A neurosurgeon is a medical specialist who treats diseases and conditions affecting the nervous system, which includes the brain, the spine and spinal cord, and the peripheral nerves. Neurosurgeons provide non-operative and surgical treatment to patients of all ages.

Today, most neurosurgeons perform more spine than brain surgeries. Some neurosurgeons specialize in specific types of spinal problems, such as cervical (neck) and lumbar (low back) disorders, spinal cord injury, or by age group. Pediatric neurosurgeons treat infants and children, while other neurosurgeons specialize in disorders affecting adults.

Before having spine surgery to address your back pain or neck pain, you should make sure you understand your treatment options—and that includes understanding your surgeon. SpineUniverse offers many resources on neurosurgery and neurosurgeons (in fact, our Editorial Board is made up of many of the leading neurosurgeons), so we hope we can help you become a better informed patient as you figure out your back pain treatment options.