Spine care at Rose Medical Center

Back pain specialists in central Denver

If you have neck, back or spine pain, it is important to know a variety of treatment options are available at Rose Medical Center's Orthopedic & Spine Center in Denver. Here, our board-certified surgeons, specially trained nurses and skilled occupational and physical therapists provide comprehensive spine care. We offer diagnosis and treatment for a variety of conditions ranging from herniated discs to scoliosis.

For a referral to a spine doctor at Rose Medical Center, please call (303) 374-0755.

Our spine care program

At our Orthopedic & Spine Center, we are dedicated to providing expert care. Our care team includes specialists in neurological care and orthopedic care. These spine doctors are supported by nurses, therapists and other providers with special training in orthopedics and spine care.

We also provide special amenities to help make your treatment at our facility as convenient as possible. Some features of our spine care program include:

• Convenient online preregistration through MyHealthONE patient portal to document your information and health history, saving you time on the day of surgery
• High-quality spinal implants
• Individualized treatment plans created especially with your needs and health history in consideration
• Local travel accommodation with special rates for our patients
• Patient guidebook about spine surgery to educate you on what to expect before, during and after surgery and to help keep your records organized
• Preoperative spine surgery video class to watch in the comfort of your home

Orthopedic & Spine Center patient navigator

Our program provides a dedicated patient navigator for patients who will have orthopedic or spine surgery. The patient navigator ensures you receive the education and information you need before and after surgery, so your focus can remain on your recovery.

To reach our patient navigator, please call (303) 320-2153.

Spine conditions we treat

Our spine surgeons—including specialists from neurological care and orthopedic care—treat a wide range of conditions. We commonly treat:

• Abnormal curvatures: Your spine’s natural curves help balance your body. However, if the curves become too pronounced or your spine develops a twist or an extra curve, it puts pressure on the vertebrae and discs. Conditions involving abnormal curvature of the spine include:
  • Scoliosis: This condition causes a side-to-side curve in your back.
  • Kyphosis: Kyphosis increases the curve in your upper back.
  • Lordosis: Lordosis increases the curve in your lower back.
  • Degenerated discs: Degenerative disc disease (DDD) describes changes of the spinal discs—most commonly thinning, hardening and drying out. Degenerated discs can irritate the spinal nerves and cause instability.
• Bulging discs: If the outer wall of a spinal disc weakens, it may push out (bulge) toward the nerves. This can cause painful nerve irritation.
• Herniated discs: If the outer wall of a spinal disc tears (ruptures), the soft material inside the disc can squeeze out and press on nearby nerves. This can cause pain, numbness or weakness in your legs or back.
• Fractures: Vertebrae that crack or break can be caused by an injury, repeated stress or a condition such as osteoporosis, which makes bones weak and brittle.
• Instability: Spinal instability occurs when adjoining vertebrae slip back and forth or have permanently shifted out of position. This instability can be caused by a damaged spinal disc, a bone injury, arthritis in the facet joint or a congenital disorder. The slippage can irritate the bone, disc, spinal cord and nerves.
• Stenosis: Stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal. Stenosis can press on the spinal cord and nerves and cause pain and other symptoms.
• Nerve conditions: Our doctors treat nerve conditions resulting from back and spine conditions which irritate or press on (pinch) the spinal cord nerves. An irritated or pinched nerve can cause pain, numbness, weakness and other symptoms throughout your body.

Additionally, we treat the following conditions:

• Arthritis and osteoarthritis in the neck and spine
• Back and neck pain
• Back sprain or strain
• Lumbago
• Neck sprain
• Sciatica
• Spinal tumor
• Spondylolysis
• Stiff neck
• Whiplash

Neck and back pain

If you are living with chronic or acute back or neck pain, our back pain specialists are here to help return you to a pain-free lifestyle.

Neck and back pain are common conditions. The pain can range in severity and may be acute, coming on suddenly and lasting a few days to a few weeks, or chronic, lasting for more than three months.

Causes of back pain

There are many reasons you may experience back pain, including:

• Accidents, such as injuries from sports, falls or vehicle accidents
• Normal wear and tear, such as that caused by aging or bone spurs
• Poor posture, such as sitting or standing unnaturally
• Poor body mechanics, such as incorrectly standing, sitting, lifting, sleeping or lying down
• Poor physical conditions, such as being overweight or having weak muscles

When to see a spine specialist for back pain

Often, specialized care for back pain is not necessary because the pain goes away with or without treatment. However, you may need to see a spine specialist if you experience any of the following back and/or neck conditions:

• Numbness or tingling
• Pain after a fall or an injury
• Severe pain that does not improve with medication and/or rest

You should also see a doctor if you are experiencing back pain accompanied by any of the following symptoms:

• Fever
• Trouble urinating
• Unintentional weight loss
• Weakness, pain or numbness in your legs

Advanced treatment including minimally invasive spine surgery

With numerous treatment options available today, you do not have to accept back pain as a part of your everyday life. We will work with you to determine the most effective treatment plan for your condition and lifestyle.

With the incorporation of robot-assisted surgical technology at Rose Medical Center's Orthopedic & Spine Center, we offer patients smaller incisions, less scarring, faster recoveries and enhanced outcomes. This technology allows our spine surgeons to better plan procedures before surgery and gives them greater accuracy during procedures. The robotic platform provides 3D pictures of your back, spine and neck bones, so the surgeon can place hardware in precisely the right location. Hardware placement is checked before leaving the operating room, minimizing the need for follow-up adjustment procedures.

If spine surgery is necessary, we use minimally invasive procedures whenever possible. We also provide physical therapy and rehabilitation after surgery to help you recover.