Spine Surgeon Serving Tahoe City, CA

Herniated Disc

A herniated disc occurs when the soft inner material of a spinal disc pushes through its outer fibrous ring and irritates or compresses a nearby nerve. It is one of the most common causes of neck and back pain, arm pain, leg pain, and sciatica — and responds well to both conservative and surgical treatment in the right patients.

Spinal Fracture & Trauma

Traumatic spinal injuries — from motor vehicle accidents, falls, and sports — range from stable fractures that heal with bracing to unstable injuries threatening the spinal cord that require urgent surgery. Dr. Chavarria's orthopedic trauma and spine fellowship training equips him to evaluate and manage the full spectrum of spinal injuries across all regions of the spine.

Sciatica

Sciatica is a symptom — not a diagnosis — describing pain that travels along the sciatic nerve from the low back through the buttock and down the leg, sometimes as far as the foot. It is almost always caused by a herniated disc or spinal stenosis compressing the nerve root, and it responds well to treatment when the underlying cause is correctly identified.

Cervical Radiculopathy

Cervical radiculopathy occurs when a nerve root in the neck is compressed or irritated — typically by a herniated disc or bone spur — causing pain, numbness, or weakness that radiates from the neck into the shoulder, arm, or hand. It is one of the most common reasons patients seek spine care, and it responds well to both conservative treatment and surgery when needed.

Degenerative Disc Disease

Degenerative disc disease describes the gradual breakdown of the spinal discs that cushion the vertebrae. As discs lose height, flexibility, and water content with age, they can cause chronic neck or back pain, stiffness, and — when they compress adjacent nerves — radiating arm or leg symptoms. Though common, it is manageable with the right treatment approach.