3D model of a spine
3D spine models are a useful tool in answering your questions about diagnosis and treatment.
Nearly 40,000 people with spine conditions turn to Mayo Clinic each year. They benefit from the clinic's:
- Personalized care. If you come to Mayo Clinic for spine care, our doctors will listen to you, you'll undergo advanced imaging based on your concerns, and you'll receive an accurate diagnosis. Then you'll work with your doctors to arrive at an individualized treatment plan based on your needs and goals.
- Team-based approach. Mayo Clinic has a team model of care, which means that members of a multidisciplinary group of experts are called in as needed to help you. Having all this expertise in a single place, focused on you, means that you're not just getting one opinion. Your care is discussed among team members, your test results are available quickly and appointments are scheduled in coordination. The most highly specialized experts in the world are working with you. What might take weeks or even months to accomplish elsewhere can typically be done in a matter of days at Mayo Clinic.
- Advanced diagnostics. Mayo Clinic offers the most innovative technology, including high-resolution 3D imaging and 3D modeling.
- Research that improves treatment. Because many of our clinicians are also researchers, they are able to offer the latest in spine care innovation faster.
- Innovative surgical techniques and technology. When surgery is recommended, our surgeons are expert in using minimally invasive techniques, robotic guidance for surgical planning and other advanced technology. These approaches can mean a reduced need for medications and a shorter recovery time.
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, are ranked among the Best Hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings.
Your treatment team
Our spine care experts offer team-based comprehensive care for the diagnosis and treatment of your condition. Your multidisciplinary team may include doctors from several medical and surgical specialties, including neurology, radiology, neuroradiology, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, orthopedic surgery, pain medicine, and physical medicine and rehabilitation, including a spinal cord injury rehabilitation program on the Minnesota campus. The specialists on your team work together to discern the cause of your symptoms and to develop a treatment plan based on your needs and wishes. That plan is based on an unbiased review of all available treatment options, follow-up care and rehabilitation.
In addition, our team-based approach to care means you have access to specialists in psychiatry and psychology, nutrition, interventional medicine, and integrative medicine and health.
Your team provides you with coordinated and efficient clinical assessment leading to evidence-based treatment recommendations focused on restoring your function and quality of life.
Innovative diagnosis and treatment
Our spine care experts offer comprehensive evaluation for people with every type of spine condition, from the common to the complex or rare. Your first visit may be with a nonsurgical medical spine specialist — someone with expertise in physical medicine and rehabilitation, neurology, or pain medicine. You'll undergo initial clinical evaluation and diagnostic testing as needed.
Mayo Clinic's advanced diagnostic capabilities include:
- Advanced radiologic techniques, including neuroimaging (MRI or CT myelography), electrophysiology and intraoperative monitoring
- 3D imaging and 3D modeling to help pinpoint a spinal disorder and plan treatment
- Specialized nerve conduction and muscle tests
- Assessment of bone health
Mayo Clinic leads the way in new treatments for minimally invasive surgical techniques and advanced imaging.
Quality
- All 3D imaging of the spine (MRI, CT myelography) performed at Mayo Clinic is interpreted by board-certified neuroradiologists.
- The electrodiagnostic labs at Mayo Clinic are some of the busiest and most referenced in the world.
- When people do proceed to surgery, Mayo Clinic surgical teams often perform a nonfusion surgery that's smaller and less invasive than procedures at other medical centers.