Back and neck care for residents of Gainesville, the Southeast and beyond took a significant step forward today with the launch of the UF Health Comprehensive Spine Center.
(From left) UF Health neurosurgeons William Fox, M.D., Adam Polifka, M.D. and Daniel Hoh, M.D., are part of a multidisciplinary team improving care for patients with back and neck pain at the UF Health Comprehensive Spine Center.
Using a multidisciplinary approach, the center unites spine, neck and back pain experts from several UF College of Medicine departments under one roof, including neurosurgeons, orthopaedic surgeons, physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians, pain physicians and neurologists.
Kevin Vincent, MD, PhD, an associate professor in the UF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, said this often leads to a delayed diagnosis. The center, he said, represents a much-needed move toward more comprehensive back and neck care.
"Our multidisciplinary approach will allow us to address the reasons behind back pain more quickly,” said Vincent, the medical operations director of the UF Health Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Institute. “This will lead to less use of medications that frequently aren' beneficial, particularly narcotics and muscle relaxants. Additionally, it will lead to more appropriate use of advanced imaging and testing."
You can learn even more about this new center via the UF Health Newsroom:
You can also visit the Comprehensive Spine Center's webpage to schedule an appointment: