The Spine and Back Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, brings together the expertise of specialists from different disciplines in one location, pinpointing and treating the sources of spine, back and neck pain while offering the latest, most innovative nonsurgical and surgical treatment options.

At Rush, highly trained neurosurgeons, orthopedic spine surgeons and physiatrists (doctors who specialize in physical rehabilitation), nurses and physical therapists, come together for a team approach to spine, back and neck care.

Ranked higher than any other hospital in Illinois for orthopedics and neurology and neurosurgery in U.S.News & World Report 2005 “America’s Best Hospitals” issue, physicians at Rush treat patients with spine, back and neck problems from all over the Midwest and the nation — from back and neck pain to degeneration and deformity of the spine to herniated disc to spinal fusion and spinal stenosis. In fact, Rush is one of the nation’s main referral centers for adults with scoliosis and a leader in the treatment of children with scoliosis. Science and clinical research blend with a sincere commitment to provide patients with the absolute finest, most compassionate care available.

Treatment, whether it’s surgical or nonsurgical, is tailored to each patient. A prime example of this is our spine program specifically designed for women. Rush offers some of the most advanced treatment options in the region — from the use of genetic engineering to eliminate the need for bone grafting to new proteins that make spinal fusion surgery less painful and debilitating. In fact, many treatment advances were pioneered at Rush, including minimally invasive techniques that allow physicians at Rush to perform major back procedures with incisions smaller than a paperclip, including lumbar discectomies and spinal fusions. That means less pain, less scarring, a shorter hospital stay and a quicker recovery.

When surgery is the best option, surgeons use innovative tools and techniques such as heat probes, spinal cord implants, artificial discs and a wide array of minimally invasive approaches.

Rush University Medical Center in Chicago is home to internationally respected orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, physiatrists and nurses who find great reward in knowing their research, discoveries and leading-edge therapies benefit patients today. Not decades from now. Our extraordinary specialists work as a team. Together, they review patient cases. They pool their knowledge, exchange opinions and share observations — all leading to a more thorough and accurate diagnosis, and a well-conceived, individualized treatment plan. The team manages pain, treats degeneration, corrects deformities and repairs injuries.

As both physicians and researchers, doctors at Rush can quickly bring the latest therapies to their patients. Rush is the only center in Chicago participating in the largest orthopedic research study ever supported by the National Institutes of Health to find the most effective treatment for back pain.

The Spine and Back Center team includes: