It’s estimated that 4 out of 5 adults will have an attack of back pain at some point in their lives. One of every three on-the-job injuries is related to back or neck strain. The good news is that many people can get back to activity without surgery, according to Dr. Mark Downey, a specialist in back and neck pain and founder of SpineGroup Alabama. In 2018, Dr. Downey founded SpineGroup Alabama as a specialized spine center approach for back and neck pain. The new spine center facility, which opened in early 2019, includes space for physician offices, X-ray, an internal injection suite and spine therapy. It is located at 10 Old Montgomery Highway in Homewood, an affluent suburb of Birmingham. “Our goal is to exhaust nonsurgical

treatment options in advance of spine surgery,” Dr. Downey explains. “If surgery is necessary, we can refer to spine surgeons who emphasize a minimally invasive approach to shorten the length of the incision, lessen time in the hospital and speed return to activity with a less painful recovery.” Dr. Downey notes that employers, health insurance companies and patients now understand that there are effective nonsurgical treatment options for back and neck pain. SpineGroup Alabama is the only spine center in the State of Alabama to be included in SpineCenterNetwork.com, the only national listing of multi-discipinary spine centers that emphasize nonsurgical

10 Old Montgomery Hwy #200Homewood, AL 35209 Appointments & referrals: 205-271-6511Educational online spine encyclopedia at:SpineGroupAlabama.com

treatment options and an emphasis on patient education. “Many times herniated disc symptoms can be

relieved with spinal injections that apply anti-inflammatory medication directly to the

nerve root to relieve symptoms like radiating pain into an arm or leg, or more serious

New spine center emphasizes nonsurgical treatment options for back & neck pain

The new spine center facility includes X-ray, spine therapy and an internal injection suite so back and neck patients don’t have to drive around town to multiple locations, from a physician office, to an ambulatory surgery center and therapy office. The internal injection suite eliminates all the red tape associated with a hospital facility or ASC. Patients can have their pain-relieving injection in 10 minutes and go home 30 minutes later.

symptoms like numbness or weakness in a hand or foot,” Dr. Downey explains. “An injection in our spine center takes only 10 minutes and the patient goes home 30 minutes later. Our internal C-arm suite removes the hassle of having to be admitted to a surgery center or hospital outpatient center, which can consume a half day.” Dr. Downey is proficient in the use of lumbar and cervical interventional pain procedures. Over his 12 year spine practice, he has performed more than 30,000 spinal injections. “We take the time to educate patients so they understand the cause of their back or neck problem and how to relieve

symptoms,” he adds. “We have an educational Internet site at SpineGroupAlabama.com that has symptom charts, home remedies and exercises that can prevent a recurrence of a back or neck strain. The goal of SpineGroup Alabama is to help patients return to their job and favorite recreational activity.”

One of the issues with spine problems is that pain is not a good indicator of an emergency and when it’s crucial to see a doctor, Dr. Downey explains. “A back spasm can be excruciating, and knock you down to your knees,” Dr. Downey explains. “But a spasm is related to a muscle or ligament strain and doesn’t require surgery. On the other hand, many people don’t connect that a numb hand or numb foot is linked to a herniated disc and needs to be seen by a spine specialist within a couple days to prevent that symptom from becoming permanent. That’s why we distribute a Symptom Chart to primary care doctors and chiropractors that they can hand out to patients with back and neck pain. A person can also download this Symptom Chart PDF off our web site as well.” A person can also request a second an

3525 Independence DriveHomewood, AL 35209Appointments & referrals: 205-802-6700Educational online spine encyclopedia at:MarkDowneyMD.comBoard- Cer ti f ied Physical Medicine and Rehabil itation

Inter ventional Spine Physiatr ist

Mark Downey, MD

NOTE: A person may use “watchful waiting” for a few days for symptoms of muscle strain or even radiating pain into an arm or leg. However, ANY WEAKNESS OR NUMBNESS in an arm or leg, or loss of control of bowel or bladder, are emergency symptoms. You need to

see a spine specialist promptly (as noted below) to prevent the symptoms from becoming permanent.

LOSS OF BOWEL OR BLADDER CONTROL: This is a SERIOUS emergency symptom (cauda equina) that needs to be treated immediately by a spine surgeon within 24 hours. If you experience these symptoms at night or on the weekend, go to the emergency room. If not treated quickly, the person may lose control over their bowel and bladder permanently.

PAIN LIMITED TO THE NECK: Neck pain can be caused by traumatic injury, like whiplash from a car accident, or muscle or ligament strain. See our Home Remedies section on our Internet site. If pain persists beyond a week, you should see a spine specialist to determine the underlying cause.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR BACK OR NECK SYMPTOMS: WHEN YOU CAN USE WATCHFUL WAITING & WHEN YOU CANNOT

TRAUMA / FALL/ACCIDENT: Any time you fall, are in a car accident, or could have fractured a bone in your back, you should see a spine specialist immediately!

RADIATING PAIN INTO THE LEG: Pain that radiates into a leg below the knee can imply a herniated disc in the low back. But many times radiating pain can be treated non-surgically. Radiating pain should be seen by a spine specialist within 2 weeks.

NUMBNESS OR WEAKNESS IN LEG OR FOOT: Numbness or weakness in the leg or foot is a SERIOUS disc-related symptom that is NOT appropriate for watchful waiting. Left untreated, the symptom can become permanent. You should see a spine specialist within 3 days.

RADIATING PAIN IN THE ARM: Pain that radiates into an arm below the elbow can imply a herniated disc in the neck. Many times, radiating pain can be treated non-surgically. Radiating pain should be seen by a spine specialist within 2 weeks.

FEVER, DROWSINESS, SEVERE HEADACHE, NAUSEA, VOMITING, UNUSUAL SENSITIVITY TO LIGHT?

Other symptoms may be unrelated to a back or neck problem, like cervical meningitis. This can be serious. You should consult a physician immediately for any of the above symptoms.

FOOT DROP / WEAKNESS IN FOOT: If pain, weakness or numbness extends into the foot so that you are unable to lift your toe as you walk, that is called Foot Drop, which is an emergency disc-related symptom. You need a spine specialist within 48 hours. If not treated promptly, it could lead to permanent weakness in the foot.

Those who self diagnose and self treat themselves do so at their own risk. We accept no responsibility for any problems that may result from the use or misuse of educational information intended to be helpful guidance.

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NUMBNESS OR WEAKNESS IN ARM OR HAND: Numbness or weakness in the arm or hand is a more serious disc-related symptom that is NOT appropriate for watchful waiting. Left untreated, the symptom can become permanent. You should see a spine specialist within 3 days.

PAIN LIMITED TO THE LOW BACK: Pain that is limited to the low back may be the result of muscle strain. While pain spasms can be excruciating, muscle strain problems do not require surgery. See our Home Remedies section on our Internet site for special stretches that can relieve pain, and the proper use of anti-in� ammatories. While less common, a kidney injection or kidney stone may also cause low back pain symptoms. Consequently, you should consult a spine specialist accordingly for symptoms that persist beyond 5 days to determine the cause of your symptoms and the best treatment options, including a customized home exercise program that will make the back stronger, more � exible and resistant to future strain.

appointment for an evaluation, or second opinion, at SpineGroup Alabama. This can help a patient explore a nonsurgical treatment option, or validate the need for spine surgery so they know a surgical procedure is necessary. “Spine surgeons view SpineGroup Alabama as a resource to assess the patient and where possible, help the patient exhaust nonsurgical treatment options,” says Dr. Downey.”

The spine center includes a Physical Medicine MD, X-ray, an internal injection suite and spine therapy — all under one roof.

Physicians can request free copies of the 36-page Home Remedy Book and Symptom Chart for their patients by calling 205-271-6511 or by emailing a request to SpineGroupAlabama@gmail.com.

Symptom chart & Home Remedy Book show when to see the doctorMark J. Downey, MD

Board-certified Physical Medicine & RehabilitationInterventional Spine Physiatrist

As a physiatrist, Dr. Downey specializes in diagnosis and non-surgical treatment of pain-related spinal disorders. He is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) since 2007 and uses his comprehensive spine and musculoskeletal training to determine the appropriate line of treatment for a variety of spinal conditions. Specializing in interventional spine, he is able to offer fluoroscopic spinal injection procedures to eliminate spine-related pain and restore normal activities and function. Dr. Mark Downey is a native of Anniston, Alabama. He has been in practice in Birmingham, Alabama for more than 12 years and has performed more than 30,000 spinal procedures to help patients recover from back and neck pain and get back to activity. His practice serves as a referral center for general and complex non-surgical spinal problems in the region. He maintains one of the busiest spine practices in Alabama. Dr. Mark Downey is a graduate of Samford University in Birmingham. He received his medical degree from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at UAB. Following his residency training, he completed additional training in interventional spine procedures making him proficient in cervical, thoracic and lumbar injections. Over the past two years, he has become a primary referral source for thoracic and lumbar compression fractures, performing over 100 kyphoplasty procedures in his in-office surgical suite.

Appointments & Referrals:

205-271-651110 Old Montgomery Hwy #200,

Homewood, AL 35209

Physician Bio