Spine care addresses neck, mid-back, and lower-back pain. Most spine problems improve with conservative care, and surgery is reserved for specific situations.
What is spine care?
Spine care focuses on the column of bones (vertebrae), discs (the cushions between them), nerves, and muscles that run from your neck to your lower back. Aptiva’s Spine Department brings together spine surgeons, pain specialistsA provider who focuses on one area of medicine, such as orthopedics, cardiology, or neurology. You often reach a specialist through a referralA recommendation from one provider to see a specialist. Some plans require one before they will cover the specialist visit.., and rehabilitation providersAnyone licensed to give you medical care — a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. Clinics use "provider" as a catch-all for whoever is caring for you. who emphasize conservative treatment first.
Common conditions
- Herniated disc — when a spinal cushion bulges and presses on a nerve
- Spinal stenosis — narrowing of the space around the spinal cord or nerves
- Sciatica / radiculopathy — pain, tingling, or weakness that travels down an arm or leg because a nerve is irritated
- Degenerative disc disease — normal age-related changes in the discs
- Spondylolisthesis — when one vertebra slips forward over another
The typical treatment pathway
- Conservative care. Physical therapy, activity changes, heat or ice, and over-the-counter medicine. Most back and neck pain improves within weeks.
- Interventional procedures. Targeted injections (such as an epidural steroid injection) may reduce nerve-related pain.
- Surgery. Reserved for specific problems — for example, nerve compression that causes worsening weakness, or pain that has not responded to other care. Many spine surgeries today are minimally invasive, meaning smaller incisions and faster recovery.
What to expect
Your provider will examine your strength, reflexes, and movement, and may order imaging. Imaging findings doA medical doctor — "MD" or "DO" — with four years of medical school plus a multi-year residency in a chosen field. not always match symptoms — many people have disc changes on an MRIMagnetic Resonance Imaging — an imaging test that uses strong magnets and radio waves (no X-ray radiation) to make detailed pictures of soft tissues such as muscles, ligaments, and spinal discs. and feel no pain — so providers weigh the whole picture.
When to seek care
See a provider for pain lasting more than a few weeks or pain with arm or leg weakness. Seek emergency care for loss of bladder or bowel control, sudden severe weakness, or numbness in the groin area — these can signal a serious problem.
Smart questions to ask
- Could my pain improve without surgery?
- What does my imaging actually show, and does it match my symptoms?
- What are the risks and recovery time for each option?
- What is the cost of this procedure or scan?