Center for Spinal Disorders

Medical Director: David Stockwell, MD

Mission: Serve our patients and their caregivers through education, treatment and research on spine conditions, delivering unmatched, expert care. As the only spine program in Indiana affiliated with an academic institution, we continuously strive to lead in the research and utilization of multidisciplinary approach to treatment options that get our patients back to a better quality of life.

• A partnership with IU School of Medicine leading to innovative translational research promises ease of access into program. Our unique scheduling algorithm ensures patients are seen by the most appropriate provider based on their medical history, and referring providers are required to do no additional work to make a referral. 
• The program is aligned with and has built-in access to the only chronic pain management program in the state of Indiana and patients can access an intensive rehabilitation program; pain psych services; and medication optimization  
• The spine program leverages a high functioning, multi-disciplinary IU Health team that includes orthopedic and neurosurgical spine surgeons, physical medicine and rehabilitation, sports medicine, anesthesia, and pain.

Medical Director: Flora Hammond, MD

Mission: Our program strives to provide an innovative outpatient, multidisciplinary approach to comprehensive chronic complex pain management through research, education and patient-centered care. 

• Pain Navigation Service serves as the entry portal where patients with complex, chronic pain receive a multidisciplinary pain evaluation which includes medical, physical therapy, and psychological evaluations. 
• Medication Optimization Program is a program tailored to patients who are interested in reducing or weaning off their opioid medication, and who are motivated to explore non-narcotic alternatives to managing their pain. 
• Pain Rehabilitation Program (PRP), an Intensive Outpatient Program in which patients receive group and individual psychotherapy, physical and occupational therapy, and complementary therapies including yoga, spiritual counseling, music therapy, massage, and nutrition counseling.  Patients attend for approximately 8 hours per day, 5 days per week, over the course of 3 weeks.
• Pain Psychology Services which consist of a variety of evidence-based interventions and education to help people learn to effectively manage their chronic pain.  These interventions include Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (Individual and Group), Biofeedback, Empowered Relief, and Pain School.
• Pain Portal, once established, will allow one referral number/mechanism for outpatient pain management. APPs will conduct virtual triage to place patients with the right service and manage expectations.

Medical Director: Rick Nelson, MD, PhD

Mission: To improve the quality of life for patients with skull base conditions through excellence in patient-specific clinical care, translational research and education

The Spine Surgery Fellowship in the Department of Neurological Surgery provides excellent exposure to a range of patient cases. Spine specialists treat spine disorders that include complex and minimally invasive procedures, tumors, artificial disc replacement, degenerative disease, trauma, kyphoplasty, and pain management. Fellows in this one-year fellowship program also benefit from exposure to traumatic spine and brain disorders in amateur and professional athletes.

The Neurosurgical Oncology/Skull Base Fellowship in the Department of Neurological Surgery offers a well-rounded experience in managing complex brain tumors. This one-year fellowship opportunity offers participation in operative management of aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations and therefore encompasses a broad range of complex cranial procedures. 

The two-year, ACGME-accredited Neurotology Fellowship is available every other year through the Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery. The fellow will master surgical approach during the first year and progress to tumor removal and cranial nerve conservation surgery during the second year.

The one-year Rhinology and Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery Fellowship in the Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery focuses on developing skills in assessment, treatment strategies and surgical techniques used in the management of complex rhinologic and neuro-rhinologic conditions. The fellowship will provide an experience that will prepare the trainee to enter into a career in academic rhinology.

The Indiana Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Group (ISCBIRG) in the Stark Neurosciences Research Institute at the IU School of Medicine is comprised of a critical mass of key principal investigators who study molecular mechanisms underlying spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury and develop novel repair strategies to promote neural reorganization and functional recovery in experimental models of these injuries. The long-term goal of these studies is to translate promising treatments from animal models to humans. 

Penumbra- Thunder
Styker – Citadel
Stryker – Evolve
GT Medical Technologies – New Mets
University of Michigan – Boost 3
Johns Hopkins – Pens
GT Medical Technologies – GMT - 103

View more clinical trials in the Department of Neurosurgery.

Spontaneous brain fluid leaks: (Disease mechanism): All patients get sleep study and intracranial pressure testing for spontaneous CSF leaks to identify incidence and mechanisms of the condition. Our center leads the country in publications on the most effective treatment and in understanding the cause of spontaneous CSF leaks. 

Acoustic Neuroma (Medical treatment): Investigating novel medical therapy to prevent hearing loss and tumor growth in patients with small acoustic neuromas.

Acoustic Neuroma (Tumor DNA): Use patient acoustic tumor samples to perform DNA expression profiles on tens of thousands of tumor cells to find genes that cause tumor growth. Collected as part of the IU Health Tumor Biobank. We have research grant funding to perform the analysis. 

Acoustic neuroma (Residual tumor): Some acoustic tumors are incompletely resected to preserve facial nerve function. We analyze residual acoustic tumors to determine which patients experience regrowth of tumor; We have established the first acoustic neuroma staging system for residual tumors to predict which patients will be at increased risk of tumor regrowth.

Robotic Cochlear Implantation: We are the only center in Indiana to use robotic assistance to perform cochlear implants to achieve less traumatic insertions and preserve cochlear structures.

Post-operative trial: A clinical trial, the Role of Novel RADA16 Hydrogel in Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery, is actively enrolling patients to study ways of improving patient quality of life after endoscopic skull base and pituitary surgery through novel healing agents.

Smell loss in patients: A National Institutes of Health-funded research study collects tissue samples from the sinus cavity to better understand smell and olfactory mechanisms to help improve symptoms in patients with smell loss.