Spine

If you’re dealing with upper, middle or lower back problems, the pain can be difficult to live with. Our spine surgeons use both surgical and non-surgical treatments to help patients with back pain and regain function.

Spine Conditions We Treat

At Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital, our convenient location offers you comprehensive services from both expert neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons. We offer treatments for the following conditions:

• Ankylosing spondylitis: A form of arthritis that primarily affects the ligaments and joints of the spine, especially the lower back. As the disease progresses, it can cause a "hunchback" effect.
• Back pain: Low back pain may be a symptom of many different causes including overuse, injury, degeneration of the vertebrae, infection, a tumor, obesity, poor muscle tone, muscle spasm, strain, muscle tears, joint problems, smoking, slipped disk or disease.
• Degenerative disc disease: Normal changes that occur to the disc in the spinal cord as a person ages.
• Herniated disc: A tear or rupture of a disc in the spinal cord that causes pain.
• Myelopathy: A nervous system disorder due to severe compression that affects the spinal cord.
• Radiculopathy: A condition due to a compressed nerve in the spine that can cause pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the lower back and in the neck.
• Sciatica: Pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, which originates in the lower back through your hips and buttocks and down each leg.
• Scoliosis: A curvature in the spine looking like an "S" or "C".
• Spinal stenosis: A condition in which the spinal canal narrows and pinches the nerves, resulting in back and leg pain.
• Spondylolisthesis: A vertebral malalignment, most commonly involving a bone (vertebra) slipping forward onto the bone below it.

Physicians work closely with the Barnes-Jewish & Washington University Spine Center team, one of the largest clinical spine care practices in the United States. If advanced surgery is what you choose, the staff will work with you to ensure you have a streamlined experience.

If needed, Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital has a rehabilitation facility on campus. Learn more about our Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation (STAR) center.

Download a Spine Surgery Patient Guide

Barnes-Jewish, along with our Washington University orthopedic physician partners, have designed a Patient Journey Guide to prepare you on what to expect before, during and after your spine surgery. You will be on this journey with a care team and encouraged to complete all recommendations to achieve the best outcomes.