Back Pain and Spinal Disorders
Conemaugh Spine Center
Conemaugh Neuroscience and Pain Institute
Conemaugh East Hills Outpatient Center
1450 Scalp Avenue, Second Floor
Johnstown, PA 15904
Phone: (814) 534-7746
Click here for Spine Center brochure
The Conemaugh Spine Center provides a team of specially trained caregivers to help patients struggling with spinal conditions and neck and back pain caused by disease, aging, or injury. A comprehensive treatment plan is developed specifically for each individual based on symptoms and medical history. The long-term goal is to relieve pain, improve functional ability, and return patients to a normal lifestyle quickly and comfortably.
- Back pain can be caused by a wide variety of issues including spinal stenosis, disc herniation, and instability.
- More than 80% of adults will need to limit their normal activities at least once in their lifetime due to low back pain.
- In patients under the age of forty-five, low back pain is the leading cause of disability. It ranks second In patients over age forty-five.
With proper diagnosis and treatments, the Conemaugh Spine Center can help patients return to normal activities after completion of a comprehensive treatment plan.
Benefits of the Conemaugh Spine Center
- An organized, coordinated approach to diagnosis and treatment by a multidisciplinary team that includes physiatry, pain management specialists, physical therapy, behavioral health, case management, and experienced clinicians
- Seamless transitions between providers
- Surgical and non-surgical treatment options under one delivery system
- Increased patient satisfaction
- Quicker return to work
- Decreased length of treatment
Diagnosis
Conemaugh Health System physicians conduct in-depth assessments related to pain, neurological function, and physical motion to determine cause and treatment methods. Assessment can include a detailed medical history, electromyogram (EMG), and first-hand reports from the patient detailing the frequency, location and severity of pain. Other tests, such as MRIs or CT scans, may also be ordered.
Some treatment plans require diagnostic studies. The Conemaugh Spine Center is pleased to offer the latest noninvasive and invasive imaging studies including:
- MRI
- Advanced CT scanning
- Myelography
- Discography
Treatment
Non-operative and conservative treatment options are first explored, but for some patients, surgery may be the most appropriate and effective treatment. A treatment plan is developed after a thorough exam and medical history review is completed.
Treatment plans may include:
- Physical therapy
- Exercise
- Activity modification
- Medication management
- Interventional therapies such as injections under x-ray guidance
As many as 80% of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Some problems can be addressed by exercise or physical therapy. Others may require medication to relieve the pain. In some cases, surgery may be the only effective option.
Back specialists at Conemaugh Health System Spine Center care for patients to relieve physical and emotional symptoms of back pain.
Surgery
Conemaugh Health System physicians use surgical techniques and technologies to treat a range of spinal conditions including degenerative, congenital, traumatic, vascular, or cancer-related disorders.
Spinal decompression, fusion, and instrumentation are used to treat back conditions. Minimally invasive spinal procedures, including kyphoplasty and vertebrosplasty use cement-like substances to stabilize spinal fractures caused by osteoporosis, falls, or traumatic injury. Patients who are eligible for this type of surgery tend to experience shorter hospital stays, faster recoveries, and fewer complications.
Using sophisticated computerized imaging technology, Conemaugh Health System physicians pinpoint the patient's problem and its relationship to vascular structures or veins. Treating the condition while keeping vascular structures intact significantly reduces complications and speeds the recovery process.