UAMS Health Launches Back and Neck Clinic
| LITTLE ROCK — The new UAMS Health Back and Neck Clinic launched today, combining the best of established programs to offer team-based care at one convenient location, 10815 Colonel Glenn Road in Little Rock.
“When you integrate and combine specialty providers you can provide care that is more streamlined,” said J.D. Day, M.D., a UAMS neurosurgeon and chairman of the UAMS Department of Neurosurgery in the UAMS College of Medicine. “I expect that we can reduce unnecessary procedures and imaging studies by improving how patients get care. We want patients to have the right care at the right time with the right specialist for their neck or back problem.”
At the UAMS Health Back and Neck Clinic, patients receive team-based care from both a physical therapist and a doctor who specialize in spine and sports injuries.
“Back and neck pain will affect over 50-80% of all adults at some point,” said Michael Cassat, M.D., a UAMS family medicine and sports medicine physician. “When it happens to you it can affect sleep, work and your ability to live your life.”
“We wanted to establish a clinic that offered care when you need it, either the same or next day when your pain starts,” he added. “Our physicians and physical therapists work together as a close knit team to accomplish these goals and help you get back to you.”
When someone experiences acute back or neck pain, often many tests are ordered, including an MRI. After all those tests, about 80% of people are referred to physical therapy. The Back and Neck Clinic turns this process around.
“Nearly everyone will encounter an episode of back or neck pain at some point in life,” said David Bumpass, M.D., a UAMS orthopaedic spine surgeon. “We want to change the paradigm of back and spine care in Arkansas, and help people get back to feeling well quickly without having to navigate multiple layers of the health care system. The concept in our new clinic is to get patients on the road to recovery with immediate treatment at their first visit.”
Medical help for back or neck pain may be needed if someone has pain that has lasted more than 72 hours, has difficulty sleeping, has a hard time performing household tasks or participating in sports and leisure activities or finds it challenging to work because of pain.
During the first clinic visit, a primary care physician who specializes in spine and sports injuries will meet with the patient to discuss the patient’s issues and only order imaging if needed. Next, a physical therapist specially trained in back issues will ask the patient questions, perform a thorough evaluation and develop a recovery plan.
If physical therapy is determined to be the best treatment, a therapy session will begin during that first appointment. If surgery or an interventional pain referral is indicated, an appointment with a surgeon or pain care specialist will be scheduled.
“Very few patients with back and neck pain actually need surgery and most improve with physical therapy and nonsurgical measures alone,” Day said. “We also have interventional pain specialists who perform procedures that relieve pain when surgery is not indicated. Our new clinic offers an improved pathway to care for these common problems.”
Appointments are available the same or next business day following your appointment request. Referrals are not needed unless required by your health insurance. To schedule an appointment, call 501-686-5270. To learn more, click here.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,275 students, 890 medical residents and fellows, and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###