Saratoga Spine Care
Providers at Saratoga Spine Care use a personalized approach to spine care and pain management that is tailored to each patient.
Most patients do not need surgery but, in cases that do require surgery, our experts offer advanced procedures and deliver personal and compassionate care. We offer advanced technologies, including digital radiology and modern intra-operative spinal cord monitoring, enhancing patient outcomes and safety. Surgeries are conducted at Saratoga Hospital.
Symptoms
Back pain arises from injury or degenerative changes in the spine, which is vital for movement, support, and nerve protection. It can result from soft tissue injuries, vertebral fractures, disc problems, arthritis, or nerve injuries. Back pain is categorized as acute or chronic:
- Acute pain is severe, short-lived, often sudden onset, and typically treated with medications, physical therapy, exercise, and rest.
- Chronic pain is persistent, more challenging to treat, and often resistant to conservative care.
If you experience back pain that is persistent or is a result of trauma, or if you are having difficulty with weakness or numbness in your extremities, or problems with your bowel or bladder, seeing a physician is in order. Other reasons to see a physician would be the development of fever or headaches, chest pain with radiating left arm pain, or if your symptoms have been present for greater than three days regarding acute back pain, or greater than six weeks of chronic pain.
Neck pain is a common problem for many patients. It is self-limiting and related to transient muscle problems, often associated with overuse injuries, sports activities or trauma.
Over time, our inter-vertebral discs and facet joints age and pain may be generated from these structures. Commonly, non-operative care is the best treatment for these problems.
You should see a physician immediately if you develop problems such as weakness or numbness, bowel or bladder disturbances, pain in the chest or left arm, failure to improve after three days of non-operative care in cases of acute neck pain or chronic neck pain that has lasted more than six weeks.
Common reasons for radiating leg pain - known as sciatica - are diseases of the lumbar spine that can irritate or compress the lumbar nerves as they travel through the spinal canal.
You should seek medical attention if you are experiencing numbness, having difficulty with weakness, bowel or bladder disturbances, fevers or chills, or if your acute symptoms have not gotten better after three days of nonoperative care or chronic symptoms last longer than six weeks.
Arm pain may be caused by problems of the cervical spine with irritation or mechanical compression of the cervical nerves that travel through this region and continue into the arm. Damage to the nerves can lead to weakness, pain or dysfunction of extremity.
Medical attention should be sought if you are experiencing numbness or weakness in your extremities, having bowel or bladder disturbances, headaches or fever, chest pain associated with arm pain or if you're experiencing increased clumsiness or gait imbalance.
Diagnosis
The human spine is complex. Getting the proper diagnosis and treatment is a process that will involve a review of the history of your pain and any activities that may have triggered your symptoms, an examination, and, if warranted, may include tests.
Common spinal conditions we treat include:
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- Herniated Disc
- Myelopathy
- Radiculopathy
- Scoliosis
- Spondylolisthesis
- Stenosis
Tests & Exams
Saratoga Spine Care uses a variety of diagnostic exams to determine the cause of your back and/or neck pain, as well as the type of treatment that may be appropriate for you.
We may recommend one or more of the following tests:
- Bone Scan
- CAT/CT scan
- DEXA Scan
- Discogram
- MRI
- Myelogram
- X-Ray
Treatment
Eighty-five percent of our patients do not require surgery and respond to non-surgical options such as physical therapy, ultrasound heat, electric stimulation, massage, and exercise.
Patients for whom surgery is recommended can feel confident in our expertise and experience, knowing that our practice is devoted exclusively to problems of the spine.
- Physical Therapy
- Chiropractic Care
- Exercise
- Ultrasound heat, electric stimulation, and massage
- Pain management
- Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion
- Cervical Disc Arthroplasty
- Cervical Laminoplasty
- Kyphoplasty
- Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion
- Lumbar Fusion
- Lumbar Laminectomy/Discectomy
- Posterior Cervical Foraminotomy
- Spinal Fusion
What to Expect at Your First Visit
At your first visit to Saratoga Spine Care, our providers will take a history of symptoms and perform a physical examination. If you already have x-rays, MRIs or other diagnostic images, please bring them with you. We may order other tests and images during your visit to confirm a diagnosis. Once we determine your diagnosis, we will work with you to develop a treatment plan.
While many patients want to discuss in detail the exact event which may have caused their injury, the most important information your health care team needs involves your symptoms and what limitations these symptoms place on your everyday activities. Please take the time to write down this information.
After reviewing your medical history and diagnostic tests, you will be presented with treatment options. We will inform you of the risks and benefits of each option and will assist you in making the final decision concerning which option is best for you.
Contact Us
Saratoga Spine Care - Saratoga Springs: 518-587-7746
Saratoga Spine Care - Queensbury: 518-743-1010
Saratoga Spine Care - Plattsburgh: 518-306-7255