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Spine Care
About Us
Conditions We Treat
Cauda Equina Syndrome
Discitis
Sciatica
Spondylosis
Synovial Cyst
Syringomyelia
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Spine Care
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Cauda Equina Syndrome
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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.


Find the Right Care For You

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.
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