Spine

Spine doctors are specialty-trained orthopedic providers who can diagnose and treat patients with a variety of conditions or injuries that are causing them spine pain. Sometimes, these specialists help a patient coping with a condition related to the spinal cord. Spine doctors may also treat patients with a problem related to the spinal discs, such as degenerative disc disease. Patients seek out spine doctors when they have pain caused by a disease, such as arthritis. Spine surgeons, or doctors who specialize in spine surgery, often treat people who have been in serious accidents and need surgery. Sometimes, nonsurgical spine care can help heal or manage these injuries. 

When a spine specialist examines a patient, he or she will examine the spine and the surrounding tissues to better understand what is causing the pain. The doctor may also examine the neck (cervical spine) if he or she believes the spinal issue could be related to the neck. Other regions of the back may be examined during the assessment as well. The doctor takes all these things into consideration when providing a diagnosis and offering recommendations for treatment.

Depending on a patient’s condition, a spine doctor may treat that patient using a nonsurgical treatment, such as an epidural steroid injection. Other times, a patient may need spine surgery, such as kyphoplasty, laminectomy, disc replacement, or another type of minimally invasive surgery, in order to treat their more advanced injury or condition.

Should You See a Spine Doctor?                                                              

It may be time to see a doctor if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

• Back has a rounded appearance
• Difficulty standing up straight
• Feeling of weakness in the arms or legs
• Neck pain
• Pain after bending down 
• Pain after lifting an object
• Pain in the lower spine (lumbar region)
• Pain when twisting the torso
• Walking or standing causes back pain 

These problems may indicate you are dealing with a spine injury or condition, such as:

• Compressed nerve
• Disc disease
• Herniated disc
• Kyphosis
• Sciatica
• Scoliosis
• Spinal deformity
• Spinal fracture
• Spinal infection
• Spinal stenosis
• Spondylolisthesis 

Specialized Spine Care You Can Trust

Our specialty-trained spine doctor at Appalachian Orthopedics, Dr. Matthew Lamagna, has a full understanding of the spine's anatomy and is dedicated to delivering an exceptional level of spine care. Our spine specialist will apply his expertise directly to your situation to guide you toward treatments that help reduce pain and restore you to optimal health. Our doctor always carefully considers nonsurgical options first before recommending surgery. During your exam, he may take X-rays so that he can further study the spinal column and surrounding structures to determine which nonsurgical treatment may be right for you, such as physical therapy or injections.

Working alongside our nonsurgical spine specialist, our licensed physical therapists provide a full and comprehensive set of outpatient orthopedic rehabilitation services. They treat each patient's problem individually through an evaluation to design a specific treatment plan with the overall goal of restoring function and enhancing one's quality of life.

If your spine pain is keeping you from living an active life, we're proud to offer access to an orthopedic specialist whenever you need it. Schedule an appointment online or call our Johnson City office for a consultation with our expert spine doctor to diagnose and treat your spine issue.

For those acute spine injuries that can't wait, we also offer the following ways to be seen today: 

• Walk into one of our Orthopedic Urgent Care clinics at our Bristol Regional Medical Center or Johnson City office. No appointment needed.
• To be seen by a doctor on the same day, call your desired office.
• Chat with an orthopedic specialist 24/7, 365 days a year with our free OrthoCareNow service.