WashU Medicine
Phone Icon

Make An Appointment:

Call:

(314) 514-3500

Central West End

West St. Louis County

St. Charles County

South St. Louis County

St. Louis Area Office Locations

Hospital Locations

View All Locations >>
  1. Home
  2. Patient Care
  3. Services
  4. Spine
  5. Orthopedic Spine Center for Back Pain
  6. Treatment Approach

Treatment Approach

Washington University Orthopedic Specialists will perform a comprehensive evaluation to develop an individualized treatment program for each patient. Treatment may include medications, physical or occupational therapy, bracing, orthotics, injections, or surgery. Diagnostic tests such as electromyography are used to diagnose nerve injuries and determine conservative or surgical treatment options. The primary goal of treatment is to reduce pain and improve function.

Common Treatment Options

  • Posture and body mechanics education
  • Medications
  • Individualized therapeutic exercise
  • Bracing
  • Adjunct modalities such as manual medicine, massage therapy, and acupuncture
  • Fluoroscopic guided spinal injections
  • Cervical and lumbar microsurgical discectomy
  • Laminotomy
  • Foraminotomy
  • Anterior cervical decompression and fusion with plate fixation

Patient with back pain receiving acupuncture procedure
Acupuncture performed at the Spine Center

Patient with lower back pain receiving a massage
Medical Massage Therapy

patient with lower back pain at a physical therapy session to minimize chance of spine surgery
Physical Therapy

patient discussing back pain treatments
Examination at the Spine Center

Request an Appointment