Comprehensive Back, Neck and Spine Care

Center for Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics offers the Chattanooga region’s only comprehensive spine care program providing patients with an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to spine wellness. Our highly trained and experienced team of orthopaedic spine specialists offer minimally invasive procedures and the latest surgical approaches including decompression, disc replacement, motion preservation, spinal stabilization and reconstruction.

CSMO’s spine experts have an in-depth understanding of the many causes of back, neck and spine pain. They’ll listen to you, do a thorough exam to better understand your injury or condition and develop a comprehensive treatment plan just for you.

Move Better – and Live Better

We understand that spinal pain can seriously debilitate even the most active person, and your quality of life is our primary concern. Experts estimate that more than 80% of the American population will be affected by back pain at some point in their lives. If this sounds like you, choosing the right specialist – one who offers the full scope of surgical and non-surgical approaches – is key to finding lasting relief.

The good news is that many causes of back pain can be treated with non-surgical methods like specialized spine physical therapy or injection-based treatments. Conservative treatment options are always recommended before any surgical procedure. When these options are unsuccessful or don’t provide long-term relief, a thorough consultation with our fellowship trained surgeons can help you determine if spinal surgery is your best pathway to reduced pain and improved quality of life.

Spine Surgery Specialists

When you choose Center for Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics for spine surgery, you can rest assured your procedure will be performed by one of the most knowledgeable and experienced spine specialists in the region, Dr. Benjamin Geddes or Dr. Kyle Kesler.

An innovator in the field, Dr. Geddes patented two devices used in the operating room while still a medical student at Ohio State University. Trained by both orthopaedic spine surgeons as well as neurosurgeons, Dr. Geddes brings a diverse set of surgical techniques to your care, from minimally invasive techniques utilizing navigation and robotics to large scoliosis surgery. He also guides and assists a team of professionals in your recovery and rehabilitation after the surgery.

Dr. Kesler is the newest fellowship trained spine surgeon to join CSMO and treats the full scope of adult spine conditions. His training and expertise mean his patients have access to the full range of surgical options – including open procedures and minimally-invasive microsurgery techniques that employ navigation technologies and robotics. During his training, Dr. Kesler also authored numerous internationally-published presentations and papers centering on the impact of spine surgery and its ability to improve quality of life for patients.

Get the Spine Care You Need

CSMO’s experienced spine care team specializes in the most advanced surgical treatment options, with an emphasis on decompression, motion preservation and fusion procedures. Many can be performed at our state-of-the-art surgery center.

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) is a surgical procedure in which a herniated or degenerative vertebral disc in your neck is removed and replaced with a bone graft, relieving painful pressure on spinal nerves and restoring quality of life.

Artificial Cervical Disc Replacement replaces a degenerative or damaged spinal disc with an artificial disc implant to relieve the pain of compressed nerves in the cervical spine. Unlike a rigid neck fusion, the implant is designed to preserve range of motion, allowing you to move your neck more freely.

Artificial Disc Replacement in the Lumbar Spine replaces a damaged or deteriorated vertebral disc in the lower back with an artificial disc. This procedure allows your spine to bend and twist and may be an alternative to spinal fusion.

Cervical Laminaplasty creates more space for the spinal cord and nerve roots to relieve the pain of spinal stenosis, a narrowing of spinal canal that can result from arthritis. In this procedure, the surgeon scores and cuts through the lamina, the bony protrusions covering the spine, to relieve pressure in the spinal column.

Laminectomy is another way to relieve the pain of spinal stenosis, which can also result from bony growths in the spinal column. In this procedure, the lamina of one or more vertebrae is removed, not scored and cut to create a hinge as with cervical laminaplasty.

Lumbar disc microsurgery is a minimally invasive procedure to relieve pressure on nerve roots caused by herniated disc. This procedure can also be used to eliminate the pain of sciatica.

Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion is generally used to treat back or leg pain, as well as degenerative disc disease. Since most TLIF procedures access the the disc through only one side of the spine, recovery time after the procedure will be shorter than with traditional fusion surgery.

For more information on spinal surgery procedures at CSMO, please watch the explanatory videos below. In most cases, physical therapy and other conservative treatments options are required before proceeding with spinal surgery. Call us today to discuss the right procedure to relieve your back pain – and help you achieve the best quality of life possible.

Call (423) 624-2696

Benjamin Geddes, MD

- Adult & Pediatric Back, Neck & Spine Surgery
Kyle Kesler, MD

- Adult & Pediatric Back, Neck & Spine Surgery

Michael Hermann, MD

- Non-Operative Spine Specialist
Interventional Techniques including Injections, Nerve Blocks, Radiofrequency Rhizotomy, Neuroablation and Spinal Cord Stimulation
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Peripheral Nerve Injury
Non-Opioid Pain Management
L. Shay Richardson, MD

- General Sports Medicine
Interventional Musculoskeletal Medicine

CSMO’s spine therapy team offers advanced care for injuries or pain originating in the back, neck, shoulders or pelvis. Their specialized training and experience in spine-related issues help patients assess their pain, find a root cause of symptoms, and develop scientifically sound and personalized treatment plans.

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Motion preservation spine surgery is a type of surgery that is used to treat conditions that affect the back, neck and spine. This type of surgery is typically used to treat patients who have degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, or other conditions that can cause pain or loss of mobility.

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