Spinal deformities (scoliosis, kyphosis)
  • Spinal injury
  • Spinal stenosis (narrowing of spinal canal)
  • Spine tumors


Spine Condition Treatment Options

Due to the variety of spine injury and conditions, treatment options can vary depending on the type of condition and the severity of its complications. Options may include:

Non-Surgical

  • Interventional Pain Management includes a variety of nerve-blocking injections to temporarily reduce pain. These minimally invasive, non-surgical procedures include diagnostic and therapeutic neural block procedures, epidural steroid injections, neurolytic procedures, sympathetic blocks, trigger point injections, radiofrequency thermocoagulation and cryoneurolysis.
  • Decompression traction are exercises that relieve pressure on the spinal cord or on one or more compressed nerve roots passing through or exiting the spinal column.
  • Exercise programs – physical therapists at Baylor Scott & White can create a personalized fitness plans to treat your back pain. Plans may include exercises to help correct your posture, strengthen your muscles and support healthy spinal alignment.
  • Massage therapy increases blood flow and circulation throughout the body. In the case of an injury, a myofascial release technique is often used to relax muscle-supporting fibrous tissue.
  • Chiropractic care is available at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Austin through the orthopedics department.

Surgical

  • Artificial disc replacement – a long-lasting surgical option that replaces the degenerative or herniated disc with an artificial replacement.
  • Anterior cervical discectomy – a surgery to relieve spinal cord or spinal nerve pressure in the neck by removing all or part of a damaged disc.
  • Bone graft spine fusion – a grafted bone is used to replace damaged discs between two vertebral segments. The graft helps stimulate bone growth that fuses the segments together.
  • Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty – spinal operations where bone cement is injected through the skin into a fractured vertebra to relieve back pain.
  • Posterior lumbar discectomy – a surgery that removes a degenerative or herniated disc from the lower spine.
  • Lumbar laminectomy – also called decompression – treats back pain caused by degenerative conditions in the lower back. The affected ligaments pressing against nerves are removed to relieve the pain.
  • Spinal reconstructive surgery – a spine operation that involves multiple levels of the spine and corrects spinal deformities. It stabilizes the newly shaped spine with rods and pins and helps fuse the vertebrae together.
  • Spinal cord stimulator – an implanted device used to send electrical signals to the spinal cord to relieve pain.
  • Spinal stenosis implant - minimally invasive option to treat lumbar spinal stenosis.

 

Why Baylor Scott & White

For over 100 years, Baylor Scott & White has been helping patients heal with quality care, advanced medical techniques and innovative research. Our thorough approach to healthcare means that every patient has access to an expert team of physicians across a range of specialties that provides effective, comprehensive and tailored treatment plans.

We offer advanced, personalized treatment for back pain. Our multidisciplinary medical approach integrates experienced physicians on the medical staff with advanced technologies and pioneering research to provide innovative patient care. You’ll experience a collaborative approach from an expert team of back neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, pain management specialists, physical and occupational therapists and more.
 

Gain Peace of Mind with a Second Opinion from a Spine Specialist

When you’ve been told you have limited options for your pain, our centers offer hope. As you decide which treatment is right for you, feeling comfortable and confident is essential. You can trust that by getting a second opinion at Baylor Scott & White, you’re getting an opinion from a specialist dedicated to finding the best possible solution for your pain. Discover what treatment options are available for you by scheduling an appointment today.


Placeholder

Diagnosing Spine Conditions

Your spine doctor will start by performing a physical exam. They will also review your medical history and ask you to describe your symptoms. The doctor may also recommend further screening.

Finding the root cause of back pain can be difficult because there are many possible causes. Spine specialists use advanced equipment to quickly find the source of your pain, including: 

  • X-ray
  • Computerized axial tomographic scan (CT or CAT scan)
  • MRI
  • Myelogram
  • Electromyogram (EMG)
  • Bone scan

Once a diagnosis has been made, your doctor will work with you to create the right treatment plan. Our goal is to provide effective and safe treatment that allows you to return to an active lifestyle as soon as possible.

Placeholder

Speak with a spine expert to see how we can help

1.844.BSW.DOCS