An appointment with a spinal surgeon means spinal surgery is coming soon — true or false?

For Novant Health spinal surgeon Dr. Scott Nimmons that's false. That’s because Dr. Nimmons puts this action plan in place to resolve your back pain:

Protection

Protection comes first. Three things Dr. Nimmons says you can do to protect your back are:

Maintain a body weight conducive to reducing stress on discs and joints.
Be active — Do 30 minutes of moderate activity 3-4 days a week, and focus on core strength.
Avoid nicotine to avert its enzymatic effects (think: premature aging).

Nonsurgical treatments

Dr. Nimmons + the medical teams at Novant Health spinal care locations take a multidisciplinary approach to your pain, with specialists in physical therapy, injections, medicines, surgery, and weight management working together to create a treatment plan customized to you.

When surgery is right

If nonsurgical treatments don’t work, Dr. Nimmons specializes in performing several kinds of spinal surgery.

Need expert advice? Schedule an appointment.

See what else Dr. Nimmons suggests