The spine is a biomechanical marvel, able to carry weight and flex at the same time. Its complexity, however, also makes it vulnerable to injury and gradual degeneration.

If you’re a man over age 45, you may be particularly susceptible to ruptures in the cushioning disks between the vertebrae of the spine, which can cause disabling back or leg pain. You also may be starting to feel stiffness and soreness in your back due to arthritis. But whether you have just begun to feel twinges of trouble or have been battling back pain for years, the experienced surgeons at The George Washington University Hospital can help.

“We are setting the standard for spine surgery in this region,” says Warren Yu, MD, Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at GW Hospital. “We’re always looking at ways that we can restore function while making the surgical process easier for our patients.”
 
If you need surgery
 
For people who have intractable pain, neurological impairment or deformity, surgery might provide a permanent solution. Surgeons at GW Hospital perform a number of spine procedures, including the following:

• Fusion procedures are used to replace the cushioning disk between two vertebrae with a bone graft; eventually, the new bone and the spine fuse into a solid unit. These procedures help stabilize the spine and prevent abnormal movement.
• Diskectomies involve removing disk fragments that cause painful pressure on the nerves and spinal cord.
• Disk arthroplasty procedures are used to rebuild degenerated vertebrae or replace them with an artificial plastic component.

“GW Hospital was one of the first centers to develop minimally-invasive techniques in spine surgery which were put into practice in 1994,” says Anthony Caputy, MD, Chairman of Neurosurgery and Professor of Neurological Surgery. “We use advanced equipment specifically designed for spine surgery that allows us to access the spine through tiny incisions, minimizing tissue damage and promoting faster recoveries.”

Spine surgeons at GW Hospital have the expertise to consider a number of surgical options, including advanced techniques that try to maintain as much flexibility as possible, which other hospitals may not have the capability to perform.

“Good spine care is a team effort,” says Peter Moskovitz, MD, Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic and Neurological Surgery at GW Hospital. “One of the key benefits of coming here for treatment is that there are top doctors, as well as physical therapists, pain management specialists and other professionals, each of whom offers a different but complementary approach, from conservative treatment to surgery.”
 
Free Seminar: Battling Back Pain
 
Have you noticed lately that the stiffness or soreness in your back doesn’t want to go away like it used to? When you were younger, you thought nothing of it. Now the pain is keeping you on the sidelines. Get off the couch and learn about conservative and minimally invasive treatment options that could get you up and running again without the fear of pain.

To learn more about back pain treatments available at GW Hospital, please call 1-888-4GW-DOCS or visit www.gwhospital.com.

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As seen in The George Washington University Hospital Health News Spring 2007.