Clinical Services

UMCP Logo Pastoral Care UMCP Logo Pastoral Care
clinical services

PMC's Center for Spine Care offers outstanding and comprehensive services close to home.

X-rays & Diagnostic Imaging

Princeton Medical Center's diagnostic imaging services include:

  • Bone density testing (DEXA scans)
  • CT scans, including a highly sophisticated 64-slice scanning technology
  • Digital & conventional X-rays
  • Fluoroscopy
  • Interventional radiology, including myelography and discography
  • MRI
  • Neuroradiology
physical therapy services
Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation

Princeton Medical Center offers an Outpatient Rehabilitation Network with convenient service sites throughout central New Jersey for patients requiring rehabilitative treatment such as physical, occupational and speech therapy. Inpatient rehabilitation services are available for patients recovering from spine surgery to help bridge the return to home from the hospital.

Medical Conditions, Procedures & Areas of Interest Treated

  • Acute & chronic pain management
  • Acupuncture
  • Alternative, complementary & integrative medicine
  • Back pain
  • Neck pain
  • Non-surgical orthopaedic rehabilitation
  • Physical, occupational & speech therapy
  • Spinal injections
  • Spine rehabilitation
  • Sciatica
  • Spine care

To find a physician at Princeton Health who specializes in physical and rehabilitative medicine, click here to access the Physician Directory. From the Physician Specialty drop down box, select Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Outpatient Rehabilitation

From simple ergonomic assessments to help you work more comfortably and ease stress on the spine to comprehensive pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation programs, PMC's Princeton Rehabilitation offers therapeutic care to help you feel better and enhance your physical function. Services are available at convenient locations throughout central New Jersey, and appointments may be scheduled during day and evening hours.

Outpatient rehabilitative services include:

  • Pain Relief: Relieves symptoms and promotes healing in the spine, via modalities, manual therapy, exercise, and patient education.
  • Therapeutic Exercise: Promotes muscle flexibility, strength and endurance to alleviate pain and prevent recurrence.
  • Functional Retraining: Optimizes function required for proper performance of daily activities.
  • Postural Awareness & Dynamic Spinal Stability Training: Helps relieve and prevent pain by focusing on proper alignment and body mechanics.
  • Post-surgical Rehabilitation: Provides a gradual retraining of muscle and spinal structures to optimize recovery.
  • Pre-surgical Programs: Maximize muscle function and lower body flexibility to best position the patient for surgery and recovery.
  • Spinal Education Programs: Informs patients on anatomy, movement and body mechanics to best manage and prevent spinal pain.
  • Ergonomic Assessments: Evaluates the patients work environment to optimize success and minimize the risk of injury.
  • Aquatic Rehabilitation: Allows patients to safely exercise in a controlled environment using the properties of water, such as warmth and buoyancy, to offload the spine while encouraging movement without pain.

For more information about Princeton Rehabilitation, click here or call 1.888.742.7496.

Inpatient Rehabilitation

Princeton Medical Center Acute Rehabilitation provides inpatient care for individuals recovering from spine surgery conditions. Treatment focuses on managing pain and improving physical function so that patients can participate in activities of daily living as independently as possible in their home environment. Therapy also helps patients achieve work-related goals. Care is directed by a physician who is board certified in physical and rehabilitative medicine. Additional specialists in neurology, neurosurgery, orthopaedics and internal medicine are consulted and available to manage medical needs during recovery.

Physical Therapy: Therapeutic exercises for strengthening; education and training for proper body mechanics, joint stability and pain relief

Occupational Therapy:

  • Comprehensive training in the activities of daily living
  • Utilization of adaptive equipment
  • Techniques to conserve much-needed energy
  • Techniques for proper training and lifting for your spine
  • Home evaluations that include a safety assessment and recommendations for equipment

Neuropsychology: Experienced neuropsychologists conduct evaluations and biofeedback, offer pain/stress relief techniques and psychotherapy as needed

Nursing: Nurses specially trained in rehabilitation manage your direct care, help promote comfort and ease pain, and provide education

Social Services/Case Management: Coordination and referrals for community services and vocational rehabilitation as needed

Specialized Needs: Orthotics, braces/splints are provided when needed; diagnostics (CT scans, MRIs, X-rays) through PMC's radiology department

Surgical Services

Princeton Medical Center's surgical team includes board certified orthopaedic surgeons and neurosurgeons. Services available include:

  • Assistance with finding a surgeon
  • Evaluations
  • Second opinions
  • Back & neck surgery, including sophisticated minimally invasive procedures
  • Spine care management
  • Patient education

Medical Conditions, Procedures & Areas of Interest Treated

  • Myelopathy
  • Cervical spinal disorders
  • Congenital spinal malformations
  • Degenerative spinal disorders
  • Herniated discs
  • Neck and Back pain
  • Osteoporosis
  • Spinal deformities
  • Spinal disorders
  • Spinal oncology and orthopaedic spinal oncology
  • Spinal reconstructive surgery
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Spine surgery, including minimally invasive spine surgery
    • Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion
    • Artificial disc replacement
    • Lumbar Laminectomy
    • Hemilaminectomy
    • Microdiscectomy
    • Anterior lumbar fusion
    • Posterior lumbar fusion
    • Reconstructive surgery

To find an spine surgeon on staff at Princeton Health, click here to access the Physician Directory. From the Physician Specialty drop down box, select Spine Surgery.

To find a neurosurgeon on staff at Princeton Health, click here to access the Physician Directory. From the Physician Specialty drop down box, Neurological Surgery.

For personal assistance with finding a surgeon, call 1.888.742.7496 (1.888.742.7496).

For patients who have spine surgery or a procedure that requires an inpatient stay, the hospital has a fully equipped nursing unit where you will recover. This beautifully decorated unit is staffed with nationally certified orthopaedic nurses and unit-based clinical instructor. In addition, the unit has its own physical therapy satellite.

senior couple
Vertebroplasty

Vertebroplasty is an alternative for reducing or eliminating debilitating back pain caused by spinal fractures that are the result of progressive weakening of the vertebra (the bones in the spine). Vertebroplasty is an option to strengthen vertebra that have become fractured or compressed because of osteoporosis by injecting them with sterile acrylic bone cement. The procedure stabilizes affected vertebra, improving pain and mobility while preventing further complications such as spine curvature and height loss.

In addition to being used to treat osteoporosis-related vertebra fractures, Vertebroplasty has other applications as well. A consultation for one fracture-related problem should help guide to proper referral and treatment. It is not a treatment for fractures resulting from trauma, such as accidents or falls unrelated to osteoporosis, which often involve other parts of the bone that are not treatable with vertebroplasty.

To find a physician at Princeton Health who performs vertebroplastyclick here to access the Physician Directory. In the Keyword box enter the term vertebroplasty and click Search.

Home Care

For individuals who require the support of in-home care or private duty services while ill or recovering from surgery, Princeton Health offers a full service home care unit, Penn Medicine at Home. For more information, click here.

Fitness & Wellness Services

Princeton Fitness & Wellness Center is a full service, medically based fitness center, offering a safe and welcoming environment for those with special needs or medical conditions. For more information, click here.

Community Wellness Program
Community Wellness offers a variety of free or low-cost health programs, screenings and events throughout the year. For more information, click here.