Northwest Health | FALL 2009 By Pamela Richardson

Has your back or neck pain ever gotten so bad that you're ready to "go under the knife" if necessary to stop it?

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Spinal disorders can be debilitating, but surgery isn't usually the answer — and, in fact, some pain may not be reduced by surgery. In other cases, less aggressive treatment might have provided the same improvement. That's why we offer a range of treatments at Group Health medical centers, from self-care to sophisticated surgical techniques. We're determined to help you find the most relief possible.

First step: Your personal physician. Don't be surprised if your doctor encourages you to lose weight and try over-the-counter pain or anti-inflammatory medications as a first approach to most back and neck pain. You might also be referred for physical therapy to learn some stretches and exercises that may help with conditioning, flexibility, and pain control. Imaging tests such as X-rays, CT scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be done in some cases.

No relief? Next step: Spine evaluation. If problems persist, your doctor may refer you to Arne Andersen, MD, a family physician in neurosurgery who specializes in spine evaluations and nonsurgical pain management. Dr. Andersen will work with you to diagnose the source of your pain and identify the best treatment options. He sees patients at our Everett, Seattle (Capitol Hill), and Tacoma medical centers.

Still have unrelenting pain or an injury, deformity, or tumor? Next step: Spine surgeon. "Our expertise in spine surgery now includes the full gamut of spinal disorders, and members can see our specialists even if they don't receive primary care at a Group Health medical center," says Kyle Kim, MD, chief of Neurosurgery.

"Dr. J.C. Leveque specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery, which results in smaller incisions, shorter hospital stays, and faster recoveries," says Dr. Kim.

"Dr. Rajiv Sethi is a renowned orthopedic spine surgeon whose extensive training enables him to handle the most complex spinal cases. And Dr. Chong Lee, who is also skilled in complex cases, joined us in September." Dr. Kim supports Dr. Leveque in minimally invasive spine care, and James Wang, MD, provides general spine surgery care.

Spinal procedures — done by Group Health surgeons at Virginia Mason Medical Center or our Ambulatory Surgery Center at the Capitol Hill Campus — include surgery to correct scoliosis and other deformities, remove tumors, and relieve symptoms from vertebral disk herniation, lumbar stenosis, and spondylolithesis.

Advantages of care at Group Health medical centers. Regardless of what kind of care you need, clinicians can collaborate and review your chart through our electronic medical records. They can share information and images of X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs via our electronic picture archiving and communication system. And you can e-mail your doctors with questions or concerns.

"Because Group Health has no financial pressure or profit motive to perform expensive tests and procedures, our only incentive is to do what's best for our patients to improve their quality of life," says Dr. Kim. "What's great about Group Health is we have the people and the systems in place to offer the best — as well as the most appropriate — spinal care."