he human spine consists of 33 vertebrae, four distinct areas and an infinite number of questions from patients on how best to treat it. Luckily, there’s the Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute. JOI offers many operative & non-operative options for adult

and pediatric cases delivered by board-certified physicians with the most cumulative experience in the area.

Dr. Gregory Keller, a physician with JOI for over a decade says, “We’re extremely proud to offer everything under one umbrella. No matter if it’s imaging, operative and non-operative procedures, or physical therapy – patients receive seamless coordinated care.”

“There’s always constant communication through the healing process which also enhances patient care,” adds JOI physician Dr. Brandon Kambach.

What’s NewMinimally invasive surgery is one of several revolutionary techniques that JOI offers for many types of spine problems. With minimally invasive surgery, the patient experiences less blood loss during and after surgery. That means a faster recovery with less pain and minimal scarring. The healing process is often times shortened.

JOI also offers new technologies that help fuse the spine, man-made proteins to enhance the healing process and advanced techniques in anesthesia that allow JOI surgeons to perform surgery on patients who otherwise couldn’t be helped.

Common InjuriesDr. Keller says that one of the most common injuries he sees among elderly patients is when a person’s vertebrae has become weakened from osteoporosis and has fractured due to anything from falling to just turning over in bed. “We can treat this with Kyphoplasty,” says Dr. Keller. “The technique uses a special hardening cement that fixes in hours. The incision is covered with Band-Aids and takes just a few days to heal. Ninety percent of my patients enjoy relief of pain and regain mobility.”

Dr. Kambach says non-operative procedures such as ultrasound and electric stimulation are also being used successfully for common problems like lumbar strains.

Success StoriesDr. Keller says that the best

aspect of his job is really improving a patient’s life. “I had a patient who was admitted to the hospital unable to move or walk,” he recounts. “I diagnosed her with an acute compression fracture. I performed Kyphoplasty in the evening and the next morning, she went home walking without any assistance.”

With stories like that, we encourage you to call JOI for your back pain.

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“the cement hardens and fixes in hours, the incision is covered with Band-aids and it takes just a few days to heal.”

An Important Column on the Spinal Column