Conditions
Neck and back conditions we treat in Fresno
The practice focuses on five spine conditions. Each page explains the common symptoms, how the problem is found, the nonsurgical care most people try first and when surgery may help.
Five conditions we focus on
Lumbar stenosis
Narrowing in the low back that squeezes the nerves. Often causes leg aching or heaviness that builds when you walk or stand and eases when you sit.
Read about lumbar stenosisCervical disc herniation
A disc in the neck pushes on a nerve root or the spinal cord. Often causes neck pain with pain, tingling or weakness in the arm or hand.
Read about neck disc herniationSpinal deformity
An adult spine that curves to the side, rounds forward or loses its balance, such as adult scoliosis, kyphosis, flatback or a slipped vertebra.
Read about spinal deformityDegenerative disc disease
Age-related wear of the discs between the vertebrae. Very common, often painless, and a source of neck or back pain for some people.
Read about disc degenerationSciatica
Pain that runs from the low back or buttock down the leg, usually from a pinched nerve root. Most cases improve without surgery.
Read about sciaticaWhich page fits your symptoms?
Spine symptoms often overlap, and one problem can lead to another. This short guide can point you to a starting page. It is not a diagnosis.
- Pain, numbness or weakness down one arm, often with neck pain: start with herniated disc in the neck.
- Pain down one leg, below the knee, often worse with sitting: start with sciatica and pinched low back nerves.
- Both legs ache or feel heavy when you walk, and sitting helps: start with narrowing in the lower spine.
- Ongoing neck or low back pain that flares with sitting, bending or lifting: start with worn discs.
- Leaning forward or to the side, or a curve that is getting worse: start with adult scoliosis and kyphosis.
Our article on telling sciatica apart from back pain can also help, and MRI report terms explained is useful if you already have imaging.
Get emergency care right away for new loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the groin or inner thighs, or arm or leg weakness that is quickly getting worse. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
How we approach treatment
Most neck and back problems get better without surgery. For many patients, care starts with time, activity changes, physical therapy, medicine and, for some, an injection. Surgery is considered when symptoms stay severe after good nonsurgical care, when nerve weakness is getting worse, or when the spinal cord is under pressure.
When surgery does make sense, the four procedures the practice focuses on cover most of these conditions:
- Endoscopic spine surgery
- Cervical disc replacement
- Navigated spine surgery
- Complex adult deformity correction
Not sure when a specialist visit is the right step? Read when to see a spine surgeon or nonsurgical options for back pain. You can also request a consultation, and we will sort out the cause with you.
Start with a conversation
Questions about your neck or back?
Call the office or send a short request and our team will call you back. Please keep medical details for the phone call.