Spine Conditions We Treat

At UPMC, we offer comprehensive spine care — including both surgical and nonsurgical treatments — for people with a full range of spinal diseases, disorders, and injuries.

Our spine experts manage and treat spinal conditions using the latest treatment options, state-of-the-art facilities, and cutting-edge research.

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What Spine Conditions Do You Treat?

UPMC's team of spine experts treats the following spinal conditions, as well as other rare problems and injuries of the spine:

Common back and spine conditions

• Cervical (neck) pain — Pain in the cervical or neck region of the spine.
• Degenerative disc disease — When the discs cushioning the vertebrae in the spine wear down, potentially leading to osteoarthritis or pain and stiffness.
• Discitis — An infection of the intervertebral discs in the spine, causing inflammation and severe back pain.
• Herniated disc (slipped disc) — When a disc in the spine slips out of place, causing pain, especially if the slipped disc pushes against a nerve.
• Lower back pain — Pain specifically in the lumbar region of the spine.
• Radiculopathy (pinched nerve) — When a spinal bone shifts and touches a nerve, causing pain, numbness, or tingling around the body where the nerve travels.
• Sciatica — Nerve pain that travels from the buttocks to the foot and may cause weakness, numbness, or tingling in the leg.
• Scoliosis — An irregular curve in the spine that pushes the spinal column to the side, resulting in an "S" or "C" shape instead of a straight line.
• Sprains and strains — Tears in one or more ligaments (sprain) or tendons (strain) around the spine.

Degenerative spine conditions

• Degenerative disc disease — When the discs cushioning the vertebrae in the spine wear down, potentially leading to osteoarthritis or pain and stiffness.
• Herniated disc (slipped disc) — When a disc in the spine slips out of place, causing pain, especially if the slipped disc pushes against a nerve.
• Spinal stenosis — Narrowing of the spinal canal due to swollen, thickened, or out-of-place tissue or bone.
• Spondylolisthesis — When one vertebra in the (typically lower) back slides over the bone below it, squeezing the nerve roots and causing pain, numbness, or leg weakness.
• Spondylosis — A defect or fracture in the "wing" part of the vertebra that keeps the vertebrae in place.
• Synovial cyst — Fluid-filled sac in the spine caused by degenerative changes, leading to pain and nerve compression.

Spinal deformities

• Kyphosis — Compression fracture in which one or more vertebrae break or collapse, usually from osteoporosis.
• Scoliosis — An irregular curve in the spine that pushes the spinal column to the side, resulting in an "S" or "C" shape instead of a straight line.
• Spina bifida — When the spine and spinal cord do not form properly, often leading to mobility issues, pain, and other complications.

Spinal tumors and lesions

• Hemangioblastoma — A benign (noncancerous), slow-growing tumor that forms in the blood vessels of the brain, spinal cord, or retina.
• Hemangioma — A benign (noncancerous) tumor made up of blood vessels.
• Metastatic tumors — Cancer that spreads from another part of the body to form growths on nerves, bones, and other soft tissues.
• Neurofibroma — Benign (noncancerous) tumor that develops from the nerve tissue around the spine.
• Schwannoma tumor — A typically benign (noncancerous) tumor that arises from Schwann cells, which produce the protective myelin sheath around nerves.
• Spinal meningioma tumor — Typically benign (noncancerous) tumor that forms in the meninges, the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord.
• Vascular malformation — Usually inborn abnormal development of blood vessels that can occur in arteries, veins, capillaries, or lymphatic vessels.

Traumatic spine injuries and fractures

• Cauda equina syndrome — A medical emergency where nerve roots at the lower end of the spinal cord are compressed.
• Compression fractures — Small cracks in the spinal vertebrae, often caused by osteoporosis, that can lead to height loss, pain, and postural changes.
• Myelopathy — Severe compression of the spine that affects the nerve roots and can cause sensation issues and bowel, bladder, and mobility problems.
• Radiculopathy (pinched nerve) — When a spinal bone shifts and touches a nerve, causing pain, numbness, or tingling around the body where the nerve travels.
• Spinal infections — Bacterial or fungal infections in or around the spinal canal or within a bone in the spine.
• Syringomyelia — When a syrinx (fluid-filled cyst) forms within the spinal cord.