Conditions
Spine Conditions We Treat in Reno, NV
Understanding your diagnosis is the first step toward relief. Dr. Chavarria evaluates and treats the full spectrum of spinal conditions — organized below by region of the spine.
Cervical Spine (Neck)
Cervical Radiculopathy
Cervical radiculopathy occurs when a nerve root in the neck is compressed or irritated — typically by a herniated disc or bone spur — causing pain, numbness, or weakness that radiates from the neck into the shoulder, arm, or hand. It is one of the most common reasons patients seek spine care, and it responds well to both conservative treatment and surgery when needed.
Learn More →Cervical Myelopathy
Cervical myelopathy is compression of the spinal cord in the neck — the most common cause of spinal cord dysfunction in adults over 55. Unlike radiculopathy (nerve root compression), myelopathy affects the cord itself, causing progressive difficulty with balance, hand coordination, and bladder function. It is a surgical condition — decompression is required to halt neurological deterioration and allow partial recovery.
Learn More →Cervical Stenosis
Cervical stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal in the neck that can compress the spinal cord and nerve roots. It develops gradually with age and may cause neck pain, arm symptoms, and — when the spinal cord is involved — problems with balance and hand coordination. Treatment ranges from conservative care to decompression surgery depending on severity.
Learn More →Lumbar Spine (Lower Back)
Herniated Disc
A herniated disc occurs when the soft inner material of a spinal disc pushes through its outer fibrous ring and irritates or compresses a nearby nerve. It is one of the most common causes of neck and back pain, arm pain, leg pain, and sciatica — and responds well to both conservative and surgical treatment in the right patients.
Learn More →Sciatica
Sciatica is a symptom — not a diagnosis — describing pain that travels along the sciatic nerve from the low back through the buttock and down the leg, sometimes as far as the foot. It is almost always caused by a herniated disc or spinal stenosis compressing the nerve root, and it responds well to treatment when the underlying cause is correctly identified.
Learn More →Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal that compresses the spinal cord or nerve roots. In the lumbar spine, it causes leg pain, heaviness, and cramping with walking — known as neurogenic claudication. In the cervical spine, it can compress the spinal cord and affect balance, coordination, and hand dexterity.
Learn More →Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolisthesis occurs when one vertebra slips forward over the one below it. This slippage can compress nerve roots, cause spinal instability, and produce back pain and leg symptoms. It ranges from mild (Grade I) to severe (Grades III–IV), with surgical treatment typically reserved for patients who fail conservative care.
Learn More →Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative disc disease describes the gradual breakdown of the spinal discs that cushion the vertebrae. As discs lose height, flexibility, and water content with age, they can cause chronic neck or back pain, stiffness, and — when they compress adjacent nerves — radiating arm or leg symptoms. Though common, it is manageable with the right treatment approach.
Learn More →Spinal Deformity
Scoliosis
Scoliosis — a lateral curvature of the spine — affects adults either as a progression of adolescent-onset disease or as a new de novo deformity driven by disc and facet degeneration. When it causes significant pain, neurological symptoms, or progressive deformity, Dr. Chavarria offers surgical correction that restores alignment, stabilizes the spine, and dramatically improves quality of life.
Learn More →Kyphosis
Kyphosis is an abnormal forward curvature of the spine that causes a visible rounding or hunching of the upper back. It ranges from mild postural curves that respond to physical therapy, to severe structural deformities caused by vertebral compression fractures, Scheuermann's disease, or progressive degenerative changes that require surgical correction.
Learn More →Fracture & Trauma
Vertebral Compression Fracture
A vertebral compression fracture occurs when one of the spinal vertebrae collapses, most commonly from osteoporosis. These fractures cause sudden, severe back pain and can lead to progressive spinal deformity if untreated. Many patients experience dramatic relief with kyphoplasty — a minimally invasive procedure performed by Dr. Chavarria.
Learn More →Spinal Fracture & Trauma
Traumatic spinal injuries — from motor vehicle accidents, falls, and sports — range from stable fractures that heal with bracing to unstable injuries threatening the spinal cord that require urgent surgery. Dr. Chavarria's orthopedic trauma and spine fellowship training equips him to evaluate and manage the full spectrum of spinal injuries across all regions of the spine.
Learn More →