Pediatric Spine Center

The Pediatric Spine Center at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health provides exceptional care to children and young adults with all types of spinal conditions, from the routine to the most complex. We are one of the few centers in the country to offer team-based care from pediatric specialists in neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, pain management, physical therapy, and integrative medicine.

Historically, children with certain diagnoses have been seen by either neurosurgeons or orthopedic surgeons, and there has been little cross-over in their care. But spine problems often don’t fall neatly into one category or another. By combining our expertise, we are able to treat your child comprehensively, and without delay.

We treat every kind of spine condition, including scoliosis, kyphosis, back pain, Chiari malformation, syringomyelia, and tethered cord, as well as spinal issues related to tumors, injuries, and other conditions. We offer the full range of spinal treatments, starting with a nonsurgical approach whenever possible.

Why choose us for spine care

Your child will be in the best possible hands, thanks to our unique services and technology:

• Nonsurgical treatment for spine deformity. We take a nonsurgical approach whenever possible and consider other treatments first, such as including Schroth physical therapy, bracing, and casting.
• Advanced surgical capabilities. When surgery is needed, we use minimally invasive methods, robotic neuronavigation, and intraoperative MR and CT imaging, as well as dedicated operating room teams to provide the best possible care and achieve the outcomes your child deserves. We also employ Surgical Theater technology, a 3-D virtual reality platform that provides vivid, detailed digital models of your child’s spine in the clinic and in the operating room.
• Low-dose X-rays. We are the only pediatric health system in the Bay Area to offer the EOS low-dose spine imaging system, which exposes your child to only 1/50th of the radiation of a typical spine x-ray.
• Comprehensive pain management. We have physicians and physical therapists who specialize in pain management. Our team starts with the least invasive nonopioid methods of managing pain, and we have the only osteopathic pediatric pain physician in the Bay Area, who offers osteopathic manipulative therapies for the spine and surrounding structures. We also offer integrative medicine for pain management, including acupuncture, moxibustion, hypnotherapy, and others.
• Orthotist collaboration. If your child needs a brace, we work closely with an on-site orthotist—a specialist who makes and fits braces—to make sure your child gets the best possible fit over the fewest number of appointments.
• Innovation. Our doctors actively research and test new approaches to spinal care and use their discoveries to improve nonsurgical and surgical treatment.