At Alpine Orthopaedic & Spine in Spokane, WA, our mission is to provide our patients with the latest proven orthopedic and spine care, with an emphasis on the management of the adult spine, sports medicine, arthroscopy, fracture management and joint surgery. Although we offer surgical options for the care of the spine and the extremities, we engage the well-qualified local resources that are available for the non-operative management of the neuro-musculoskeletal system as a first line of treatment when appropriate.
Alpine Orthopaedic and Spine boasts one of Spokane’s top orthopedic and spine surgeons, Dr. Miguel Schmitz, MD who is board certified with the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons and he has a Certificate of Added Qualification in Sports Medicine. He is fellowship trained in both Spine Surgery and Orthopedic Sports Medicine & Arthroscopy.
Dr. Schmitz desired to
live in the Northwest
early in his career as
he completed his
undergraduate studies
in Biology and
Chemistry at Carroll
College in Helena, Montana, Summa Cum Laude. His training for medical school and orthopaedics has directed his career throughout the country as he sought the best training in orthopaedics, sports medicine, arthroscopy and spine surgery.
J. Ryan Saunders
MPAS, PA-C
Chase Kaufman
PA-C
The adult spine encompasses five main areas: degenerative, trauma, tumors, deformity, and infections. With his training, Dr. Schmitz at Alpine Orthopedic and Spine in Spokane addresses all of these aspects of spine care. The non-operative techniques that are utilized to address patients with spine problems involve consulting pain and injection specialists, neurologists, physiatrist's, physical therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, athletic trainers, and other qualified professionals in the Spokane, WA, area in an attempt to avoid surgical intervention when it is appropriate to do so. If these techniques are not successful or if the condition simply does not lend itself to non-operative management, then surgical intervention with spine surgeon, Dr. Schmitz at Alpine Orthopedic and Spine, is considered. Simple and complex spine conditions are treated by the clinic in all anatomical areas of the spine, including cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacro-coccygeal zones with optimal approaches and validated techniques.
Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy often complement each other because the minimally invasive aspect of arthroscopy allows patients to return to sporting activities sooner. Arthroscopy at Alpine Orthopedic and Spine in Spokane, Washington, entails the use of a camera that has a caliber less than the size of a #2 pencil to visualize the inside of joints through small incisions over the joint while using other small tools to work inside of the joint to resolve the condition inside of the joint. The recovery after Arthroscopy surgery is typically faster than the traditional open approaches. Sports Medicine encompasses arthroscopy and traditional open surgery, but it also involves a healthcare provider’s appreciation for the non-operative aspect of musculoskeletal healing that involves physical therapy, chiropractors, massage therapists, athletic trainers, and others with core interests in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. As with the Adult Spine, Sports Medicine is practiced in our clinic to encompass these other healthcare disciplines in the care of extremity conditions.
