At Brigham and Women’s Comprehensive Spine Center at Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, our specialists utilize a wide variety of medical and surgical treatments to do everything possible to effectively treat spine disorders.
Spine surgeons combine experience, expertise and innovation to offer the most appropriate surgical approaches for treating difficult spine conditions. They provide a full spectrum of adult cervical, thoracic and lumbar procedures for the treatment of degenerative, inflammatory and neoplastic conditions of the spine, as well as for spinal trauma and deformity, including scoliosis and spondylolisthesis. They specialize both in conventional and innovative approaches—always striving to deliver the maximum benefit from the minimum amount of surgery.
Our spine specialists offer a wide variety of operative and non-operative services for treating various conditions of the spine. Listed below are some of our specialty areas:
Surgical
- Spinal fusion – fusing vertebrae
- Discectomy – disk removal
- Laminectomy – vertebra removal
White paper: Surgical and Non-surgical Spine Treatment (PDF)
Physiatry
Our spine surgeons work closely with our spine physiatrists (also known as physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors), who specialize in non-surgical interventions. Physiatrists in the Orthopaedic Spine Service strive to deliver the utmost quality in non-operative (conservative) spine care. Their treatment focuses on educating their patients regarding their diagnosis and the benefits and role of exercise therapy, while prescribing medications and administering minimally invasive injections for the treatment of pain and restoration of function.
- Exercise therapy
- Medications, including minimally invasive injections
- Non-surgical decompression
Pain Management
Our spine surgeons also work closely with physicians at the Pain Management Center. They collaborate to achieve an accurate diagnosis and offer comprehensive non-operative and operative care options.
Chiropractic
Our chiropractors at the Osher Clinical Center blend the art of hands-on therapy with the science and technology of modern medicine and physical rehabilitation. Treatments may include spinal manipulation, soft tissue therapies, rehabilitation and nutritional and lifestyle counseling. As a conservative care profession, our chiropractors elect not to prescribe medications or perform surgery, and work closely with colleagues at the Orthopedic Spine Service to provide a full spectrum of patient care options.
- Manual spinal manipulation (diversified technique)
- Flexion-distraction therapy (Cox technique)
- Manual soft tissue therapies
- McKenzie mechanical diagnosis and treatment
- Graston instrumented soft tissue manipulation
- Ergonomic advice and lifestyle changes