Patient Testimonials

I had an appointment with Brianna Randall PA-C for some chronic back pain and numbness in my upper legs. I have to say that this was one of the best diagnostic appointments I have ever experienced. Brianna was very professional and thorough. She took extra time to review my previous MRI and follow up X-rays. She walks me through, in detail, what was going on in my lower back and my symptoms. By the end of the appointment, I left with complete confidence in the diagnosis, how that related to my symptoms, and what my short and long-term treatment options were. Thank you to Brianna for taking the time and answering all my questions!

Dr. Davis saved me from a lifetime of pain and has given me my life back. I was unable to stand, walk, or even lay in bed without being at a level 10 pain all the time. My first surgery was a C5, C6, and C7 total disc replacement. After the surgery, I regained the use of my hands. I was immediately sold on Dr. Davis and his entire team. Every one of them is an expert in their field.

I had three more surgeries replacing discs and adding some screws, cages, rods, and a spinal stimulator. Now, I can make it through my week without the use of opioids. After years of pain medication, endless steroid injections, and many muscle relaxers to manage my pain, I can now enjoy spending time with my grandkids. I owe it all to Dr. Davis and his team! God bless them and their work.

My wife has many good doctors from Duluth to Rochester, but none of them she respects, trusts, and appreciates as much as Dr. Banks. He is the only one she has faith in touching her spine. After many years of back and neck surgeries, he has alleviated her pain and kept her moving forward. More than that, he has restored her quality and outlook of life.

Our first visit with Dr. Banks was probably about 15 years ago for a second opinion on her lower back. Another surgeon was suggesting a disc replacement. We later discovered Dr. Banks had watched Carol walk into the building. One of his first questions was when she last had an MRI scan of her neck. I wasn’t impressed as we were there for her lower back. He explained the way she was walking was an indication of a neck issue. He was correct as she had two damaged vertebrae in her neck and bone spurs against the spinal cord. Not related to the disc the other surgeon had wanted to replace. Carol was sold and to this day will look nowhere else but to Dr. Banks for her spine issues. Dr. Banks and Sharla are the best!

Sara Milner is an absolute rockstar as a movement specialist as well as a strength and conditioning coach! I came to her nervous about deadlifting since I was convinced I would end up injured, but Sara completely changed my perspective. She patiently taught me proper form and broke it down for me with clear explanations. I now love deadlifting and get a real thrill from pushing my limits safely. Sara’s expertise transformed me from dealing with pain and low strength to building serious power and cardio conditioning.

She also created stretching plans that worked wonders for my back pain, specially designed with exercises I can do anywhere to boost my lung capacity and strength. As a volunteer firefighter, I need to be at my peak, both physically and safely. Sara’s tailored approach has been a game-changer. From fun workouts and bike rides to HIIT and Pilates, she’s helped me build a lifestyle that keeps me strong, confident, and ready to serve. Sara’s guidance is top-notch, and I cannot recommend her enough!

In 2020, I had an artificial C6/7 cervical disc replacement surgery done by Dr. DuBois. My younger brother had the same procedure done by Dr. DuBois a couple of years before that. Because of the successful surgery and the great experience my brother had, I trusted him completely. Other doctors and rehab therapists had told me I’d have to have a fusion, but I am so glad I listened to my brother instead and had the disc replacement done. With the pain I’d had in my neck and arm for the previous two years, I could no longer do the activities I liked to do such as running and cross-country skiing even with physical therapy. The last few months before surgery, my disc herniated, and I was in excruciating pain which is what caused me to go to Dr. DuBois.

Dr. DuBois’ surgery took all that pain away and the recovery was a breeze. No neck braces and minimal rehab needed! After 6 months, I was running again and was even able to run a half marathon only a year later. This was my goal after just turning 50! Dr. DuBois did an excellent job on my neck surgery, and I will not hesitate to go back if I ever have cervical problems again. He listens, cares, and is very competent and thorough with his work. I would also highly recommend the disc replacement surgery if it’s an option over a fusion. I had a much easier recovery and more mobility in my neck compared to my friends who have had fusions.

I am just around 13 days post op from a cervical spine fusion done by Dr. Green, and I just wanted to take a few moments now that I am feeling better to share my experience. First, for a little background, I have PSA and have battled this condition for well over a decade now. My joints have been swiftly degenerating, and this has meant many specialists and procedures done that ultimately end up in major surgical intervention. I have had many unpleasant interactions with orthopedic doctors over the years, which oftentimes felt like dismissal of my symptoms, pain, general lack of empathy/sympathy while my life, career and ability to function was crumbling around me because of a medical condition I had no control over.

I was referred to Dr. green for surgery as there was nothing more that could be done by my regular Orthopedic doctor to alleviate the symptoms that were horribly diminishing my quality of life. I was unsure what to expect walking into a new orthopedic specialist, but I thought it would likely be pretty much the same as past experiences. Initially it was just a plain pleasant encounter, review of MRI, discussion of symptoms, checking some ROM, and what a surgery would look like. I was informed I needed to quit smoking before the surgery could be ordered, which I agreed to and managed to accomplish right away. Surgery was scheduled and prepared for. Here is what is relevant about my experience with Dr. Green. Around 6 pm the evening before my surgery my phone rings and it is Dr. Green checking in on me to see how I was feeling about the surgery the next day. I thought my goodness what a very thoughtful thing to do! That simple gesture really alleviated about 80% of the stress I was feeling going into my surgery. This man took time away from his evening, likely off duty to check in on a patient. I have never had a surgeon do that before. Once at the hospital Dr. Green spoke to me concisely and thoughtfully about the procedure, all the while reassuring me things were going to be ok. And they were ok. I woke up and once again he was checking in on me and asked if I would like him to call my mom and let her know how things went. My mom spoke very highly of that conversation after I was discharged the following day. I know he didn’t have to personally make that phone call, generally a nurse could have done that. It was above and beyond what I was expecting. Another thing I really want to highlight about Dr. Green is his return to the hospital Saturday to check on me again personally before determining if I could be discharged. Why I think this is important to note is that my nursing staff told me that Dr. Green has become very well respected by the hospital team as one of the few surgeons that does this. They see a lot of Orthopedic surgeons in that hospital wing and I could see that his personal investment into the care of his patients had seemed to have left a meaningful impression on the recovery team that was caring for me. He has chosen to set a good example of compassionate care in a way I had rarely seen through my journey through a chronic lifelong condition. I have nothing but good things to say about my care under Dr. Green who has through his personal actions earned my high regard, trust, and respect. Thank you, Dr. Green!

Dr. Hoel and his team provided excellent care from the first visit to the last appointment following surgery. I was having problems with my neck and back. He came into the room fully prepared to discuss everything that was causing my problems and what options I had going forward. I decided to have the cervical discectomy and fusion, and I had excellent results. My balance is improving and the main reason the surgery was necessary is so that I could continue skiing, biking, and golfing. I am 77 years old and there is a lot of damage to my spine and neck due to arthritis. Dr. Hoel did the surgery with a small incision that hardly shows. I had minimal pain in my upper back, due to the fusion that was done. I highly recommend Dr. Hoel and trust him to give me an honest opinion. He listens and answers all questions thoughtfully. I never felt rushed.

I was referred to Dr. Hoel by another surgeon at TCO. I went in with shoulder and neck pain. I also had numbness, like pins and needles going down my arm and into my left hand. After reviewing my MRI, he diagnosed me with a large herniated disc. After reviewing all my options I decided on surgery. The surgery went great. In the recovery room, all of the pain in my shoulder and the feeling of pins and needles were gone. I would recommend Dr. Hoel for any of your surgical needs.

I’ve dealt with cervical issues for most of my adult life. In late August/early September of 2022, the C6-C7 area of my cervical spine herniated, causing pain, paresthesia, and substantial weakness in my right arm. In particular, those muscles innervated by the nerves were compressed by the extrusion. My mother recommended TCO to me, having had tremendous success there with her double knee replacement.

Upon arrival, Dr. Ryan Hoel examined me thoroughly and ordered imaging. He was able to diagnose the issue very quickly. Considering there was substantial weakness in my right arm, there was a chance strength might not return if left untreated. Because I was young and physically active, Dr. Hoel suggested surgical repair by means of an artificial disc replacement. This type of surgery was a novel idea to me and I was initially apprehensive at the prospect. However, my anxieties were dispelled immediately by Dr. Hoel’s tremendous confidence in his abilities to perform the surgery, as well as its outcome. The surgery was performed in early November and it was masterfully done. The strength in my right arm is 90% restored, and continues to improve weekly. I no longer experience pain or numbness, and the scar at the front of my neck has faded and is hardly discernible. I highly recommend Dr. Hoel to anyone who has suffered a neck injury and is considering the prospect of surgical repair. He is a master of his craft and no one could have done better.

I was treating a 12-year-old neck problem with injections, but they became ineffective. My conditions became severe, and surgery was needed. I had severe neck pain, pain down both arms, and a huge loss of strength in my left arm. I am employed as a pilot, so the loss of strength in my left arm meant that my flying career was over. Dr. Wanderman assessed my problem, performed surgery, eliminated the pain and my arm strength returned. He made it possible for me to keep my job and get out of pain. To me, he is a Superhero! He is one of the kindest, smartest, and most professional doctors I have seen in my 63 years. He provides you with detailed information in a caring manner. Words can’t express the appreciation I have for Dr. Wanderman.