Centre du dos et de neurochirurgie - Clinique la Colline

Dr. Antoine Dinichert and Dr. Benoît Jenny, founders of La Colline Centre du Dos et de Neurochirurgie, provide you with multidisciplinary, personalized care, from the first consultation to post-operative rehabilitation follow-up.

The Center takes care of the various pathologies of the back. Whether mechanical pain (low back pain, slipped disc, osteoarthritis, etc.) or neurological (nerve compression).

Modern therapeutic methods enable these various pathologies to be managed at the Center for Back and Neurosurgery through various treatments and spondylodesis (back surgery).

Anatomy of the back - Center for Back and Neurosurgery

Anatomy of the back

The backbone supports most of the body's weight and is called upon for almost every daily movement, between 1,500 and 2,000 times a day. So it's no surprise that the back feels tired and worn out after a certain age.  

The spine, also known as the rachis, supports the head and back and consists of a stack of articulated bones, called vertebrae.

These vertebrae have different names depending on their location. The cervical vertebrae (C1 to C7) are found in the neck, the thoracic vertebrae (T1 to T12), in the thorax, the lumbar vertebrae (L1 to L5) in the lower back, and finally the sacral vertebrae (S1 to S5) in the pelvis, below the pelvis.

The spinal column is made up of a number of vertebrae.

The vertebral column ends with a final vertebra, called the coccyx.  

All the vertebrae (except the first cervical vertebrae) are separated from each other by an intervertebral disc. This cushions shocks in the spine and distributes loads and pressures. These discs are composed of cells, water and extracellular matrix.  

As a result of natural aging, the water content of intervertebral discs decreases. As a result, the discs lose their elasticity, and the vertebrae increasingly collapse. This increased pressure between vertebrae can cause irritation and pain.

Inside the spinal column and along its entire length, the spinal cord (or medulla oblongata) is housed. Its main function is to transmit nerve messages between the brain and the rest of the body. The spinal cord has three circuits: the descending circuit that relays motor information to the muscles, the ascending circuit that conveys sensory information to the brain, and a third that coordinates certain reflexes.

After the age of 20, the intervertebral discs wear out over the years, a phenomenon known as age-related degeneration.

Pathologies and treatments - Back and Neurosurgery Center

There are two types of back pain: mechanical and neurological.

Mechanical back pain is caused by the collapse of intervertebral discs and occurs mainly after activity. Back pain can spread to the buttocks, hips and thighs but does not cause numbness or weakness in the leg as there are no "trapped" spinal nerves.

• Lumbago
• Collapsed disc
• Arthrosis

On the other hand, neurological pain is caused by a compressed or 

"trapped" nerve, which causes weakness or numbness in the extremities (leg or foot) and, in the longer term, weakened muscles and slowed reflexes. Neurological pain is where spinal surgery comes in. These disorders lead to compression of the cervical nerves or compression of the spinal cord. 

• Herniated disc
• Narrow spinal canal
• Anterior surgery

Herniated disc - Back and neurosurgery center

Herniated disc

A lumbar or cervical disc herniation occurs when, on the spine, an intervertebral disc becomes displaced.

In general, such displacement is caused by degenerative disc damage linked to age, following trauma or repeated strain. The pain runs down the leg, to the foot due to the nerve trapped by the herniated disc at vertebral level.
Disc degeneration is caused due to normal disc wear or injury. In the absence of discs, the spine is no longer able to absorb shocks between vertebrae, leading to mechanical back pain (see section). A weakened disc is the source of herniated discs, which are caused by the compression of a nerve around the spine. This compression causes pain in all the areas crossed by the nerve in question.
When the deformed disc (due to a herniated disc) affects the sciatic nerve, we speak of sciatica, which causes sharp pain in the legs.

Low back pain - Back and neurosurgery center

Low back pain

Mistakenly called "kidney ache" or "kidney turn", the type of pain is muscular and caused by abnormal muscular contracture.

A lumbago (lumbar region) occurs suddenly following an effort (sometimes minimal), made in a bad position, a torison, a stumble with a heavy object in the arms, or repetitive movements. To ascertain the presence of lumbago, an x-ray of the lumbar spine is performed.

People most prone to this type of back pain are those whose physical fitness is not very good, or those who work in physical occupations where heavy loads are frequently carried.

Pain is intense but subsides rapidly after a few days, disappearing completely after one to two weeks

Contact - Back and Neurosurgery Center

Dr Benoît Jenny 

FMH specialist in back surgery and neurosurgery

T +41 22 347 67 40
F +41 22 347 67 42

Dr Antoine Dinichert

FMH specialist in back surgery and neurosurgery

T +41 22 702 23 82
F +41 22 702 23 33