Spine specialist in Los Angeles

When you have chronic neck or back pain, you want a team of doctors who work together to pinpoint the cause and recommend safe and effective treatment. West Hills Hospital and Medical Center offers innovative surgical care for back pain relief, including minimally invasive, robot-assisted technologies.

For more information about our hospital's spine care services or for help finding a neck and spine doctor, call our free Consult-A-Nurse® line at (818) 676-4321.

When to see a spine specialist

Orthopedists and neurosurgeons diagnose and treat spine problems. They can help with neck and back pain as well as injuries, trauma and diseases related to the spine. You may need to see a back specialist if you have a herniated disk, nerve damage, sciatica or chronic back pain.

Our team includes trained spine surgeons, neurosurgeons, anesthesiologists, pain management specialists and primary care physicians who work together to create a customized treatment plan.

Recognition

Healthgrades independently reviewed West Hills Hospital's clinical outcomes, patient safety and patient experience, identifying us as leaders in orthopedic surgery.

Our orthopedic care and neurosurgical procedures perform various procedures including:

  • Artificial disc replacement
  • Discectomy
  • Laminectomy
  • Minimally invasive surgery
  • Robotic surgery
  • Traditional and robotic fusion

Neck and back pain

If you have neck or back pain, you are not alone. Back pain is one of the leading reasons someone will see their doctor. Sometimes the pain can be alleviated through simple treatment, but other times neck or back pain can become a persistent problem.

Types of spine problems we treat

West Hills Hospital's spine specialists have extensive experience in diagnosing and treating a variety of spine conditions, including:

  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Herniated disc
  • Low back pain
  • Lumbar spinal stenosis
  • Neck pain
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Sciatic nerve pain
  • Spinal deformities such as scoliosis
  • Spinal infections
  • Spine pain and tumors
  • Sports injuries
  • Vertebral compression fractures

Underlying causes of back pain

Lower back pain is often described as dull, continuous pain and muscle tenderness along the spine and lower back. Although low back pain can greatly restrict your mobility, 90 percent of people with low back pain improve with conservative home treatment and without the need for surgery.

Low back pain can happen after activities such as lifting a heavy object, making a sudden movement or experiencing an injury or accident.

When back pain occurs there is usually an underlying cause. Some of these include:

  • Back spasms
  • Bladder infections
  • Degeneration of the spinal discs
  • Kidney stones
  • Muscle strain
  • Ruptured disc
  • Scoliosis and kyphosis
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Tiny spinal fractures caused by osteoporosis

Preventing lower back pain

There are many activities you can do that will prevent low back pain such as physical therapy, but one of the most important steps is to learn how to bend and lift properly. Losing weight, quitting smoking and reducing stress can also help prevent or relieve back pain. If your back pain is not relieved, surgery may be recommended.

Surgical spine procedures

We offer different procedures depending on your needs:

Artificial disc replacement

Artificial disc replacement is a new surgical technique that replaces damaged, herniated or painful discs with an artificial disc. It is an alternative treatment option to spinal fusion, as it preserves the motion of the spine.

Robot-assisted spinal surgery

We provide patients with the most advanced surgical options available. We were the first hospital in Los Angeles to add the latest robotic surgical techniques to our advanced spinal surgery offerings. This exciting technology enhances a surgeon's visibility and dexterity while the doctor remains in control at all times. Our experienced surgeons have undergone extensive training to perform robot-assisted spinal surgeries.

These procedures create small incisions, which makes healing faster but creates limited visibility for the neurosurgeon. Robot-assisted surgery solves this problem by creating a 3D plan before your surgery even starts. During the procedure, the doctor controls every movement while the technology facilitates their surgical precision. The benefits of robotic surgery are:

  • Faster recovery
  • Increased accuracy
  • Lower complication rates
  • Reduced post-operative pain

This technology will help surgeons treat many spine conditions such as:

  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Herniated disc
  • Scoliosis or curvature of the spine
  • Spondylolisthesis
  • Stenosis
  • Vertebral fractures