Over the past 10 years, Dr. Mark Downey at Spine Group Alabama has been the preferred back pain specialist for patients from across Birmingham, Homewood, Tuscaloosa, Auburn, Hunstville and Montgomery. Those with back pain or neck pain often struggle to find a back doctor or spine center that can provide a second opinion for spine surgery and offer nonsurgical treatment for back pain, neck pain, scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and pain symptoms related to a herniated disc. Spine Group Alabama is a Birmingham-based spine center that provides spinal injections, with access to specialists in spine therapy, minimally invasive spine surgery and artificial disc replacement. Spine Group Alabama is the only spine center in the State of Alabama to be included in a national listing of spine centers of excellence by SpineCenterNetwork.com. To be included, a spine center must meet various credentialing criteria, including a non-surgical emphasis and philosophy of care; access to advanced capabilities in minimally invasive spine surgery and artificial disc replacement for motion preservation; and an investment in patient education. This includes providing symptom charts and a Home Remedy Book as a community service for back and neck pain sufferers in Alabama region. The spine center has an internal C-arm and injection suite that enables back and neck pain patients to have a pain-relieving spinal injection and go home within an hour. The spine center includes the expertise of Dr. Mark Downey and Dr. Alex Cotter are physical medicine specialists who have performed thousands of spinal procedures to help patients recover from back and neck pain and get back to activity. Spine Group Alabama maintains one of the busiest spine practices and is proficient in cervical, thoracic and lumbar injections and kyphoplasty.