Expert back and neck pain specialists in Kansas City

If back or neck pain is making life difficult, trust the expert orthopedists and spine specialists at HCA Midwest Health in Kansas City. We offer compassionate, high-quality care and the latest spine treatment options, including minimally invasive surgery, for spine conditions and injuries.

To learn more about our spine care services, call (816) 823-0647.

Comprehensive spine care

We are committed to offering expert, patient-centered neurological care, orthopedic care and pediatric orthopedic care for patients of all ages. Our spine specialists work together to provide innovative, life-changing treatments for patients with back and neck pain.

New patients are thoroughly evaluated by spine specialists who arrange any diagnostic tests and imaging exams needed. They may also consult with the patient's physician and members of our multi-disciplinary team to create an appropriate and effective treatment plan.

Every aspect of the individualized diagnostic and treatment plan is coordinated by our spine care team. Then, we guide patients through the entire process, keeping them on the road to recovery.

Back and neck conditions we treat

Spine conditions often cause back and/or neck pain, but they can also cause numbness, tingling or myofascial and extremity pain. The first step to recovery and pain relief is a proper diagnosis. We assess and treat spine conditions and injuries that cause acute and chronic pain, including:

  • Basilar invagination, or cranial settling (a condition that occurs when the upper bone in the neck protrudes into the hole in the base of the skull)
  • Bone spur (a growth of bone that can press or rub on other bones or tissues)
  • Cervical fracture (a break in one or more of the seven vertebrae in the neck)
  • Chordoma (a rare type of a cancerous tumor in the spine that can extend into the bone and surrounding soft tissue)
  • Degenerative spine disease (a condition in which the discs have lost some of their cushioning and water content, bringing them closer together and causing them to press on nerves)
  • Disc injury, including herniated or ruptured and bulging or slipped discs (a condition that occurs when the inner core of a disc in the neck or back leaks out, resulting in a bulge that can press on nerves or the spinal cord)
  • Myelopathy (a condition in which something is wrong with the spinal cord due to injury or disease)
  • Neuralgia (a condition in which nerves are damaged, causing pain, numbness and other unpleasant sensations)
  • Osteoporosis (a condition that causes bones to become brittle and fragile)
  • Pinched nerve damage (damage to a nerve or nerves that can cause pain, numbness and other sensations)
  • Radiculopathy (a condition caused by a compressed nerve in the spine that results in pain, numbness, tingling or weakness along the course of the nerve)
  • Sciatica (a condition that causes pain along the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back through the hips and down each leg)
  • Spinal arthritis, or back and neck arthritis (a condition that causes inflammation of the joints in the spine or the joints between the spine and the pelvis)
  • Spinal column tumor (a tumor that grows from the bone or discs in the spine and often spreads from somewhere else in the body)
  • Spinal cord trauma (damage to the spinal cord, which can result from injury or disease in the bones, tissues or blood vessels around the spinal cord)
  • Spinal cord tumor (an abnormal growth inside the spinal column, which can be noncancerous or cancerous)
  • Spinal deformity (a condition where the curves of the spine differ from the standard position, such as kyphosis or scoliosis)
  • Spinal dysraphism (a condition in which the spinal cord is malformed, which can lead to severe injuries and disability)
  • Spinal fracture (a crack or break in bones or vertebrae of the spine, which can cause mild to severe symptoms, including paralysis)
  • Spinal infection (a disease that occurs when bacteria, viruses or fungi invade the spinal tissues
  • Spinal instability (a condition that occurs when the intervertebral discs in the spine start to degenerate, causing pain and immobility)
  • Spinal sprain and strain (a condition in which muscle fibers or tissues are stretched, torn or twisted)
  • Spinal stenosis (a condition caused by a narrowing of the open spaces within the spine, which can put pressure on the spinal cord and the nerves that go to the arms and legs)
  • Spinal vascular disease (a condition caused by abnormalities of blood vessels in or near the spinal cord)
  • Spondylolisthesis (a condition in which a bone in the spine shifts forward out of the proper position onto the bone below it)
  • Spondylosis (a defect in a small segment of bone that joins the facet joints in the back of the spine, often caused by arthritis)

Spine treatments we offer

We create individualized treatment plans for each patient based on their overall health, spinal condition and personal preferences. We offer surgical and nonsurgical spine care.

Pain management

Pain management, including medications, topical treatments and injections, can help reduce pain and inflammation. We prescribe oral medications and topical creams and gels to reduce pain.

Our doctors can also inject pain-relieving or anti-inflammatory medicines directly to the source of the pain, including:

  • Epidural steroid injections
  • Facet injections
  • Nerve blocks
  • Ultrasound-guided injections

Physical and occupational therapy

We offer physical therapy and rehabilitation with certified physical therapists and rehabilitation specialists who help patients recover from spine conditions and regain movement and mobility. Additionally, our occupational therapists help patients regain the skills needed to complete daily activities.

Spine surgeries

Our experienced spine surgeons offer specialized surgical procedures, including minimally invasive surgery, and a range of other advanced treatment options, including:

  • Arthroscopy (a minimally invasive surgery involving special tools with cameras to visualize bone and tissue)
  • Cervical foraminotomy (a procedure that involves removing a small portion of bone, joint and tissue that overlaps the spinal nerve to relieve pressure)
  • Disc replacement, or artificial disc surgery (a procedure in which a damaged or diseased disc is replaced with an artificial one)
  • Discectomy (a procedure that involves removing a disc that is bulging and pressing on a nerve or on the spinal cord)
  • Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty (procedures used to treat compression fractures by expanding the vertebra and filling it with a special kind of cement)
  • Laminectomy, or spinal decompression surgery (a procedure that involves removing part of the lamina—the back part of a vertebra—to relieve pressure on nerves or the spinal cord)
  • Lumbar interbody fusion (a procedure that involves removing a disc causing back or extremity pain and fusing the spinal vertebrae with bone grafts)
  • Microdiscectomy (a minimally invasive procedure in which portions of a herniated disc are removed)
  • Pain pump implantation (a minimally invasive pain management procedure that involves implanting a device to relieve pain)
  • Percutaneous cordotomy (a procedure that involves removing small amounts of neural tissue to reduce chronic pain)
  • Revision surgery (a procedure used to correct a previous spine surgery that never relieved pain or no longer relieves pain)
  • Spinal cord stimulator implantation (a minimally invasive pain management procedure that involves implanting a device that delivers low levels of electricity directly into the spinal cord)
  • Spinal fusion (a procedure that involves joining two or more vertebrae so they heal into one solid bone)
  • Spinal reconstruction (a procedure that involves fusing the vertebrae together with pins and rods to correct and stabilize the newly shaped spine)
  • Spinal tumor removal (a procedure that involves surgically removing spinal tumors and, in some cases, vascular abnormalities)

Benefits of minimally invasive spine surgery

Our spine surgeons perform advanced spine surgery using the smallest incisions possible. Minimally invasive surgery offers advantages over traditional surgery, including:

  • Faster recovery times
  • Less blood loss
  • Reduced pain
  • Shorter hospital stays

Spine surgery education

We believe educated patients feel more in control and are more likely to have successful recoveries. That's why we make sure patients understand all of their options and every step of their treatment plans. Some of our hospitals also offer pre-surgery classes where patients can ask questions and voice any concerns before their procedures.