Back, Neck & Spine Treatment/Surgery

Diagnostics for the spine

Lee Health has advanced imaging technologies and facilities to give our orthopedists the most accurate information to treat orthopedic injuries and conditions. Lee Health also offers convenience for patients needing X-ray imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and other imaging technologies throughout Lee County.

The Spine Center offers a comprehensive range of diagnostic testing and treatment plans for patients suffering from back and neck pain. Click here to learn more information about the Spine Center and how to make an appointment. 

Treatment options

Lee Health's world-class hospitals, clinics, physician offices and sports and physical rehabilitation centers deliver advanced spinal care. Treatments for the neck and back include non-surgical and surgical approaches for spinal decompression, spinal stabilization, as well as pain reduction and elimination:

Personalized care for back and spinal surgery

Because not all injuries or conditions require surgery, Lee Health doctors and clinicians work with patients to help them understand how lifestyle changes and non-invasive approaches such as physical therapy may be the right treatment course for their conditions, including chronic back or neck pain.

Spine surgery options:

• Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF): A damaged disc is removed through an incision in the front of the patient’s neck, replaced with a bone graft and stabilized with metal plate and screws
• Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF): A damaged disc in the lower back is removed through an incision in the patient’s abdomen and replaced with a plastic spacer or metal cage, as well as a bone graft or morphogenic bone protein (BMP), before two vertebrae are stabilized with screws, plates and rods
• Axial lumbar interbody fusion (XLIF): A minimally invasive surgery for spinal fusion in the lowest portion of the lower back (L4-L5 and L5-S1) and is performed through the side of the body
• Artificial disc replacement: A damaged disc of the lumbar spine is removed and replaced with an artificial mechanical disc with the goal of restoring range of motion between two vertebrae
• Discectomy: Surgeons remove all or part of a damaged disc by accessing the spine through an incision in the patient’s back
• Foraminotomy: The spinal bone is shaved or removed to widen the area through which nerve roots pass to exit the spinal canal
• Kyphoplasty/vertebroplasty: A balloon-like device is inserted into the spine and inflated to open up space that is filled with bone cement to relieve nerve compression
• Laminoplasty: An incision in the back of the neck to make cuts in lamina bone and insert small bone grafts that are stabilized with screws to open up space for the spinal cord and compressed nerves
• Laminectomy: A part or all of a lamina bone is removed to allow more space for compressed spinal nerves
• Microdiscectomy: A minimally invasive surgery involving removal through a small incision of the herniated portion of a disc
• Microlaminectomy: A minimally invasive surgery to remove, through a small incision, bone spurs that are pressing on spinal nerves
• Minimally invasive lumbar decompression (MILD): Surgeons make a small incision to remove portions of tissue causing the compression of spinal nerves
• Minimally invasive spinal fusion: These are performed through smaller incisions using an operating microscope, X-ray guidance and special surgical instruments
• Robotic spine surgery: This helps surgeons with 3D software modeling, planning and guided placement of surgical implants

Treating a range of neck and back conditions

• Ankylosing spondylitis: A chronic inflammatory condition that can affect the lower spine and ultimately result in non-surgical fusion of vertebrae.
• Back pain: Chronic or acute and is caused by rheumatoid arthritis, muscle strains, traumatic injury or degeneration of intervertebral discs, spinal stenosis and other conditions, such as compression fractures or ligament tears
• Cauda equine syndrome: A rare disorder that affects the bundle of nerve roots in the lower back and can impair bladder and bowel control
• Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve): Can occur when intervertebral discs in the neck lose their height and vertebrae grow bone spurs to compensate
• Cervical spondylosis: Also referred to as arthritis in the neck, which can be caused by disc degeneration, bone spur growth and loss of cartilage, due to aging
• Cervical spondylotic myelopathy: Also called spinal cord compression, which can be caused by an injury or prolonged wear and tear of spinal discs in the neck
• Chordoma: A slow-growing tumor that can be found in the spine and base of the skull
• Degenerative disc disease: A progressive deterioration of intervertebral discs caused by wear and tear that accompanies aging
• Fractures of the spine: Including the cervical (neck), thoracic (middle back) and lumbar (lower back) regions
• Herniated disc (ruptured or bulging disc): When one of the intervertebral discs weakens and can bulge, putting pressure on nerves that leads to pain and/or numbness and weakness experienced in the neck, back, legs, feet, arms and fingers
• Kyphosis: A forward curvature of the spine that can produce a bowed back
• Myelopathy: Damage to the spinal cord in the neck region of the spine caused by a herniated intervertebral disc, bone spurs, dislocation, fracture, injury or autoimmune disease
• Neck sprain: Stretching of a nerve root or brachial plexus can occur from trauma caused by a football tackle involving the player’s head and neck
• Osteoarthritis: The most common type of arthritis and includes degeneration of cartilage in the lower back
• Sciatica: Pain, weakness or numbing sensations are experienced in the buttocks, hip and legs and feet, due to nerve compression along the lumbar spine
• Scoliosis: A sideway curvature of the spine that can affect children and adolescents but can also be suffered by adults as “de novo” degenerative scoliosis, due to disc degeneration
• Spondylosis: Caused by chronic wear on the cervical spine and associated with osteoarthritis
• Spondyloslisthesis (spondolysis): Slippage out of alignment of a spinal vertebra from the vertebra below it, due to a fracture, abnormal wear from arthritis, bone disease or injury
• Stenosis: Narrowing of the spinal column that can result in pressure on the spinal nerves, causing pain
• Spinal cord tumors: Benign or malignant, interfering with spinal and bodily functions

Non-surgical treatment

• Medications: Prescriptions to address muscles spasms, chronic neck pain, back pain or swelling
• Physical therapy and conditioning: Personalized to provide conservative treatment and prevention of neck or back problems
• Injections: Anti-inflammatory drugs delivered to the spinal area and include facet joint injections, nerve root blocks, sacroiliac (SI) joint injections and coccyx (tailbone) injections