Neurosurgery in Amarillo, Texas

Northwest Physicians Group provides neurosurgery and nonsurgical treatment to help patients suffering from serious conditions affecting the brain, spine and nervous system. These may include chronic low back pain, neck pain, spinal tumors, brain tumors, traumatic brain injuries and more.

The first step is to evaluate your condition and determine the best course of treatment, be it neurosurgery or a more conservative measure such as rehabilitation, exercise or other therapeutic method.

Conditions Treated with Neurosurgery at Northwest Physicians Group

Chronic Low Back Pain

Chronic back pain is pain that last for more than 12 weeks. It can be felt not only on the low back, but also in the buttocks, hips or legs.

Back pain is quite common, but if it becomes chronic, medical attention may be needed. Symptoms that require care include worsening back pain, numbness, weakness, or changes in bowel or bladder function.

Low back pain can be caused by many things, including degenerative disc disease, lumber spinal stenosis, a herniated disc, scoliosis and traumatic injuries.

Chronic Neck Pain

Neck pain starts in the neck, but it can also then work its way down one or both arms. It can be caused by a variety of things, including disc degeneration, arthritis, muscle inflammation or narrowing of the spinal canal. When the spinal canal narrows, it puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. This can lead to numbness in the arm or forearm, tingling in the fingers and difficulty with balance and walking, in addition to neck pain.

Spinal Tumors

Spinal tumors can be either malignant (cancerous) or benign (non-cancerous). Treatment differs for each type. If it’s benign, treatment may include medication, radiation or surgery. A cancerous tumor can be treated with radiation and chemotherapy.

Surgery can also be performed to relieve pain and stabilize the spine if needed.

Brain Tumors

Brain tumors can also be malignant or benign. Treatment normally includes a combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy for malignant tumors, and surgery for benign. Benign tumors usually do not return after being removed. Cancerous tumors can recur, but they rarely spread to other parts of the body.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries can be caused by falls, car accidents and contact sports. Basically anything that forces the brain to move inside the skull. When this happens, it can cause bleeding on the brain or tearing of tissues and swelling that must be treated.

Spinal Cord Injuries

An injury to the spinal cord is very serious because the nerve signals that go between your brain and body can be disrupted. Spinal cord injuries are classified as either complete or incomplete. Complete injuries lead to paralysis below the injury. With an incomplete injury, there is still some movement and sensation below the injury. Spinal cord injuries can be life threatening.

Other Neurocritical Care Services Provided at Northwest Physicians Group

• Microdiscectomy
• Laminectomy
• Minimally invasive spine surgery
• Spinal fusion surgery
• Complex and revision spinal surgery
• Brain and spinal tumor surgery
• Microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm
• Chiari decompression
• Brain shunting procedures

*Individual results may vary. There are risks associated with any surgical procedure. Talk with your doctor about these risks to find out if minimally invasive surgery is right for you.