About Dr. Steven Valentino, Spine and Orthopedics

 

Dr. Steven Valentino is a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon that addresses back and neck pain and general orthopedics. As a fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon, Dr. Valentino provides minimally invasive spine surgery and other general orthopedic expertise.

The goal of treatment of back or neck pain, as well as general orthopedic problems, should be to address the cause of symptoms. Dr. Steven Valentino is experienced in developing comprehensive and invidividualized treatment plans that can help many patients return to activity without surgery. In most cases, surgery is a choice of last resort, after all nonsurgical methods have been exhausted, or when herniated discs, damaged vertebrae or joint problems simply will not respond to nonsurgical treatments.

What is Specialized Therapy?

Dr. Steven Valentino is affiliated with spine specialized physical therapists that excel at treating back and neck pain. One of the only way to permanently relieve pain involves changing the physiology of the back by using exercise to make it stronger, more flexible and resistant to injury. If you can benefit from spine therapy, Dr. Valentino can refer to many spine therapy clinics around the Philadelphia region.

Dr. Valentino’s Philosophy of Spine Care

Through the use of standardized written clinical protocols, physicians take a uniform approach to managing injured backs. This approach reduces variation in care and ensures that no one will get unnecessary or premature surgery.

A patient who goes to a center that does not utilize clinical protocols will notice that he or she may get a different diagnosis and treatment recommendation if they see two different doctors in the same clinic, or if they come back for a second visit. Well defined clinical pathways that are outcome driven ensure quality in health care.

Dr. Steven Valentino uses a philosophy of care that eliminates diagnostic tests and uncomfortable procedures when they really are not necessary. This saves the patient unnecessary pain, discomfort and money. Clinical protocols act as guidelines to ensure that the right thing is done, at the right time, every time.

Surgical Treatment Options

Dr. Steven Valentino helps patients to exhaust nonsurgical options first. If surgery is necessary, Dr. Valentino tries to use a less invasive surgery procedure. Spine conditions such as trauma, severe acuity and life threatening conditions, as well as the inability to benefit from previously applied less invasive treatment options, can require that surgical treatment options be utilized.

When spine surgery is necessary, the results with Liberty Spine Care can be quite impressive. Some procedures, such as the microdiscectomy, can be performed as an outpatient surgery where patients go home the very same day.

Comprehensive Care for Spine Conditions has included, but is not limited to:

▪ Cervical and Lumbar Radiculopathy (radiating pain into an arm or leg)
▪ Spinal Deformity
▪ Lumbar Degenerative Conditions (disc herniations)
▪ Osteoporotic Fractures (fractures related to osteoporosis)
▪ Scoliosis (Adult and Pediatric curvature of the spine)
▪ Cervical Total Disc Arthroplasty (Artificial Disc Replacement in the neck)
▪ Trauma (back or neck problems caused by slips, falls, accidents)
▪ Tumors
▪ Spinal Stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal as a person ages)

A referral center for King of Prussia, Sewell and South Jersey

Dr. Steven Valentino develops customized care plans for each patient with the goal of helping the patient resolve symptoms and return to work and activity — in most cases without spine surgery.

While some back problems self resolve with time, that is not the case for those patients with emergency symptoms like weakness or numbness into a leg or arm, or loss of control of bowel or bladder. These “red flag” symptoms if untreated for only a week, can become permanent. Such is the problem with delaying diagnostics for people with back or neck pain. Simple to treat problems can snowball into life-changing permanent disability because care is delayed.

 

Notes:

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