Back

Sports-related injuries and traumatic accidents, such as a car crash, can bring on intense pain while arthritis is more of a chronic pain that does not subside. Back pain does have the potential to develop into something more serious, so it's important for patients to seek medical care from a doctor or physician who can diagnose the back injury or condition and offer treatment options to provide pain relief. There are times when spine surgery is necessary in order to get patients back to a healthy, active lifestyle, and an experienced surgeon who is fellowship-trained in spine surgery has the expertise to perform minimally invasive spinal procedures.

Know When It's Time to See a Back Doctor Near You 

You should make an appointment with a doctor near you to discuss treatment options if you notice any of the following symptoms:

• Aches or feeling of weakness in your legs and arms
• Back pain that gets worse when standing or walking
• Chronic back pain that does not get better
• Inability to control your legs or arms
• Muscle spasms in the back and neck
• Pain after lifting an object or performing a sports activity
• Pain that radiates from your spine down to your buttocks, legs, and feet
• Pain that radiates from your spine up to your shoulders and arms
• Tingling or numbness in your legs and arms

These symptoms may be an indication of a more serious injury or condition like the following, which our back doctors can diagnose and treat:

• Bulging, ruptured, or herniated discs
• Degenerative disc disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Pinched nerves
• Sciatica
• Spinal stenosis
• Spondylolisthesis
• Strain of the muscles

Our back specialists understand that pain in your back, neck, and spine can dramatically affect your daily life. To consult with our doctors at our Boulder or Broomfield office, you can schedule an appointment online or call 303.449.2730 for an appointment. 

Get Your Life Back in Motion With BoulderCentre for Orthopedics & Spine

When it comes to choosing the right doctor to treat your injury or condition, there are a number of factors that you should take into consideration, including their professional training and level of expertise.

At BoulderCentre for Orthopedics & Spine, our fellowship-trained spine surgeon, Dr. Robert Harper, and our board-certified physiatrist, Dr. Ilya Igolnikov, have completed specialty training specifically in the back, neck, and spine. Our doctors have the advanced skills, knowledge, and expertise needed in order to diagnose and treat your back injury or condition individually to your specific needs and develop a treatment plan that is unique to you.

Our doctors are dedicated to using conservative treatment methods first to provide care for your back injury or condition, such as:

• Diagnostic ultrasound evaluation
• Electrodiagnostic testing
• Radiofrequency neurolysis
• Spinal injections

However, there are some instances where these nonsurgical treatment methods do not provide adequate pain relief and surgery is necessary in order to restore your health. If this is the case for you, our specialty-trained back specialists will work with you to find the procedure that is right for you and your back injury or condition. As a fellowship-trained spine surgeon, Dr. Harper embraces the challenges and intricacies of spine surgery, his motivation stems from witnessing patients’ significant improvement, freeing them from severe pain and disability. He specializes in the following surgical back procedures: 

• Minimally invasive spine surgery
• Lumbar disc replacement
• Posterior thoracic decompression and fusion
• Lateral and anterior lumbar interbody fusion
• Lumbar fusion
• Lumbar decompression/laminectomy
• Lumbar microdiscectomy
• Revision spine surgery
• Adult deformity reconstruction
• Image-guided and robotic spine surgery

In addition to providing state-of-the-art care, our doctors also work closely with our physical therapists, taking a team approach in your treatment and recovery with the goal of getting you back to your healthy, active lifestyle.

To consult with our BoulderCentre for Orthopedics & Spine back doctor or back surgeon about your injury or condition and the available treatment options, please schedule an appointment online or call 303.449.2730.