Make Pain a Thing of the Past – scoliosis – Physician Partners of America

Tag Archive for: scoliosis

Pioneer in MIS surgery joins Hurst location 

Phillip Kravetz, M.D., has joined Physician Partners of America (PPOA) Minimally Invasive Spine Group, and in doing so will bring minimally invasive laser spine procedures to the company’s Texas territory. He will begin seeing patients on June 11 in the Hurst and Frisco offices.

Dr. Kravetz is among a relatively small group of spine specialists who use minimally invasive techniques to treat complex spine cases, such as fusion and adult-onset scoliosis (curvature of the spine). These conditions have traditionally been been corrected with open-back surgery.

Performing them with minimally invasive, laser-assisted techniques improves patient outcomes. It involves only a one-inch incision, faster recovery time, and less post-operative discomfort.  Muscles surrounding the spine are gently spread apart using dilation tubes instead of the cutting and tearing used in open surgery.

“Through unique training and a lot of experience, I can treat both simple and complex cases in a minimally invasive fashion,” he says.

Dr. Kravetz is board-certified in Orthopedic Surgery with a specialty in Spinal Surgery, and he is a member of the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons.

A native of the Detroit area, he attended the University of Michigan Medical School. While earning his medical degree, he did a Howard Hughes Medical Institute research fellowship in Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School and at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

He went on to complete an internship in General Surgery at Rush Medical Center in Chicago, and his residency in Orthopedic Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.  He completed his fellowship at the Institute of Spinal Disorders at Baylor University Medical School in Houston.

Dr. Kravetz began training in minimally invasive spine procedures when the technique was in its infancy, in 2001. After mastering the technique, he began teaching other surgeons worldwide.  “I’m really big on education and teaching, ” he says.

His desire to inform also extends to his patients. He takes his time showing them how the spines works and how his procedures can help them. “If they understand their spine problem and about the surgery itself, they are more likely to have a good outcome and be more comfortable,” he says.

Dr. Kravetz comes to PPOA after nearly 20 years in private practice and actively educating other surgeons about minimally invasive spine techniques. He is now accepting appointments at  1717 Precinct Line Road, Suite 204 Hurst, TX 76054 and 5575 Warren Parkway, Suite 104, Frisco, TX, 75034.

Call (817) 576-0885. Same-day appointments are available.

PPOA launched its Minimally Invasive Spine Group in Florida in January with the hiring of James St. Louis, D.O.

Millions of people suffer from mild, moderate or severe neck pain every year. Many of them are enduring chronic, lasting pain and try in vain to combat it with run-of-the-mill OTC medicine like aspirin or ibuprofen. Needless to say, the relief is fleeting, if anything at all. That’s not how to treat neck pain.

Let’s back up and talk about what neck pain is. When the neck muscles are strained from poor posture from leaning over your computer, hunching over your desk at work, sleeping in awkward positions, a car accident, a sports injury or anything that caused stiffness and discomfort – that’s neck pain. Next, let’s take a look at some symptoms up close.

Neck Pain Symptoms

You know you have neck pain when you experience any of the following symptoms:

  • Muscle tightness and spasms in your neck
  • Decreased head range of motion
  • A headache that extends into the neck

Now, these symptoms may be a one-time thing and perhaps an ice pack or heating pad will take care of it. However, if you’re finding that this pain keeps coming back it may be chronic, and in that case, you need to move on to more advanced medical treatments.

Neck Pain Treatment

  • Physical therapy. Posture correction, neck-strengthening exercises, and alignment techniques can help ease your discomfort and potentially stop future pain.
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). This technique employs the use of electric currents produced by a device to stimulate the nerves for therapeutic purposes.
  • Steroid injections. A procedure where steroids are injected into the nerves of the neck to stop their ability to send pain signals to the brain. This is an effective way to gain immediate pain relief through minimally invasive means.

Get Neck Pain Relief Today

Don’t wait another painful day. Contact Physician Partners of America now or schedule an appointment to be connected with a pain expert who can help manage your condition and get you back to living a full, active life.