Conditions We Treat

Back Pain Treatment in Minnesota

Learn more about the conditions we treat by clicking on any of the following links:

• Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD): This ongoing, progressive disease is the deterioration of the discs in the spine. Usually the condition causes no symptoms, but some experience limited range of motion and chronic pain. DDD can affect the neck, midback, or lower back, and DDD pain is a type of radiculopathy. If you have DDD, you may experience arm, neck, or shoulder pain that may extend into the buttocks, leg, or foot.
• Adult degenerative scoliosis: This age-related degenerative disease can be acquired in adulthood as a result of tumors, multiple sclerosis, or other problems. Symptoms include a vertebral rotation that pulls the spine laterally and causes it to deviate from a normal position to a lateral, S-shaped or C-shaped curvature. The entire spine may be affected or only one portion. Symptoms include pain, especially lower-back pain and leg pain when standing or walking, as well as poor balance and electric-shock like pain in either or both legs.
• Herniated Discs: Also called a slipped, prolapsed, or ruptured disc, a herniated disc occurs when the outer portion of a vertebral disc ruptures and its pulpy contents spill through the opening. This can irritate spinal nerves or compress the spinal cord. While any disc can herniate, the most common location is in the neck or lower back areas of the spine (cervical and lumbar spine, respectively). While many experience no symptoms from disc herniation and those who do have symptoms often feel better without any treatment within 12 weeks, others need the care of a spinal doctor for chronic neuropathy.
• Facet joint syndrome: A pair of facet joints connects each vertebra to the one below it, which gives your spinal column strength and flexibility it needs. Each facet joint is lined with cartilage and surrounded by a fluid-filled capsule that keeps the joint lubricated. Facet joint syndrome can cause pain and stiffness, reduce range of motion, and limit your mobility. It can affect any part of the spine (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, or sacral), but it’s most common in the lumbar (lower back) region.
• Spinal stenosis: This painful, sometimes disabling condition is typically caused by degenerative changes associated with osteoarthritis. There may be an overgrowth of bone and soft tissue that narrows the spinal canal and puts pressure on the spinal cord. It may be acquired as a result of an injury, or congenital (present at birth). Symptoms include pain which is aggravated by walking or standing and alleviated by sitting, flexing the back, or lying down. Walking difficulties are common in those with spinal stenosis. Surgical treatment may be needed to relieve pressure off the spinal cord and keep the disease from progressing.
• Spondylolisthesis: This condition is caused by the displacement, slippage, or subluxation of a vertebra. Misaligned vertebral bones can compress your spinal nerves, or impinge on the spinal cord itself (radiculopathy or myelopathy, respectively). Symptoms include severe back pain that radiates down the leg, numbness of the arm or leg, and pain the worsens during the course of the day. You may experience cold feet, an altered gait, and poor coordination and frequent falls.
• Thoracic disc disease: The thoracic area of the spine has several important roles, including anchoring the rib cage, serving as an attachment point for the trunk muscles and ligaments, and protecting the spinal cord and nerves at the thoracic level. A disorder of the thoracic spine is any disease or condition that produces pain or alters the function of this region. Such conditions include disc herniation, curvature of the thoracic spine (kyphosis or scoliosis), or a compression fracture.
• Arthritis of the spine: The vertebral bones are vulnerable to a painful degenerative condition known as osteoarthritis. Because this form of arthritis affects the facet joints of the spine, the condition is sometimes called facet joint arthritis. The cervical, thoracic, and lumbar segments of the spine can all be affected with osteoarthritis. Spinal arthritis is degenerative, meaning it progressively gets worse without treatment. Symptoms include pain, stiffness, and muscle spasms in the neck or back. Lying down may or may not provide adequate pain relief.
• Fractures: A vertebral fracture, or broken vertebra, falls into 2 broad categories: traumatic injury or pathologic (associated with disease or degeneration). Examples of spinal diseases or degeneration that can lead to spinal fractures include spinal arthritis, degenerative disc disease, and altered body mechanics. Certain systemic diseases like Parkinson’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis may predispose you to spinal fractures.
• Myelopathy: Spinal cord compression is the hallmark of myelopathy, a type of muscular disorder. This compression of the spinal cord causes pain, impaired functioning, and puts you at a higher risk of disability. Myelopathy is categorized by its location on the spine, but it is most commonly found in the lumbar or cervical regions. Symptoms of myelopathy include clumsiness and gait disturbances. Some lose sensation in their limbs, feel weaker, or feel as though they could lose their balance more easily.
• Radiculopathy: Sometimes myelopathy and radiculopathy are used as 2 interchangeable terms, but they are not the same. Radiculopathy is a spinal cord disorder, not a muscular disorder like myelopathy is, and it occurs when one or more of the foramina nerve roots becomes compressed. Most often, the site of this compression is at the cervical or lumbar regions of the spine. Patients with radiculopathy have varying degrees of back pain that interferes with their quality of life. They may also have weakness, numbness, or a tingling sensation, diminished grip strength or reflexes, limited range of motion, loss of coordination, or pain in the neck, arm, hand, leg, or foot.
• Spine deformities: Excessive, distorted curvatures of the spine can cause pain, limit mobility, reduce range of motion, and force other bodily structures to compensate for the spinal deformity. Examples of spinal deformities include scoliosis, lordosis, and kyphosis. The cardinal symptom is back and leg pain, and the deformity is usually obvious to the naked eye. Usually there is no known cause for these deformities, although scientists are researching whether there may be a genetic link.

Are you interested in a free consultation with one of our experience neurosurgeons at Inspired Spine? Contact us today or call (952) 234-6384 to speak to one of our friendly Patient Care Coordinators.