Eight Specialties, One Patient
The Back, Neck and Spine Center brings together specialists in orthopaedic spine, radiology, neurology, neurosurgery, rehabilitation, pain medicine and mental health/alternative medicine.
As a patient at the Back, Neck and Spine Center, you do not receive care from only one specialist – but 18 specialists from eight subspecialties. That’s because we created a Spine Conference – a meeting with all our specialists present to combine expertise and reach an optimum treatment plan with each complex case. We review:
- How the pain started
- Causes that are known or suspected
- Current and past treatments
- All diagnostic tests such as X-rays and MRIs
Then the team makes a treatment plan together. The plan is specific for each patient.
The value of bringing together so many experts cannot be overestimated. In several instances, the team recommended treatments that truly changed the patient’s outcome – even if he or she had been told there were no other medical or surgical options available. These patients clearly benefited from the combined expertise of many specialists, rather than having their treatment hinge on a single radiologist’s report or an individual neurologist’s or orthopaedic surgeon’s decision, made in isolation.
Once a patient has been diagnosed and a treatment plan has begun, the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute provides exceptional follow-up care to patients with back, neck and spine conditions.
At UC Health, Nurse Navigators champion every step of your journey toward wellness. These trained registered nurses have clinical knowledge specific to back, neck and spine disorders, and they provide individualized help to you and your family. Nurse Navigators work with you and your physician to develop a care plan, and serve as resource to help you navigate the health care system – everything from making and keeping appointments, to helping develop a dietary plan.
As the referral center for Southwest Ohio and the region, UC Health Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine physicians provide top-quality care. They are Cincinnati’s leading experts in diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal conditions. Board certified and fellowship trained, these expert orthopaedic specialists are consistently honored by their peers, appearing on lists such as Best Doctors in America and Cincinnati Magazine’s “Top Doctors in Cincinnati.”
Our spinal surgeons are dedicated to comprehensive management of diseases and disorders of the spine ranging from the routine to the complex, including deformity, tumors, trauma and degenerative disease. Traumatic spine injuries are a major area of focus. Anterior and posterior procedures, minimally invasive procedures, and varied instrumentation techniques are emphasized.
Members of the division work closely with physiatrists, physical therapists and pain management specialists to diagnose spine disease and treat patients using nonsurgical or surgical techniques.
Patients receive customized treatment plans that use the most innovative, effective surgical and nonsurgical techniques to restore function, relieve pain, and return them to the activities and hobbies they enjoy.
Pain Medicine physicians at UC Health offer the latest treatments based on the most current developments in pain management research that come from being a part of an academic medical institution. We know that each patient faces different challenges when dealing with pain, so we have assembled a team of experienced physicians that will efficiently collaborate and develop a treatment plan, just for you. Our focus is on you—as a whole person—so we work to understand your unique situation, and to develop a comprehensive plan that meets your medical and lifestyle needs and ultimately helps you to better manage your pain.
Neurologists in the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute provide subspecialized care for patients with various spinal conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders, multiple sclerosis, diseases of the nerves and muscles (such as ALS and muscular dystrophies), musculoskeletal disorders, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury.
We often incorporate physical therapy (legs and walking), occupational therapy (hands and arms), speech and swallowing therapy and integrative medicine to make sure our patients receive the best care possible.
When needed, we help procure the services of surgeons for specific disorders when it is felt to be beneficial.
Spinal neurosurgeons in the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute are distinguished leaders in the field. We are dedicated to comprehensive management of diseases and disorders of the spine ranging from the routine to the complex, including deformity, tumors, trauma and degenerative disease. Traumatic spine injuries are a major area of focus. Anterior and posterior procedures, minimally invasive procedures, and varied instrumentation techniques are emphasized.
Members of the division work closely with physiatrists, physical therapists and pain management specialists to diagnose spine disease and treat patients using nonsurgical or surgical techniques.
The Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation providers at UC Health aim to prevent, diagnose and treat a wide variety of disorders that affect the nerves, muscles, bones and brain.
We see patients who do not require surgery, or who require therapy following surgery. Our focus is on intervention, pain management through medication and other minimally invasive treatment options. As teachers and researchers, they are up to date on the latest treatments and breakthroughs for their patients.
The main goal of treatment is to make the patient as independent as possible, whatever impairment he or she has. We continue to follow up with patients after they have left the hospital to ensure their treatment has been effective. We offer services at our outpatient clinic for patients who require ongoing care.
We understand how chronic pain can affect your mental health. Our psychiatric care team is here to help you manage your pain, stress and anxiety resulting from your back, neck or spine pain. We provide treatment such as psychotherapy, cognitive remediation and lifestyle counseling, all of which can help improve effectiveness in functioning. In particular, we emphasize the importance of diet, physical activity and stress management for general and brain health.
UC Health Psychiatry is nationally recognized as a leader in advancing the diagnosis and treatment of behavioral disorders. Recognized by Best Doctors in America and Top Doctors in Cincinnati, our expert clinicians are committed to using cutting-edge scientific advancements to provide the best mental-health treatment available to our patients.
The UC Health Spine Surgery Program is the referral center for the region. Physicians from throughout southwest Ohio trust their patients with complex spine conditions to the care of the fellowship-trained experts in spine surgery at UC Health.
Regardless of the severity of the problem, UC Health orthopaedic and neurosurgical spine surgeons explore all treatment options to guide a patient toward the most effective and least disruptive treatment for his or her needs.
UC Health surgeons are experts in nonsurgical, minimally invasive and traditional surgical approaches. That means they can choose the care that is the most appropriate and effective long term. The surgeons understand that if a less-invasive procedure is not backed by evidence as effective, a second surgery or additional procedures needed later could cost the patient more time, money and pain in the long run.