Spine Care
Call (423) 206-9480 to learn more.
Your spine supports the rest of your body, which is why nothing can be more debilitating than back and neck pain. The spine specialists at the CHI Memorial Neuroscience Institute can help you get back to a healthy, pain-free life. Based on your lifestyle and health needs, we create a personalized treatment plan for back injuries and chronic lower back pain and neck pain. Our team leads the way in minimally invasive spine surgery techniques that can help drastically reduce recovery time.
Spine surgeons & specialists
Ranjith Babu, MD
Neurosurgeon
Mayshan Ghiassi, MD, FAANS
Cerebrovascular Endovascular Neurosurgeon
Sydney Adams, MSPA, PA-C
Neurosurgery Physician Assistant
Veronica Paz, MMSc, PA-C
Neurosurgery Physician Assistant
Non-operative spine specialists
Paul Hoffmann, MD
Physiatrist (Physical Medicine and Rehabiltation (PM&R))
Maegen Frizzell, MSPA, PA-C
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician Assistant
Sheila Hutchens, MSN, FNP-C
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Nurse Practitioner
Spinal conditions we treat
There are numerous spinal conditions that can be treated at CHI Memorial Spine Center, including:
- Cervical myelopathy
- Cervical radiculopathy
- Cervical stenosis
- Compression fractures
- Degenerative disc disease
- Failed back surgery syndrome
- Herniated discs
- Kyphosis
- Low back pain
- Lumbar radiculopathy (sciatica)
- Metastatic cancer of the spine
- Myelopathy
- Neck pain
- Nerve pain
- Post laminectomy syndrome
- Scoliosis
- Spinal stenosis
- Spine tumors
- Spondylolisthesis
Spine surgery options
Traditional and minimally invasive surgical treatments are available at CHI Memorial Spine Center, including:
- Artificial disc replacement
- Interbody fusions (TLIF, ALIF, XLIF, OLIF)
- Intraoperative CT-guided surgery
- Kyphoplasty
- Lumbar microdiscectomy
- Minimally invasive lumbar fusion
- Minimally invasive spine surgery
- Occipitocervical fusion
- Robot-assisted spine surgery
- Spinal decompression
- Spinal fusion
When to contact a medical professional
Most lower back pain and neck pain gets better within a few weeks without treatment. If you're very uncomfortable, you can rest in bed for a day or two, but longer than that does more harm than good. Over-the-counter pain medications often help reduce back pain, as does the application of cold or heat to the painful area.
Call your primary care physician or provider if your lower back pain hasn't improved at all after three days of home treatment or if your back pain:
- Is constant or intense, especially at night or when you lie down
- Spreads down one or both legs, especially if the pain extends below your knee
- Causes weakness, numbness or tingling in one or both legs
- Occurs with unintended weight loss
- Occurs with swelling or redness on your back