Back on Track

SpineFrom the Spring 2011 StayHealthy publication

At Porter’s new Spine Center, patients are discovering a team of experts including orthopedic spine surgeons, neurosurgeons, thoracic surgeons, pain management specialists, rehabilitation specialists and nurses all dedicated to helping them lead a life free of debilitating back pain.

Thought to affect 80 percent of Americans at some time in their lives, back pain often presents as radiating or shooting pain in the arms or legs, and it comes from a variety of causes. Common causes include nerve and muscular problems, degenerative disc disease, disc herniation, and arthritis. “I see a lot of trauma cases in my practice, which often require some type of surgical stabilization,” said Neurosurgeon Roman Filipowicz, MD. “However, we don’t assume that every patient with a back problem needs surgery.”

This conservative approach to treating back and neck pain is a hallmark of Porter’s Spine Center. “In the last seven years, only between four and six percent of the patients I’ve seen have actually needed surgery,” explained Orthopedic Spine Surgeon Anton Thompkins, MD.

At the Spine Center, an individual treatment plan is developed for each patient. If the patient is having a great deal of pain, oral or injectable medications may be used to help relieve it. “The pain management specialists on our team help our patients become more comfortable,” said Orthopedic Spine Surgeon Nick Nenadovich, MD. “Once the pain is under control we can refer the patient for physical therapy, and they will be more willing and able to fully participate in the program.”

If all conservative therapies fail to help, surgery may be considered. “If there are worsening neurological problems that affect the arms or legs, a severe instability of the spine, infection, bowel or bladder dysfunction, or if the patient is expressing a significant decrease in the quality of life, surgery may be an option, but only if it will significantly benefit the patient,” Nenadovich said. He shared a story of a 19-year-old woman who had tried everything for her back pain but found no relief and was unable to stand up straight. “The Spine Center team exhausted all conservative treatment measures, but, in her case, surgery was the only option that would relieve her pain. She recovered quickly and was very pleased with the improvement in her quality of life.”

While most of my patients don’t require surgery, when it’s called for I feel very comfortable performing it at Porter,” Thompkins said. Thompkins explained that the types of spine surgeries he and his colleagues perform at Porter are comparable to those done at large teaching or research hospitals. “For the really big surgeries like fractures or spinal deformities, I work with Joseph Venditti, Jr., MD. He’s a thoracic surgeon, and with his expertise I can access the spine from the front (anterior approach), which gives me excellent visualization.”

It is also important to note that, with the many advances being made in spinal surgeries, a growing number of procedures are performed using minimally invasive techniques. “Instead of a long incision that requires a lengthy recovery, we can now do surgery through just a few tiny cuts,” said Orthopedic Spine Surgeon Anton Thompkins, MD. Thompkins explained that these new techniques allow patients to get back to their normal activities in a much shorter time.

If you or someone you know has been suffering with pain radiating to the arms, legs, neck, or back for at least one month, you don’t have to leave the region to find help. The multidisciplinary team at Porter’s Spine Center is ready to get you and your back “back on track.”


Visit the Porter Health System website
Valparaiso Campus
814 LaPorte Avenue
Valparaiso, IN 46383
Phone: 219-263-4600

Common Conditions of the Spine

  • Cervical & Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
  • Facet Joint Osteoarthritis
  • Herniated Discs
  • Sciatica
  • Spinal Deformity
  • Spinal Stenosis
  • Spondylolisthesis