Ying H. Chen, DO, FACOS
Neurosurgeon
Offering State-of-the-Art Non-Surgical, Surgical & Rehabilitation Treatments.
At OrthoNeuro, we use a multi-disciplinary team of surgeons, interventional pain management specialists, along with physical therapists to diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate back pain, and conditions and injuries to the spine.
This team approach integrates prevention, care, and treatment for return to a comfortable and active lifestyle.
The spinal column is one of the body’s main supports. The spine itself is divided into three sections: the cervical (neck), the thoracic (middle), and the lumbar (lower) spine.
These sections consist of interlocking vertebrae, which allow the backbone the flexibility needed to twist and bend.
Lumbar vertebrae are the strongest. They support the weight of the upper body. You have cartilage discs between the vertebrae that act as shock absorbers to prevent damage from sudden jolts.
Your spinal discs have a tough, flexible outer case and a soft, jellylike center. They cushion and protect the vertebrae, absorbing shock and facilitating spinal movement.
Back pain is one of the most common types of pain. Because the back helps stabilize and move the entire body, back pain can be a serious problem.
Early diagnosis ensures effective treatment and pain reduction. Please make an appointment with an OrthoNeuro spine specialist as soon as you experience back pain.
Most cases of neck pain are caused by a sprain or strain to one of the muscles in the cervical spine and the good news is that most cases of neck pain will subside on their own after rest and temporary activity modification.
Our team of spine specialists uses comprehensive exams and diagnostic imaging to diagnose spine conditions, such as:
A herniated disc (also known as a bulging disc or slipped disc) is a common problem that occurs in the lower back or neck.
The intervertebral discs lie between the vertebrae (spinal bones) and act as shock absorbers to take the pressure off the spine during weight-bearing activities.
Discitis is an inflammation usually caused by a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection that occurs between the intervertebral discs of the spine. The swelling that occurs in these spaces between the vertebrae of the spine puts pressure on the vertebral discs, resulting in back pain.
Sciatica is one of the most commonly mentioned spinal conditions and describes pain that originates in the lower back and radiates into the buttocks, the back of the legs, and into the feet. The sciatic nerve is the longest continuous nerve in the body and begins in the lower back and extends into the legs.
Sciatica is a term used to describe the pain but is not an actual diagnosis and is instead a symptom of an underlying condition that is causing pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Scoliosis is a spinal deformity that causes either an S-shaped or C-shaped curvature of the spine. The condition is commonly seen in adolescents but can also develop progressively as an adult.
In some cases, scoliosis causes no other symptoms other than those that can be seen as physical imbalances, including curvature of the spine, and misalignment of hips and shoulders.
Osteoporosis is a progressive disease that decreases bone density. Bone loss weakens your bones and increases your risk of fractures throughout your body. Osteoporosis develops gradually, and you could have the disease for years without noticing any symptoms.
In most cases, osteoporosis leads to vertebral compression fractures. The lost bone density makes your vertebrae weak, narrow, and flat.
This causes a rounded or humped back as well as increases your risk of a compression fracture. Too much pressure on a weakened vertebra can cause it to crack and collapse.
Osteoporosis is a progressive disease that decreases bone density. Bone loss weakens your bones and increases your risk of fractures throughout your body. Osteoporosis develops gradually, and you could have the disease for years without noticing any symptoms.
In most cases, osteoporosis leads to vertebral compression fractures. The lost bone density makes your vertebrae weak, narrow, and flat.
This causes a rounded or humped back as well as increases your risk of a compression fracture. Too much pressure on a weakened vertebra can cause it to crack and collapse.
Cervical radiculopathy is a term used to describe the pain that originates in the neck but radiates into the shoulders, arms, or fingers.
This condition is not a diagnosis but a symptom of an underlying condition that compresses a nerve in the cervical spine. When the nerve is compressed, pain signals travel from the nerve root in the spine into the extremities.
Degenerative disc disease is a common term used for several conditions of the spine that occur to the intervertebral discs of the spine with age. As we age, the intervertebral discs that act as shock absorbers in the spine lose some of their fluid content and decrease in size and height.
The combination of these factors may cause the discs to dry, weaken or herniate. Osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis may develop as a result of degenerative disc disease.
The facet joints are the two bony attachments at the back of the spine that allow for mobility and flexibility of the spine. Like many joints within the body, the facet joints are susceptible to degenerative changes due to arthritis.
When arthritis affects the facet joints, the joints lose fluid and cartilage. This causes inflammation, thickening of the joints, pain, and bone spur formation. This inflammation can cause pressure on the nerves that exit the spine, which is known as facet joint syndrome.
The spine specialists at OrthoNeuro provide expert surgical and non-surgical treatment options for spine conditions.
Traditionally, spine surgery required a long 6-8 inch incision and a large amount of muscle dissection, resulting in prolonged recovery and significant scarring. However, at OrthoNeuro, our Board Certified Spine Surgeons are experts in minimally invasive spine surgery.
A minimally invasive discectomy (microdiscectomy) is a surgical procedure that uses a very small incision (usually less than one inch), a microscope, and small surgical tools to remove portions of the intervertebral disc(s) that are compressing the spinal nerves in the lower back.
Open-incision spinal fusion procedures have been performed for many years. However, recent advancements in spine surgery at OrthoNeuro have allowed our board-certified orthopedic spine surgeons and neurosurgeons to perform spinal fusion procedures in a minimally invasive manner.
With this technique, they make a much smaller incision, resulting in less surgical trauma and a more rapid recovery.
A minimally invasive laminectomy (also known as spinal decompression) is used to relieve the pain from a pinched nerve in the spine. Your surgeon removes part of the spinal vertebrae, known as the lamina, to decompress the affected spinal nerve so that pain can be relieved.
A minimally invasive cervical fusion is also commonly referred to as an ACDF. Spine specialists use it to treat chronic pain, nerve compression, and instability in the cervical spine. Spine surgery experts typically recommend this procedure when cervical spine conditions do not respond to conservative treatment options.
Revision spine surgery is sometimes needed to correct issues that resulted from previous spine surgery. Although uncommon, screws, plates, or other implants used in a prior surgery can cause pain or other symptoms. This is often due to the spine not healing correctly after surgery or incorrect placement of the implants themselves.
A spinal cord stimulator is an implantable pain relief device used for chronic neck or back pain as well as other neurological conditions that can cause chronic pain.
The device works by sending electrical impulses to the spinal cord that block nerve pain signals to the brain. The blocking of these pain signals from the brain is what results in pain relief. Research has proven this procedure to be safe and effective in treating chronic pain.
Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty (also known as balloon kyphoplasty) are minimally invasive procedures used to treat spinal compression fractures, which are usually the result of osteoporosis or an accident.
A sacroiliac joint injection, also called an SI joint injection, is a needle-based procedure used to treat pain related to the Sacroiliac Joint, which causes inflammation of the sacroiliac joints of the spine.
The goal of this procedure is to use a mix of corticosteroids and anesthetic medications to decrease the inflammation of the sacroiliac joints that are causing localized pain as well as pain that can radiate into the hips.
An epidural steroid injection is a needle-based procedure used to treat pain related to spinal nerve compression and/or nerve inflammation.
The goal of this procedure is to use a mix of corticosteroids and anesthetic medications to decrease the inflammation of spinal nerves that are causing localized pain in the back or neck as well as pain that radiates into the extremities.
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“I recently had surgery on my lower back. I had heard that such surgery would result in pain and cause me difficulties in doing ordinary daily tasks but, I experienced no pain and was able to do normal activities at home and at church. Also, being a bee keeper, I was able to work the hives and extract the honey from most of the hives”
