Spine Surgeon in Missoula, Montana

SPINE including back pain and neck pain

At Missoula Bone & Joint in Western Montana, spine surgeon Dr. Zack Witte specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of spine-related conditions that may be causing your back or neck pain. He understands how this pain can limit your activities and decrease your quality of life. His goal is to work with you to relieve your pain and restore your mobility so you can enjoy life again.

Understanding the spine and what causes back pain and neck pain

The spine is an intricate and fragile structure. It is comprised of 25 joints that connect to 33 individual bones called vertebrae. There are 7 cervical (neck) vertebrae, 12 thoracic (mid-back) vertebrae, and 5 lumbar (low back) vertebrae. The rest of the lower vertebrae in the spine are fused together: 5 of them form the sacrum within the pelvis, while the last 4 form the tailbone (coccyx).

In between each vertebra is a disc made of cartilage. These intervertebral discs are shock-absorbing cushions that prevent the vertebrae from wearing against each other. A network of muscles and ligaments surround and support the spine.

In a healthy back, the joints work together and permit multiple degrees of motion. If any part of the spine is compromised by damage or disease, abnormal or excessive motion of the back may result in pain. Below is a list of some of the treatments for disease or disruption of the vertebrae, discs, or joints.

You also have two sacroiliac (SI) joints, one on each side of the sacrum. Reinforced by strong surrounding ligaments, these weight-bearing joints connect the sacrum and pelvis.  Learn more about SI joint pain.

Spine Surgery in an Outpatient Surgery Center

After a thorough examination and review of your medical history, Dr. Witte will discuss your diagnosis and treatment options. Back or neck pain can often be treated without surgery. However, many spinal conditions respond well to surgical treatment. In properly selected patients, surgery provides relief of symptoms, returns function, halts neurological damage, and achieves or restores spinal stability. Traditionally, spine surgery is performed as open surgery which entails opening the operative site with a long incision so the surgeon can view and access the spinal anatomy. However, technology has advanced to the point where more spine conditions can be treated with minimally invasive techniques. This means that there is less disruption to the soft tissue surrounding the spine, leading to shorter operative time, less postoperative pain, and a faster recovery. Many procedures can now be performed in an outpatient setting using minimally invasive techniques.  At Missoula Bone &  Joint's outpatient surgery center you will appreciate extended care in a private suite, if you require an overnight stay.

Spine Treatments - Cervical (Neck), Thoracic (Mid-Back), Lumbar (Lower Back)

Cervical (Neck):

• Anterior Cervical Discectomy
• Anterior Cervical Corpectomy and Fusion
• Anterior Cervical Decompression and Fusion
• Cervical Total Disc Replacement
• Cervical Foraminotomy
• Cervical Laminectomy
• Cervical Laminoplasty
• Cervical Radiculopathy
• Cervical Spinal Stenosis
• Cervical Spine Anatomy
• Neck Pain
• Multilevel Posterior Cervical Laminectomy and Fusion
• Posterior Cervical Fusion
• Posterior Cervical Microforaminotomy and Discectomy
• Pseudarthrosis/ Non-Union Failed/ Previous Cervical Surgery

Thoracic (Mid Back):

• Kyphoplasty
• Scheuermann's Disease
• Spinal Compression Fractures
• Thoracic Disc Herniation
• Thoracic Spine Anatomy
• Spinal Cord Stimulator Placement
• Adult Scoliosis Correction
• Thoracic Spinal Fusion
• Thoracic Laminectomy and Decompression
• Pseudarthrosis/ Non-Union Failed/ Previous Thoracic Surgery

Lumbar (Lower Back):

• Low Back Pain
• Lumbar Spine Anatomy
• Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF)
• Anterior Lumbar Corpectomy and Fusion
• Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
• Lumbar Disc Herniation
• Lumbar Discectomy
• Lumbar Facet Joint Arthritis
• Lumbar Laminectomy/ Neural Decompression
• Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
• Minimally Invasive Lumbar Microdiscectomy
• Instrumented Posterolateral Lumbar Fusion
• Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF)
• Spinal Decompression
• Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF)
• Spondylolisthesis Reduction and Fusion
• Lumbar Spondylolysis
• X-LIF Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion
• Pseudarthrosis/ Non-Union Failed/ Previous Lumbar Surgery

General Conditions of the Spine (not an inclusive list):

• Bulging and herniated discs
• Spinal stenosis
• Degenerative disc disease
• Scoliosis and congenital spine deformities
• Sciatica
• Whiplash
• Slipped vertebrae - spondylolisthesis
• Stress fracture – spondylolysis
• Sacroiliac joint pain
• Spondyloarthropathies
• Nutrition and your spine

Common Back Pain Treatments (not an inclusive list):

• iFuse implant for SI joint
• Spinal lumbar fusion
• Artificial lumbar disc replacement
• Artificial cervical disc replacement
• Minimally invasive lateral access spine surgery
• Minimally invasive posterior fusion spine surgery
• Lumbar discectomy
• Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF)
• Kyphoplasty/vertebroplasty
• Laminectomy
• Laminaplasty
• Microdiscectomy
• Spinal cord stimulation
• Epidural Steroid Injections
• Pain Management

Is back pain interfering with your life? Contact Missoula Bone & Joint at (406) 721-4436 to schedule your appointment with Dr. Zackery Witte OR use our online form to request an appointment.